Zenyatta HOY
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Zenyatta HOY
Shes got horse of the year!
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karenkarenn
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KMO_racing
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geowarrior
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She's my Horse of the Year. The race was pretty formful, as the winner of four Grade One races came second, a highly regarded Euro horse who had won his last three came third, and Summer Bird, winner of three Grade Ones came fourth. Many of the deep closer types suffered from the slow early pace. Also all the shenigans at the gate, as well as losing a horse likely to press an early pace did not help Zenyatta.
So the level of competition, the fact that it did not set up as an easy race for a deep closer but Zenyatta closed into it anyway, the fact that it was at the Classic distance of a mile and a quarter - there's now no arguing that Zenyatta is the best older horse of the year. Better than Rachel? Yes, the Classic distance (avoided by Rachel when she went for the Woodward rather than the Travers), the quality of the competition (better older horses than Rachel beat, and the same top three year old colts that Rachel beat; and don't forget that Life Is Sweet, smashed by Zenyatta several times, came back to win the Ladies Classic in convincing fashion), the unbeaten record - all Horse of the Year stuff.
So the level of competition, the fact that it did not set up as an easy race for a deep closer but Zenyatta closed into it anyway, the fact that it was at the Classic distance of a mile and a quarter - there's now no arguing that Zenyatta is the best older horse of the year. Better than Rachel? Yes, the Classic distance (avoided by Rachel when she went for the Woodward rather than the Travers), the quality of the competition (better older horses than Rachel beat, and the same top three year old colts that Rachel beat; and don't forget that Life Is Sweet, smashed by Zenyatta several times, came back to win the Ladies Classic in convincing fashion), the unbeaten record - all Horse of the Year stuff.
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karenkarenn
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WE all believe she should be HOY, but what about those that matter and do the actual voting? I'm afraid they've already convinced themselves that RA had it in the bag all along. I think they ding Z for not leaving the West Coast. She was awesome IMO.
Also a big shout to our trainer Mike Maker
Also a big shout to our trainer Mike Maker
"We are the people our parents warned us about" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
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karenkarenn
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geowarrior
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Well on both ESPN and TVG there was a general feeling that Zenyatta now has a shot at horse of the year.
The horses in this Classic had won a total of 14 Grade One races just this year. I think the voting flk will listen to the tv folk and at least revisit the question.
I think until recently it's been inconceivable that Zenyatta could finish off the year in this way. It's only been less than a week since Zenyatta was declared for the Classic, and once entered there were many who didn't think she'd hit the board (e.g. Mike Watchmaker). But now that this history making race is in the books, surely just the emotion of the moment will make even the most adamant Rachel fan look at the issue again.
Yes Zenyatta's races this year have all been on synthetic, but those who know actually think she might be even better on dirt (see her win against Champion Ginger Punch last year at Oaklawn), and we could say that Rachel's unbeaten streak this year was all on dirt with no synthetic races. Much of Zenyatta's unbeaten streak was certainly accumulated during her third and fourth years. However, as an unbeaten streak continues the pressure to maintain builds, and so it can be argued that maintain the unbeaten record this year is an issue that should be factored into the vote for Horse of the Year.
It seems to me impossible now, that the only mare ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic will not receive measured consideration for Horse of the Year. It would be a sad commentary on our voting media if they unthinkingly pick Rachel Alexandra without taking into account recent developments. All I would really ask for is that people who have votes give it real thought.
Zenyatta's place in history is now assured whether she wins Horse of the Year or not, and Mike Smith may be right, we may have gone beyond Horse of the Year and on to other superlative but mythical awards such as Horse of the Decade.
The horses in this Classic had won a total of 14 Grade One races just this year. I think the voting flk will listen to the tv folk and at least revisit the question.
I think until recently it's been inconceivable that Zenyatta could finish off the year in this way. It's only been less than a week since Zenyatta was declared for the Classic, and once entered there were many who didn't think she'd hit the board (e.g. Mike Watchmaker). But now that this history making race is in the books, surely just the emotion of the moment will make even the most adamant Rachel fan look at the issue again.
Yes Zenyatta's races this year have all been on synthetic, but those who know actually think she might be even better on dirt (see her win against Champion Ginger Punch last year at Oaklawn), and we could say that Rachel's unbeaten streak this year was all on dirt with no synthetic races. Much of Zenyatta's unbeaten streak was certainly accumulated during her third and fourth years. However, as an unbeaten streak continues the pressure to maintain builds, and so it can be argued that maintain the unbeaten record this year is an issue that should be factored into the vote for Horse of the Year.
It seems to me impossible now, that the only mare ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic will not receive measured consideration for Horse of the Year. It would be a sad commentary on our voting media if they unthinkingly pick Rachel Alexandra without taking into account recent developments. All I would really ask for is that people who have votes give it real thought.
Zenyatta's place in history is now assured whether she wins Horse of the Year or not, and Mike Smith may be right, we may have gone beyond Horse of the Year and on to other superlative but mythical awards such as Horse of the Decade.
As splendid as Rachel Alexandra has been, Zenyatta earned my vote today (for what it's worth) as HOY -- she beat the best field of males assembled on this continent all year with the same contempt that she has dished out to her fellow females. What a year for the ladies -- I will be quite surprised if this is not the first year in American racing history in which females finish 1-2 in HOY voting.
"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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geowarrior
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karenkarenn
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