KK
I though the 2009 HOY had already been selected??
griff
Rachel Beat Again
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Rachel, cont'd.
I've been a thoroughbred fan for over 40 years now and I am a fan of both these mares. I still believe that Zenyatta deserved a better deal from the (largely East coast voters) who voted for Rachel for HOY. That being said, 2009 is indeed 2009 and how could you not also love Rachel Alexandra last year? She and Zenyatta both did so much for the sport. As for Rachel this year, it's really not that unusual for 3 year-olds to change drastically in their fourth year. And the same could be said of brilliant 2 year-olds who fizzle out some at 3. As my site name indicates, I was and remain a huge Terlingua fan, but she (who was thought to be the next Ruffian by her fans as an undefeated 2 year-old) flattened out at three. She wasn't disgraceful -- she just wasn't the same horse. I think that can be said about Rachel this year, as she's lost to horses she would have left behind in the dust last year. Either that, or JJ & company "used her up" at three by pushing her too hard. I think that it would be fair to race her once more, just to see if she's picking up steam. If not, out of respect for her greatness, she should be retired with all the hoopla she deserves!
RA not switching leads until late is a big concern.........but if you also notice all during the race she never has her ears pinned back....i think she just does not have the same attitude as she had last year....it happens.
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majxmom wrote:I don't want to be one of those people that bashes Rachel. Ideally, I would have liked for Queen Z to get the HOY, and then for both of them to have undefeated season leading up tio the Breeders Cup. Of course, the only reason why Zenyatta is still in training is because she didn't win HOY. God forbid there is a TC winner this year, or she'll be robbed again.
But for as much as I would like Rachel to succeed in 2010, her tailing off certainly exhibits why Zenyatta should have been HOY. And I just wish that ONE media person who voted for Rachel would blog that he'd made a mistake. Just ONE.
RA was HoY because she was 'white hot' for 75% of the 2009 racing season. Zenyatta ran one monster race in the last 25% of the 2009 racing season which was not enough to overcome the 8 monster races RA put together including defeating males on 3 occasions while winning the middle leg of the TC in the Preakness.
It's clear RA is nowhere near her 2009 form and she probably never will be again. But from January through September of 2009 she was as 'white hot' as any horse we have seen in recent time and why she was HoY for the 2009 season.
We're a third of the way through 2010 now and the horses that RA beat up on last year have how many graded stakes wins now? RA isn't winning now not because there is something wrong with her or because she isn't ready, she's not winning because she is finally running in graded stakes company not just beating up on glorified allowance horses. That being said I would absolutely love to have her in my barn.
Dave C wrote:We're a third of the way through 2010 now and the horses that RA beat up on last year have how many graded stakes wins now? RA isn't winning now not because there is something wrong with her or because she isn't ready, she's not winning because she is finally running in graded stakes company not just beating up on glorified allowance horses. That being said I would absolutely love to have her in my barn.
She beat both the winner of the Ky. Derby and Belmont stakes on several occasions. Her times and winning margins were significantly better than anything Zenyatta put up last year save for her one outstanding performance in the BCC.
Every one of RA's '09 races were breath taking and scintillating whereas Zenyatta had ONE such performance in 2009. Her other 4 wins last year were rather pedestrian performances and not memorable.
RA captured the publics imagination for 75% of the racing season whereas Zenyatta did for 25% of the year and why RA was named HoY for 2009.
I absolutely agree that RA captured the public's imagination in 2009 and that in and of itself makes her worthy of HOY. That does not make her a great racehorse however. Winning TC races does not make a great racehorse, only a great prospect. 3yo's are not yet fully or equally mature, perhaps what we saw last year was a very good nearly mature horse in RA beating up on horses that were quite immature; an adult against teenagers. This year she's competing against other adults and finding the going tougher. She's still running very very well (I would be pleased as punch if one of my horses ran 2nd in the La Troienne) it's just that her company isn't running up the track from her anymore.
Dave C wrote:I absolutely agree that RA captured the public's imagination in 2009 and that in and of itself makes her worthy of HOY. That does not make her a great racehorse however. Winning TC races does not make a great racehorse, only a great prospect. 3yo's are not yet fully or equally mature, perhaps what we saw last year was a very good nearly mature horse in RA beating up on horses that were quite immature; an adult against teenagers. This year she's competing against other adults and finding the going tougher. She's still running very very well (I would be pleased as punch if one of my horses ran 2nd in the La Troienne) it's just that her company isn't running up the track from her anymore.
RA is nowhere near the horse she was last spring and summer and her times and speed figures bear that out and are nowhere close to her times from last year. She is 10 lengths less the horse at this stage than a year ago.
At this time last year there was not a horse in NA that would have beaten her as she was that good. She left it all on the track with the best she had to give over the span of about 10 races and what an incredible run it was.
I'm a big fan of Zenyatta but she would not have beaten RA last winter / spring or summer and most objective observers agreed and why RA was HoY.
As for today...... RA is very beatable as she has lost her edge that made her such a force last year. She is not the same horse and any comparisons are folly. Zenyatta would beat her easily today..... but than again so would many other horses.
I haven't read this entire thread but perhaps they just need to make a change for Rachel - perhaps a jockey change may be in order? Sometimes that is all it takes ....
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