Pertaining to intrinsic bias, Mnr's main track traditionally favors speed at one-turn, while conforming to statistical standards of normalcy (success rates of various running styles) in route events. In accordance with this intrinsic nature, some speed-biases that set in apply ONLY to sprints. Nights when race after race is won gate-to-wire at one-turn, but horses can rally to win at a route are not uncommon at Mnr.  Bottom line: There is a built-in imbalance at Mnr between wire-rates sprinting and routing.

 

Now speaking to temporary biases: Mountaineer's rep as a dead-rail track seemed a bit less deserved last season, as for a full 80% of race-cards the strip played fair. As evidence, though, that the old stigma does remain somewhat applicable: From some 28 occasions on which I considered a path-bias in play-25 ( TWENTY FIVE) of those temporary trends put inside trips at a disadvantage. Bottom line: Golden rails are almost nonexistent at Mnr. Any path bias probably hurts rail-trips.

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As to running style, anti-speed trends are rare at Mnr, but when leaders struggle, an anti-rail bias is almost always in play. So, when you sense an anti-speed bias, look hard for a corresponding path bias. Bottom line-Negative rail biases at Mnr don't always kill speed, but when speed IS dead, you can bet that the inner paths are belly-up as well.