When she left the starting gate one could easily tell she didn't have "it." She was totally uncomfortable with the surface - it stung her ankles and cannons, shocked her shoulders and she didn't particularly like getting some dirt kicked into her face (how dare they!).
Looking back at the replay and watching her run I thought she was going to break apart, kinda like Forrest Gump running down the red dirt road shattering his leg braces. At the fourth turn, most of these not suited for the distance fashion breds started backing up . . . she weaved her way through and was clear with 330 yards to go. She loafed for eight furlongs and didn't have enough to catch the winner! In that race, on that track, at that distance, she was exposed . . . a pretender, beating soft fields on soft racetracks. I doubt she would have won the 09' Classic without a track favoring bias.
How Great was she when she was beaten by the racetrack surface?
Beaten by the Racetrack Surface
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Whirlaway
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Beaten by the Racetrack Surface
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ratherrapid
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Whirlaway
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" ... she ran a great race." I think she ran a great race for one quarter of a mile, the previous mile was hardly great - IMO she loafed the first eight furlongs.
I agree with you and no doubt her connections failed her - she should have been prepared on dirt. Her connections were coddling her and had her kinda like living in some fantasy horse world, sheltered from the true rigors of horse racing. When the day came, she was "shocked" - you could see it when she came out of the gate; she wasn't ready for it.
I agree with you and no doubt her connections failed her - she should have been prepared on dirt. Her connections were coddling her and had her kinda like living in some fantasy horse world, sheltered from the true rigors of horse racing. When the day came, she was "shocked" - you could see it when she came out of the gate; she wasn't ready for it.
Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. - William O. Douglas
~
It is the characteristic of the most stringent censorships, that they give credibility to the opinions they attack. - Voltaire
~
It is the characteristic of the most stringent censorships, that they give credibility to the opinions they attack. - Voltaire
Oh, nonsense. Yes, the track was a factor, but she's won on dirt and probably could have won this one too had she had a prep race over the dirt to get her used to the kickback. She smoothed out pretty well as she got a feel for it and was running fastest of all at the end, with a lot of good horses in her wake. Some "pretender." I can criticize the way she was campaigned, but she's champion older mare for sure for the third straight year -- no small feat in itself -- and a magnificent runner.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
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Whirlaway
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ratherrapid wrote:respectfully disagree with the OP. best horse ever, possibly imo.
You can't possibly be serious!
Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. - William O. Douglas
~
It is the characteristic of the most stringent censorships, that they give credibility to the opinions they attack. - Voltaire
~
It is the characteristic of the most stringent censorships, that they give credibility to the opinions they attack. - Voltaire
Field
From what I saw, the only difference between her winning and losing this time was the size of the field. She has mostly run in smaller (6 horse) fields. Traffic is usually not a problem. Twelve horse to weave through slowed her just enough to miss. Does anyone believe she would not have won if the race was two jumps longer?
Give the Pope and the King of England a horse and in thirty days, they'll be stealing halters.
Zenyatta was the best on the track - just not the luckiest. No doubt a couple of more strides would have made the difference. Getting no running room for a while impeded her momentum. Nothing against Blame, he is an excellent horse and a much quicker and maneuverable horse than Z. Z is like a freight train that takes time to get rolling, once rolling not much could beat her. The way the race unfolded beat her, not the track or her slow start. The greatest horses in the world can be beaten on any given day, yesterday was Z's day - but only by a nose.
She missed by a few inches. This was not a humiliating defeat. She left a lot of good horses behind her that were supposed to make winning difficult, but she rolled right past them dismissively. With a little more ground, she was going to get past Blame as well.
She delivered the race we expected and wanted: she gave everything she had in a game, gutsy drive, and she fell just short at the end. Zenyatta has always "shown up" and given her best, and she did it again yesterday. Not many horses do this; a lot of them need excuses.
Zenyatta needs no excuses. She is among the very best, and I do not expect to see another one like her in my lifetime. Relish what you saw yesterday, because that kind of race, that kind of runner, is the essence of the game.
She delivered the race we expected and wanted: she gave everything she had in a game, gutsy drive, and she fell just short at the end. Zenyatta has always "shown up" and given her best, and she did it again yesterday. Not many horses do this; a lot of them need excuses.
Zenyatta needs no excuses. She is among the very best, and I do not expect to see another one like her in my lifetime. Relish what you saw yesterday, because that kind of race, that kind of runner, is the essence of the game.
For years, we've seen too many horses like Quality Road. He teases us with his brilliance and for 90 days, he's the best thing since Secretariat. But those horses always disappoint, either because they are campaigned too cautiously, or they are retired prematurely to cash in or they get hurt or usually because maybe they never fulfilled their gaudy promise.
Yesterday we saw a mare who never needs excuses; she never has phoned it; she never disappoints. How jaded have we become as racing fans that trying for 2 straight BC Classics on 2 different (as different as you can get frankly) surfaces with a mare isn't an audacious act? Have we forgotten Azeri so quickly?
Just like Slew finally got respect in loss, she should be respected for yesterday. We can debate why it happened but I don't think it is debatable by reasonable people how remarkable she is.
Yesterday we saw a mare who never needs excuses; she never has phoned it; she never disappoints. How jaded have we become as racing fans that trying for 2 straight BC Classics on 2 different (as different as you can get frankly) surfaces with a mare isn't an audacious act? Have we forgotten Azeri so quickly?
Just like Slew finally got respect in loss, she should be respected for yesterday. We can debate why it happened but I don't think it is debatable by reasonable people how remarkable she is.
For the record here; I have not disrespected Zenyatta. Just wanted to clarify that fact.
I have been reading many articles and boards today. I have seen very few people disrespect her. Unless, of course, you believe that disrespect includes opinions that don't feel that she deserves or will get HOY. I personally don't think that opinion is disrespectful if logically stated.
I have been reading many articles and boards today. I have seen very few people disrespect her. Unless, of course, you believe that disrespect includes opinions that don't feel that she deserves or will get HOY. I personally don't think that opinion is disrespectful if logically stated.
I think we saw the two best horses in America going 1 1/4 miles. She proved to her skeptics she's the real deal. Had they been looking to win HOY and bounced around America running against the best like Blind Luck and Blame did she would have HOY in her very high hip pocket. Unfortunately she didn't and to me it seemed that winning 20 in a row took priority over proving what a great horse she is. I still say she should have run in the Beldame....with that GR I under her belt and the 2nd in the Classic....this would be a tougher decision for the panel. They both all ready are champion older male and female, HOY will be the crowning achievement for either of them.....I'm thinking we may see a tie for the first time in a long time.....they did make a ruling they would never allow a tie again but I think they may take another vote this year. Off their records, Blame get's the nod, but the sentiment is there this time, more than ever for Zenyatta after her courageous loss. She is amazing, training over synthetic and running over CD dirt and just getting beat.....Personally I think she was a bit more nervous going over than I've ever seen her....I saw her react a couple times as they brought her through the tunnel on to the track and the camera flash's were going off like fireworks. She was pawing at the ground when they stood her behind the gate, I also believe she should have warmed up better given her angst as they left the paddock.....all these things had her more tense than I've ever seen her going into the gate....to me she semi froze coming out of there, may have even been on the verge of tying up as she looked pretty bad moving the first part of it. Then as Z's stride started to smooth out...she dug down deeper than ever before. There were 2-3 spots that IF she had a bit of luck....she would have won. It still looked like she was going to beat Blame in the last jump...but to Blame's credit, he dug in too when Z was surging, Blame really stretched out at the wire to keep his head in front.....two amazing animals and both deserving of HOY!! TJ
http://www1.drf.com/replays/savedreplays.jsp?RACE=1128
http://www1.drf.com/replays/savedreplays.jsp?RACE=1128
Whirlaway
I have re-read your post here several times and each time I tried to write a response to it I stopped because I do not want it to sound like I am making some kind of excuse for Zenyatta's performance, but I do have to say a few words.
First, this was a two turn race what fourth turn are you talking about, are you sure you watched the right race?
I do not know how long you have been associated with racing but one thing is obvious in all of your posts here and over on Dr. Roman's forum, they continue to demonstrate that you have a very limited knowledge of the sport in general and when assessing the merits of runners that knowledge appears to be null and void.
Zenyatta is many things to many people but a pretender is certainly not one of them.
DDT
I have re-read your post here several times and each time I tried to write a response to it I stopped because I do not want it to sound like I am making some kind of excuse for Zenyatta's performance, but I do have to say a few words.
First, this was a two turn race what fourth turn are you talking about, are you sure you watched the right race?
I do not know how long you have been associated with racing but one thing is obvious in all of your posts here and over on Dr. Roman's forum, they continue to demonstrate that you have a very limited knowledge of the sport in general and when assessing the merits of runners that knowledge appears to be null and void.
Zenyatta is many things to many people but a pretender is certainly not one of them.
DDT