I am 22 year old graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in equine science and management. My passion in life is horse racing and my eventual goal is to be a trainer. This blog contains my thoughts and analysis regarding the Triple Crown, industry issues, and major stakes races around the world. Enjoy!
Monday, January 4, 2010
horse of the year
I believe that Zenyatta should be horse of the year. Like a lot of people I think the Breeders Cup is the place where champions are crowned and Zenyatta showed, and Rachel Alexandra didn't. Zenyatta was outstanding in the Classic, the only performace I can think of in the Breeders Cup in the decade was that of Tiznow's in the 2001 Breeders Cup Classic. Zenyatta put together another flawless season as did Rachel, But in the Woodward Rachel beat a good field but not a great field she held off Macho Again who then finished a dull fourth and then 8th in the Clark Handicap as well as Bullsbay who was last in the Dirt Mile and was dissapointing in the Clark as well. I strongly believe that Zenyatta would have beaten Rachel in the Woodward, in my opinion Zenyatta would of been stalking Macho Again, and would have run right by him and Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward. Zenyatta is horse of the year as well as horse of the decade in my mind.
The fact that you as fans of Zenyatta continue to say the same exact thing in defense of her lackluster case for Horse of the Year says a great deal about her resume for the award. The breeders Cup previously was the considered the ultimate championship in horse racing, unfortunately that changed when the B.C. and its board decided to run the races on a synthetic surface that plays unfairly to dirt horses, who were a combined 0-43 on the surface in the 2008 and 2009 B.C. I would agree that Zenyatta was outstanding in the Classic, she beat a nice field. Unfortunately this was the case of another race that Zenyatta was place in that she was favored to win, didn’t have to travel, and ran on her preferred surface. The only horses that would have given her a challenge were, Richard’s Kid, Colonel John, and Einstein, these were the only 3 proven on the surface. Richard’s Kid won his first G1 earlier in the year, Colonel John hadn’t won a race of consequence in a year and Einstein had already peaked, the dirt horses as we’ve already discussed didn’t stand a chance and the Euro’s had all peaked earlier in the year due to running hard against each other all year long. That is what is lacking from Zenyatta’s resume, consistent challenges. I’ll throw a stat out there that apparently you are unaware of, in Zenyatta’s 4 races prior to the BC, she ran against all of 1 winner of a graded stakes race in 2009, that’s a pitiful stat, and just goes to show you that the cup-cake schedule that she ran in should have allowed her to be the freshest horse in the race and that’s basically how her career will be remembered, beating the likes of Hot n Dusty, Modification, Briecat, Champagne Eyes and other horses who had not worked through the condition book. There is nothing in your statement that validates a HOY campaign other than the fact that Zenyatta won the Classic. Do you have any other stats or information with regard to her year that is impressive, not so much huh.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of Rachel, you think about the word History and Records, she made history and broke many records, Zen made history in 1 race, Rachel made history in 5 races, Zen set no records, Rachel set 4 records, Zen ran in 1 state, Rachel 6, Zen scratched out of a race because it rained a little, Rachel never scratched one time. Its sad when even the owner of the horse can’t put together a summation of the events in 2009 that took place that give indication that she should be HOY, in his summation in the drf Mr. Moss mentioned her 2008, lifetime record, or races in 2008 on Eight different occasions. If you need to use two years to equal Rachel’s 1 year then please do so and take home your Horse of the Decade award, that’ll be just what it is though, and there is no real hardware for that, as for Horse of the Year please leave that to the horse that was tested over and over again and showed up and fought ever fight against Grade 1 winners throughout her whole campaign not just 1 race.
I dont see how the horses that Rachel Alexandra ran against in the Preakness are any better than the horses Zenyatta ran against in the classic. The only horse to win a graded stakes out of the Preakness is Take The Points who won on grass. It is not Zenyatta's fault that the Breeders Cup was run on synthetic and if it had been on dirt her connections owuld have traveled. Zenyatta did not need to travel she was winning grade 1 races at home, and doing her job. Zenyatta also beat Twice Over a quality group 1 winner in Europe who ran his race in the classic, and you did not mention that Zenyatta beat Gio Ponti who will most likely win Older male eclipse award. Who did Rachel Beat in the Fair Grounds Oaks? Fantasy? or even the oaks??? Not anything better than what Zenyatta beat on the west coast. AllIcansayiswow ran 2nd in the Del Mar Mile against males later in the year. Zenyatta beat a world class field in the classic including summer bird who Rachel beat. Zenyatta will win anyway, because the The racing Form will be split the Turf Writers will split and the NTRA will be heavily favored Zenyatta's way because the breeders cup it the NTRA'S so make a case for Rachel but the award is Zenyatta's!
ReplyDelete