Ask yourself why each horse is running in this race, and what the alternatives were.
Was wondering that myself. Lots of solid numbers on those sheets for an AOC.
Btw. Just FYI scratched.
Looks like another slowing track. These went about the same as the maidens.
You’re answering a different question.
They were running for third place money if Locked and Speak Easy were in the gate. Third place pays about the same as winning an allowance race, and they get a Graded stakes placing. Plus there are not many preps left to earn points for the derby. And with all the others being slow, why not take the chance.
And the number from this race might come back slow. Dornoch probably paired his debut fig, considering who ran second and the numbers it was running, a 9 or 10 seem about right.