RobertThrockmorton

travel...In the begin he wasn't be he did take it later on and was press by Jerry Baily(Eddington) and Rock Hard Ten who later on back off but Elliot keep going. I believe and so many others believe he should have sense that no one was pressing him and slow Smarty a bit. Check the 2:00 minute mark of this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpGvnQu1kSU

BTW...If Elliot would have realize the same as Smith and slow down Smarty Jones. You probably would have been looking at Smarty as the last Triple Crown winner.

It is amazing how little some people know of horse racing....coughing**cough** likin sparks. Not every race is the same, you cannot compare last year Belmont with this year Belmont. Different variable setup different scenario's. The only front runner was Paynter and Mike Smith realize that no one is going press him so he slow the pace down which will improve his chance of winning. Johnny V was just stalking Paynter and waiting for an opening to pass him. Johnny knew he had a lot of horse left so it was just a matter of waiting for his opportunity to pass Paynter. Mike knew that Antigun was come on his right so he switch whip to this left hand to Antigun would have a harder time to pass him. At that moment Johnny knew the whole would open and just push UR head once it started to. There was a good chance that Antigun was going to pass him if Mike didn't move to the away from the rail.

Agreed a healthy IHA would have owned this race, no Bodemeister to set up the speed and was ran slow on a fast track. Half the field from last year could have won this one. UR did win so credit given but for me talent was lacking in the field.

Smarty Jones was NOT on the lead. ANy colt that is not setting the pace has to passively inherit what he gets and react to it. The pace setter sets the fraction picks the best spot of the course, has no interfernce of kick back to conetnd with....THEY CONTROL THE RACE, particularly if left alone

Experience my friend, Bode would had never lost the lead if entered nor drifted out to let UR by.

What I meant is Elliot should have not worry about Eddington and Rock Hard Ten but you can't blame Elliot too. Smarty was "too Sharp" and reacted to Eddington and Rock Hard Ten. A lot of people blame Jerry and Alex for sacrificing their horse so smarty won't win the race.

absurd to say for sure he would have won- never know how tired he would have been after running in the Preakness, or if he would have broken down like Giant Ryan did especially with an injury. Anything can happen in horse racing and every race is different. Union Rags showed he had another gear once he got the room to run. He could have passed Paynter by a lot more had that hole opened up earlier. Lucky for him he had Johnny V aboard and not Julien to actuality take advantage of that opportunity

Another thread that make no sense....

I, for one, APPLAUD defensive race riding. If another rider is too dumb to figure it out, so be it

How was the FUNCTION of Payther any diffenetn from Bodemeister. Both were alone on fhe lead and the longer the distances, usually the hsrder these unaffected horses are to catch

Even Bode would have had the same problem being put in the same position as Paynter. It could have gone many different ways if bode was in that race...