Natural Synthetic Moses Calvin

We all realize that running on Synthetic surfaces will create slower fractional and final times. In general race times will be slower. Perhaps not as slow as when we first were introduced to to Synthetics but it still plays slower than a natural dirt surface.

This will of course create lower Beyer's and Sheet numbers. No arguement there since it's a logical happening (see adjustments).

So what impressed me about Pioneerof the Nile and his Synthetic numbers leading up to the Derby was the fact that out of all the 3-year-old prep races run at 1 1/8th miles, Pioneer won recording the fastest interior mile and final time and did it on a Synthetic surface!

Digging deeper the same could be said for Pioneer's 1 1/6th mile preps when compared to the entire Derby field.

(Dunkirk's 1 1/8th in the Florida Derby was faster being 1:47 3/5ths but he didn't win the race.)

So my logic followed that if Pioneer was already faster on Synthetic then all he had to do was show the same ability on a natural dirt surface at Churchill and the race should be over.

That's with not even asking for him to improve and run faster on the natural dirt surface since he was already proven faster on the Synthetic-slower surface. All he had to do was transfer the same ability.

The again, imagine if Pioneer did get faster on the natural surface?

Well, it almost worked. Calvin Borel gave Mine That Bird just an incredible, perfect ride something like Moses parting the Red Sea.

On to the Preakness!