covelj70 Wrote:
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> First of
> all, there are only 9 horses which in an of itself
> changes the dynamic because this is usually one of
> the toughest trips in sports. Shouldn\'t be the
> case this year.  Guess the poly scared away alot
> of the others.
>

More like the addition of the F&M Sprint, the Dirt Mile, and Turf Sprint.  The added races takes horses from other races.  Get used to watered down fields with the new races.  Last years sprint had only nine or ten.  The Classic gets horses pulled to the dirt mile and now the Marathon.  We used to get a filly or two, sometimes a turf sprinter trying the sprint, or a horse who was really suited for longer.  It is no surprise the field is smaller and it is not the poly.

Do the runups vary from day to day or are the usually consistent for races of equal distance?  In others words, do 9f races usually have about 28ft at Belmont?

Ex Caelis
Sorcerers Stone
Wonder Again
Gygistar
Artie Schiller
Stellar Jayne
Azamour
Oratorio

Not sure about the number, but wasn\'t that just an NW1 Alw?

With King\'s Drama needing a supplemental and being a Frankel horse, it is not too surprising they are passing to go for an easier spot.  Relaxed Gesture is also passing for the CI.  I thought those two were the US best chances.

I\'ve read that there is a crown on the track that the outer post have to contend with, out around post 12-14.  They have to run up a bit to get over the crest of the turn.