Thanks for the reply Jeff.  Yes-  more of an academic question.  Regarding this 
part:

   Index Cond: ((workflow_id = 1070) AND ((status)::text = ANY 
('{NOT_STARTED,PAUSED,PENDING,RUNNING}'::text[])))
   Filter: (deleted_millis <= 0)
   Buffers: shared hit=24

For this usage, the =ANY is applied as an "in-index filter".  It only descends 
the index once, to where workflow_id=1070, and then scans forward applying the 
=ANY to each index-tuple until it exhausts the =1070 condition.  As long as all 
the =1070 entries fit into just a few buffers, the count of buffers accessed by 
doing this is fewer than doing the re-descents.  (Stepping from tuple to tuple 
in the same index page doesn't count as a new access.  While a re-descent 
releases and reacquires the buffer)

There are 2,981,425 rows where workflow_id = 1070.  Does that change your 
theory of using an “in-index filter” for that plan?  When you say there was a 
bit of speculation on the “boundard condition” vs “in-index filter” is the 
speculation on if Postgres has 2 different ways of processing a =ANY filter or 
is the speculation that one is being used by one plan and the other is being 
used by the other plan?

Thanks again for your reply.  It is helpful.
Steve

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