horse of the year

reenci · Postby **reenci** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:06 pm

ghost zapper won it. same old story , what have you done for me lately.

Thunder · Postby **Thunder** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:05 am

Thanks for letting us know. I wasn't able to watch TVGN last night.

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:07 am

This is the year we will find out if Ghostzapper is for real. Bobby Frankel has high hopes for Ghostzapper, as he calls the Zapper one of his all time best TB he has trained. Lets hope the Zapper stays injury free and will make every post a winning one. Go Zapper Go.

Tairaterces · Postby **Tairaterces** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:59 am

louis finochio wrote:This is the year we will find out if Ghostzapper is for real. Bobby Frankel has high hopes for Ghostzapper, as he calls the Zapper one of his all time best TB he has trained. Lets hope the Zapper stays injury free and will make every post a winning one. Go Zapper Go.

yeah and Frankel said that about Empire Maker too . . . . . . and the beat goes on!!!

T

marg · Postby **marg** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:33 am

Smarty Jones in my eyes Marg

freddymo · Postby **freddymo** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:10 am

Thought Zapper was best horse But Smarty was Horse of the Year.. Smarty was more then a horse.. On the DRF board they kill him and Compare him to the other 2/3 winners (s.charm, embelm, charasmatic etc..) I think he was more then that. I can't back it up with Beyers or who he beat. I just think that when I watched him run it seemed different.. cant describe it but I just think he was more then what we saw.. To me Smarty was more then just a nice 3 year old Unfortunately will never really know?

Respectfully

Freddymo

ZiaLand · Postby **ZiaLand** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:13 pm

Were the other winners announced also? ::: crossing fingers:::
Afleet Alex?
Stellar Jayne?

Thanks!
Laurie

shammy88 · Postby **shammy88** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:22 pm

nope, declans moon and ashado

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:43 pm

looks like frankel whined enough to get the job done. Smarty was the man!! when 8000 people get out of bed to watch you gallop you ARE the man.! Ghostzapper is a very good horse and to be honest Smarty cannot be ranked with the Bid, or Slew or Big Red but that was then ; Smarty came from nowhere and represents all the great qualities of American Racing . I dont care what Frankel says as before Zapper it was Empire Maker and before that it was Mazel Trick......give me a break and to all the posters please .....I dont want to hear about Ragozin Sheets or Beyer numbers but the intangible talent who wore front wraps to support his beat up legs from a hard campaign , not to go along with the silks worn by comeback kid Elliot.

reenci · Postby **reenci** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:03 pm

wilf wrote:looks like frankel whined enough to get the job done. Smarty was the man!! when 8000 people get out of bed to watch you gallop you ARE the man.! Ghostzapper is a very good horse and to be honest Smarty cannot be ranked with the Bid, or Slew or Big Red but that was then ; Smarty came from nowhere and represents all the great qualities of American Racing . I dont care what Frankel says as before Zapper it was Empire Maker and before that it was Mazel Trick......give me a break and to all the posters please .....I dont want to hear about Ragozin Sheets or Beyer numbers but the intangible talent who wore front wraps to support his beat up legs from a hard campaign , not to go along with the silks worn by comeback kid Elliot.

comon...if smarty, who i cheered for and pulled for during the triple crown were to race ghost zapper......the ghost would jerk him in two. he's older, sounder....no contest. smarty had a huge huge heart to run on those legs but the zapper was a better horse.its all what have you done for me lately.and smarty fell off the radar screen real early.

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:08 pm

Dont take the loss of HOY Smarty fans. Smarty will make you all forget the loss, as his foals will become legends.

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:37 pm

Well Reenci unfortunately you are right but AS A TRAINER I felt strongly that the combination of Smarty"s enduring campaign throughout the spring and the atmosphere he ignited was far more admirable and deserving than the conservatively managed short exposured well orchestrated one of the Zappers.Still I am a great fan of Awesome Again and to this day Icannot fathom how he had a remarkable unbeaten season culminating in a victory in the B.C.Classic of a much higher quality field than the latest one and failed to get the nod on Eclipse Night.

FOS · Postby **FOS** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:37 pm

hi guys

Ghostzapper is one heck of a versatile...super-star...elite...top-class race horse...and worthy of Horse of the Year honors.

Hopefully 2005 will be a banner-year for racing...and we can experience again...the likes of the excitement ignited and generated last spring by now-champion Smarty Jones.

Respectfully

ZiaLand · Postby **ZiaLand** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:40 am

Have to agree with some of the others that although 'Zapper may be a great horse, Smarty Jones was the most newsworthy, noteworthy and accomplished horse this year (IMHO)...headline-wise, just-missing-the-TC-wise and as a boon to the industry. 'Zapper may go on to become a legend, but if so, maybe next year would have been a more fitting year to bestow the honors. I'm not taking anything away from this fine racehorse, it just seems that Smarty was the victim of negative spin. He did everything asked of him and did it with amazing talent! I honestly hadn't even heard of 'Zapper until all the hype leading up to the Breeder's Cup. Ask any twenty average-Joe-on-the-streets to name a famous racehorse from 2004...and how many do you think would answer "Smarty Jones"? I'm guessing 18 to 19, or better. (And the other 1 or 2 would probably say "Birdstone", the ONLY horse to beat Smarty Jones. LOL)

OK, I'm still pouting over Afleet Alex not winning the two-year-old colt honors, but at least he was named the Ragozin[sp] champion.

Would have liked to have seen Stellar Jayne win also, mainly because she's a half sister to Devon Lane, one of the stallions I'm sending a mare to this year (Storm Cat x To The Hunt). Aw well.

Laurie

Des · Postby **Des** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:04 pm

Yeah for the Zapper......Don't see why he can't duplicate last years form to this year if he stays healthy. Don't under estimate this horse for a be. He can run........

I see that Johhy V. Has committed to Afleet Alex. I really think he's a very nice horse. I am rooting for him too. Look out Derby...