Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

slowly into stride, behind, late headway out wide, never going pace to get involved

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
never going pace to get involved	The definitive statement that the horse's speed/turn of foot was insufficient, or it was positioned too far back, to catch the front-runners and seriously challenge for a winning position.
Headway	The horse was moving up through the field.

Summary

The definitive statement that the horse's speed/turn of foot was insufficient, or it was positioned too far back, to catch the front-runners and seriously challenge for a winning position.
The horse was moving up through the field.