Double the Energy is a 4-year-old filly who possesses enough versatility to handle both turf and dirt. Distance is her Achilles’ Heel. She’s quite effective at the 5-6 furlong range. So when trainer Linda Rice entered her in a seven-furlong stakes race on dirt Nov. 2 at Aqueduct, it was too tough of an assignment for the daughter of Unbridled Energy – as reflected in a 19-length loss.
Rice got it right in Double the Energy’s next race, when, after a brief freshening and trip south to Florida, she entered the filly in a five-furlong turf sprint at Gulfstream on Dec. 27. The result: A $31 payoff for players who had faith that Double the Energy would rebound when returned to her preferred distance and surface.
The lesson: Don’t place too much emphasis on a race in which a horse is being to do something beyond its customary scope. There can often be a nice reward for being forgiving.
