I don't think she got a horrible ride at all. Borel knew that some horses were going to try to pressure her and instead of allowing her to get bottled up inside he got her out in front of the potential trouble AND did you see how he was able to ride the two outside horses further out into the turn? Where exactly did you feel she got a horrible ride?
some post race quotes from Borel:
On Macho Again approaching her during the stretch run: “She would never let him go by her. Every time he went up to her, she would dig in again. Even galloping out, I said to Robby, ‘You ain’t going by us.’ She is such a tremendous filly. He ran up to her three times and she kept giving me a little bit more.
“I switched sticks on her twice. That’s more than I have ever done. Hitting her is not going to make her run faster. I think when a horse is going to come up to her, I think that’s when you will see her run. She does what she has to do. She was going fast enough. I never beat her up. I barely tap her because she gives me everything she’s got. She was a little tired.
“She’s a champion. She’s the reason we come here. We did a lot today. Today, we made history which nobody ever did it. It was a big weight off of me because I wanted to win this race really bad. It’s like winning the Kentucky Derby. I knew she was good enough to do it and I had to go out there and not mess it up.”
On the race itself: “She was a little aggressive. Steve had talked to me during the week and said, ‘She might be a little bit fresh. So, save me some horse for the last 40 or 50 yards, or sixteenth of a mile.’ I’m glad he had told me that because I rode her a little bit more confident and sitting chilly until it was time to go. He was right about everything. For the last 40 or 50 yards, she had enough. We went pretty rapid and I knew we were going pretty rapid. I never took anything away from her as long as I had been riding her. I’m not going to change. I knew we were stepping up against older horses. I think she was as good as them, or better.
On Macho Again approaching her during the stretch run: “She would never let him go by her. Every time he went up to her, she would dig in again. Even galloping out, I said to Robby, ‘You ain’t going by us.’ She is such a tremendous filly. He ran up to her three times and she kept giving me a little bit more.
“I switched sticks on her twice. That’s more than I have ever done. Hitting her is not going to make her run faster. I think when a horse is going to come up to her, I think that’s when you will see her run. She does what she has to do. She was going fast enough. I never beat her up. I barely tap her because she gives me everything she’s got. She was a little tired.
“She’s a champion. She’s the reason we come here. We did a lot today. Today, we made history which nobody ever did it. It was a big weight off of me because I wanted to win this race really bad. It’s like winning the Kentucky Derby. I knew she was good enough to do it and I had to go out there and not mess it up.”
On the race itself: “She was a little aggressive. Steve had talked to me during the week and said, ‘She might be a little bit fresh. So, save me some horse for the last 40 or 50 yards, or sixteenth of a mile.’ I’m glad he had told me that because I rode her a little bit more confident and sitting chilly until it was time to go. He was right about everything. For the last 40 or 50 yards, she had enough. We went pretty rapid and I knew we were going pretty rapid. I never took anything away from her as long as I had been riding her. I’m not going to change. I knew we were stepping up against older horses. I think she was as good as them, or better.
Just because a horse has rated in the past doesnt mean its always the best way, Borel had a good hold of her and she was pumped, he would have had to put his feet in the dashboard and rip her jaw off to get her to sit off more. She hasn't really shown the true ability to rate. She has won from stalking spots in the Mother Goose where a sprinter (Flashing) set the 44 3/5 fractions, the Haskell where again a sprinter (Munnings), the Preakness she was head to head with Big Drama another sprinter. These were true routers, following those 3 races it was highly unlikely she would be behind horses in the early pace. They don't pay anymore for winning easy or fast. Bottom line is she showed the ability to take enormous pressure and still turn back the 2 main challengers.
