Zenyatta HOY

[George William Smith]

My compliments to Geowarrior for such well thought out comments that we all can digest and help for our own opinions.

The voters will have their own opinions based on their own knowledge and connections to the sport. And since I have been in the business at the highest levels I know opinions based on hidden agendas can sway enough voters to come up with a few Acorn vote results.

Fortunately, in the case of [Horse of the Year] there is a way to help to clear the air, which may and I emphasize "may" help. It is a fact that NO horse has ever been awarded Horse of the Year without winning at the minimum distance of a mile and a quarter in North America beginning in the 1800's. None in the 1900's up to this year

Zenyatta has now accomplished that fact. And it is also a fact Rachel had every chance in the year to run in a mile and a quarter race and the connections chose not to; maybe because they were unaware of the tradition that a mile and a quarter was a qualifying distance.

I want everyone to know that if Zenyatta failed to win at that distance, I myself would be searching for the best horse this year that had. We have so few solid traditions left, it's worth fighting for and educating the public about one of the biggies.

[/b]Horse of the Year winners must win at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter or more

[xfactor fan]

Has Mike Watchmaker--if that's the name of the goofy Brit with the sideburns that went on about throwing money away if you bet Zenyatta--ever been correct in a prediction?

[geowarrior]

The goofy Brit is John McKrirrick (sp), who is a former track bookmaker (hence the punctuation of his verbal spew with Tic Tac). He's ubiquitous in British racing, on tv practically all the time. He was in a British celebrity version of that show where they all live in a house and get on each others nerves. Apparently he was so obnoxious on this show that he won a contest for something like most awful moment on tv.

Although McKrirrick did pick Goldikova, he threw out Zenyatta (can't really be held against him, as many North Americans did the same thing) and Conduit. The latter misjudgement can be held against him as he should have been more knowledgeable about Conduit and his current form.

Mike Watchmaker is a handicapper and writer for the Daily Racing Form. He can also be seen as the co-host of the TVG Friday morning show Blinkers Off. To his credit, Watchmaker, in the Inside Post Blog on the DRF website, freely admits he underestimated the capabilities of Zenyatta.

[dublino]

I think everyone underestimated Zenyatta as she only raced against the girls. We all should have been given a clue when her stablemate won the ladies classic.

Mike Smith is right horse of the decade is more appropriate.

When ever have you seen a horse this good?

Champions turn up on the day and race against each other, sometimes they lose, LEGENDS turn up and always win.

This should be a lesson to all you American breeders/fans etc. the race gets run in the last 1/8 mile.
The opening fractions don't count.

One thing that annoys me about American racing is the clocks going up for 1/4 mile 1/2 mile etc only thing that matters is who's head is first past the post.

Zenyatta showed you today speed doesn't matter, its closing and stamina that counts she could have run around the track again.

People can argue Sea the Stars, Rachel Alexandra etc fact is they didn't turn up and 2009 is Zenyatta's year, how many G1 winners she beat in the classic with how many G1 wins?

[Kari]

She'd get my vote. That mare came off the track looking like she just jogged 1 1/4 miles and was going to get breakfast. I'd love to see what she could do if Smith let her out of 3rd gear.

[winds]

Can you even imagine what it's like to ride her? Oh my God the thrill he must feel everytime he sits on her............

HOY for Zenyatta gets my vote.

winds
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[zinn21]

With all due respect to RA, who had a HOY season she failed to show on the biggest day of the year, 100% sound and she did not race past a mile and three sixteenths.

There is, certainly, a lot of subjectivity in the vote decision process. Yesterday's Classic was one of those "subjectivity" points for me..

Zenyatta took a world class field of older males at a classic distance of a mile and a quarter and simply toyed with them. I caught her running her last quarter in 22 and 3/5 !!! Perhaps the fastest last quarter at the classic distance in Racing history..

Yesterday's race alone IMO stamps her as HOY. And let's not forget-she is undefeated...

[zinn21]

George William Smith wrote:

[madelyn]

Maybe it is that no OLDER horse has gotten HOY without racing at least 1-1/4 mi? Or it could have been that the times those youngsters got HOY, well the pickins were slim.
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So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

[Laurierace]

I don't see how anyone can say Rachel didn't win at a classic distance when she won one of the actual classics. That is the definition of winning at a classic distance.
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www.mcdowellracingstables.com

[karenkarenn]

Laurie a classic distance in racing terms is 1 1/4 miles or 10 furlongs. She (R.A.) has never raced at 10 f .
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May the horse be with you!

[George William Smith]

[ireneinwa]

[Tairaterces]

[Tairaterces]

Favorite Trick never ran 1-1/4 miles but was HOY.

Secretariat's first HOY, didn't run 1-1/4 miles, but did for his 2nd HOY.
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"and Secretariat let no one down on the unforgettable afternoon of June 9, 1973, when he ran a hole in the wind"
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Avatar: Istabraq (Sadler's Wells x Betty's Secret by Secretariat) Champion Hurdler