Randy Moss

   I thought you might find this interesting.  Below is a table of Moss Pace Figures for the last 24 runnings of the Kentucky Derby (1987-2010).  The first column of pacefigs corresponds to the fractional times of the race (quarter, half, three-quarters, mile and final) and thus indicates at a glance the fastest-paced runnings.  The second column of pacefigs is what each of the winners ran at those calls. Year Race pacefigs Winner Winner pacefigs 2010 88-94-97-96-F94 Super Saver 71-81-90-94-F94 2009 77-80-86-92-F94

   Which horse ran the faster opening six furlongs in his final prep? a)    Sidney’s Candy b)   Ice Box

Before we start diving into the Kentucky Derby pacefest, let’s first catch up on the last two major preps. Line of David might be a 30-to-1 shot when the field leaves the gate for the Derby, but judging from his Arkansas Derby performance, he should have a strong impact on how the race is run. Most thought Super Saver would set the pace, but he broke a touch awkwardly and Line of David blasted off decisively to control the early running in a pacefig line of 78-85-92-93-92F. Line of David, Super Saver, Dublin and Noble’s Promise were all weakening noticeably toward the end; the fractions were only slightly stronger than average recent runnings of the race, but the Arkansas Derby tends to have a larger field and more aggressive pace than many preps. From 2004’s Smarty Jones to the present, the Arkansas Derby pacefig line has averaged 77-83-90-93-94F. In a Kent

The pacefigs for last weekend's preps: Race Winner Moss Pace Figure line Wood Memorial Race pacefigs 70-74-86-93-F96   Eskendereya 64-73-85-93-F96 Santa Anita Derby Sidney's Candy 53-63-77-90-F93 Illinois Derby American Lion 60-73-86-92-F92 WOOD MEMORIAL Ever noticed that no matter how fast horses run, they always have something left to prove? So it is with Eskendereya. He has run by far the fastest of these 3-year-olds, although Lookin At Lucky is no slouch. A mile and a quarter should be a pi

FLORIDA DERBY First off, dismiss the notion that Ice Box and Pleasant Prince are one-off flukes that capitalized on a suicidal pace in the Florida Derby. This wasn't Giacomo in the 2005 Kentucky Derby. The Florida Derby pace was contentious and certainly honest, but nothing scintillating. After all, if the pace was that fast, would Pulsion have been able to go head-and-head for the lead? The Florida Derby pace figures (on the Moss Pace Figure scale) of 76-86-90-92-92F were right in line with the six-year average for the race of 77-85-91-93-93F, compiled since Gulfstream's oval was screwed up reconfigured in 2005. Rule and Pulsion set a pace quite a bit slower than Big Brown zipped through two years ago, but quicker than the pace of Casey's On Call that Quality Road tracked last year. Rule had a similar paceline in the Sam Davis of 78-84