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HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS AUGUST 13, 2010 by Dick Powell Saturday's Whitney H. (G1) was one of the most exciting races seen up here in years, but the result raised as many questions as it answered. On the surface, it looked like Quality Road (Elusive Quality) had everything his own way on the front end and still could not hold off the final surge from BLAME (Arch). Johnny Velazquez has come under some criticism for looking around in the stretch and even some of those that anointed Quality Road "The best horse in training" have jumped off the bandwagon. Not so fast. What I find fascinating with Saturday's Whitney is how much the Saratoga main track changed during the day. In the 1st race, an allowance race for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs, BROTHER BIRD (Birdstone) won in 1:21.91. The next dirt race was race 4, a maiden special weight for three-year-olds and up going seven furlongs, and CRAVIN CADEN (Saint Liam) won by a length and a half in 1:22.73. You could see that the track looked very dry and seemed to be drying out as the day went on with dry, sunny weather and hardly any humidity. Race 6 was a maiden special weight for two-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs and TIZ BLESSED (Tiznow) won by a nose in his career debut for Chad Brown. Where have we heard that before? Tiz Blessed's final time was 1:17.96; a bit on the slow side. The next dirt race was the Test S. (G1) for three-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. It was around this point that the track superintendent had the water trucks out and the final time for the Test of 1:22.71 was right in line with recent runnings. By the time the Whitney came at 5:51 p.m. (EDT), the water trucks had put down enough water that the main track looked like it was between "fast" and "sloppy." On paper, it seemed that Haynesfield (Speightstown) might go for the lead but after he broke through the starting gate and had to be re-loaded, he was outsprinted into the first turn by Quality Road. Considering that the first quarter was run in a slow :24.41, I don't know why Ramon Dominguez wasn't able to get to the front aboard Haynesfield. Even more surprising was Rajiv Maragh sending Musket Man (Yonaguska) up after the leaders three wide around the clubhouse turn. He had all the room in the world to tuck in behind Quality Road and Haynesfield but here he was three wide chasing the pace. Considering his preferred running style is to come from off the pace, this was a radical change in plans. After the pokey first quarter, the second quarter was run in a more respectable :23.65 as Quality Road led Musket Man with Haynesfield back in third now and Blame a closer-than-usual fourth. The pace continued to quicken with a third quarter in :23.86 and Quality Road looked like he was on cruise control. Haynesfield began to back out of it and Musket Man never had a breather while racing wide. Garrett Gomez began to get Blame going around the far turn, but you could see that it would not be easy as he would be forced to go wide. Quality Road turned for home on the lead and was running strong. Musket Man was as game as they come but not eating into the lead and Blame was on the far outside beginning to mount his rally. If this was a normal track, Quality Road would have been home free but I question whether he was getting his footing over it. Gomez was all over Blame while constantly crossing the reins. He did not go to his signature right-hand whip but pretty much rode him hands and heels through the stretch. Velazquez knew his buddy Gomez was coming without turning his head to see and he asked Quality Road for everything he had. The wire was coming and Gomez got Blame's head down on the wire before 36,658 screaming fans. When Blame came back to the winner's circle he was covered in mud. Look up the photographs of the race and you would swear that he raced over a sloppy track. It was a great renewal of the Whitney, but it left the final result open to many interpretations. When the second place horse loses by a head and gives the winner five pounds of weight, the second place horse ran the better race. Blame, as good as he was, only had to tote 121 pounds and most likely will not get any weight the next time they meet. You could argue that Quality Road had everything his own way and still couldn't hold on despite a very slow pace. You could argue that even though he got five pounds in weight, Blame overcame a slow pace and a wide trip around the far turn and still got up in time. You could argue that Quality Road did not like the track and only on sheer class and guts was he still there in the final strides. And, you could argue that Musket Man ran the best race of them all. He was only beaten two lengths after going up after the leaders three wide on the clubhouse turn, chased the pace while wide down the backstretch instead of sitting back like he usually does, was very wide around the far turn, and was still running strongly through the lane. But then again, he was only carrying 117 pounds. How you interpret the Whitney will have ramifications for the rest of the season leading up the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
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