“Were these things real or are they but the vagaries of mine own imagination?”
- Private Sam Watkins, Company Aytch (H), 1st Tennessee Volunteers
Unbelievable: the word captures the feelings still percolating among the masses as they continue to deal with the unanticipated defeat of the 2009 Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, at the hands of the relatively unknown Zardana in her first start of the 2010 season. The word also describes how fans felt who watched as the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic champion, Zenyatta, appeared trapped at the top of the stretch for the Santa Margarita, as the undefeated daughter of Street Cry was forced to duck inside and do some dirty work from down along the rail before pulling off in typical Slow Cheetah style.
To be certain, there were numerous players who thought either horse might be worth playing against, but I’m sure in their hearts they fully expected both champions to prevail. As we’ve been reminded countless times in the last 24 hours, Rachel Alexandra becomes the first defending Horse of the Year in the last 10 attempts to lose her debut race the following campaign. Of course, we also know that most great horses eventually lose – including greats like Kelso and Secretariat. The trouble is, for Rachel at least, that her rival, Zenyatta, doesn’t lose. She almost did once to Anaaba’s Creation, in what would’ve been an equally upsetting, well, upset, but found a way to gut out a win.
Let there be no mistake about it: Zenyatta is the best horse on the planet. It’s not even open for debate anymore at this point in time.
That’s not to say I’m taking anything away from Rachel Alexandra. Far from it. Unlike the throngs of absolutely classless Zenyatta fans (oh yeah, I’m calling YOU OUT if you were one…if you weren’t then please don’t take offense) who actually cheered that Rachel was losing. The living embodiment of the words “classless” and “disgusting.” I can only assume that in their adolescent minds this Saturday’s race was some sort of referendum on the 2009 Horse of the Year voting. It wasn’t, as anyone with an IQ over 40 understands. 2009 was about 2009, and that issue has been settled and debated to death.
Seriously, I wasn’t there to see it firsthand and so don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about it, but both folks on TVG and Twitter reported that fans at Santa Anita were “cheering” and “celebrating” Rachel’s defeat. I hold out hope that these reports are untrue or were grossly misrepresented and/or taken out of context. If, however, you were among those doing so – shame on you. SHAME!!!!!! Nothing but shame, and eternal shame! Just absolutely Wal-Mart trailer-trashified if you ask me.
Suffice to say that these reports were received as absolutely sickening by just about anyone with a pulse outside of California. This ranks right up there with Eagles fans booing Santa Clause and cheering the injury of Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin. The only way it’s excusable, in my mind, is if those cheering had wagered serious cash on Zardana to pull the upset. If that’s the case – yes, you have every reason to erupt in celebration. Something tells me though that was not the driving force behind the episode.
Ironically, it was during the stretch run of Zenyatta’s victory just minutes later that we were publicly admonished by the Santa Anita track announcer “if you don’t have goosebumps now, you’re not a fan of horse racing!”
Really?????
Taken on its own merit, I fully agree with the sentiment of the statement. The timing of its delivery though, coming hot off the heels of the reports of Santa Anita fans rejoicing and celebrating at Rachel Alexandra’s downfall, could not have been worse. It left many perplexed as to just where in the hell anyone associated with Santa Anita would get off thinking they had any wiggle room to lecture the rest of us as to how “real fans” of horse racing ought to think, feel, or act.
What’s next, Nancy Pelosi telling us we need to be more fiscally responsible? Michael Vick chastising us over how we treat our pets? Octomom offering crtitical reviews of our parental skills (or lack thereof)?
The whole thing was laughable at best, if not somewhat aggravating.
Most “real fans” I know were pulling heavily for both horses to win. Obviously some self-described fans of one horse (but not the other) actually hate the “other side.” This is unfortunate and not something I subscribe to in our sport, but I suppose it’s what happens with great rivalries. No doubt many Ali fans despised Frazier. Yankee and Red Sox fans aren’t known for their cordial demeanor to one another. I think I detest Sidney Crosby (just a bit) for scoring that overtime goal in the Gold Medal game of the 2010 Winer Olympics to defeat Team USA in overtime. Obviously there’s the Bama/Auburn rivalry I was born into. And of course, I’ve never found room in my heart to forgive either the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates or the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays for crushing the hopes and dreams of my beloved Baltimore Orioles.
So yes, I get it – and I know many folks just have trouble containing their emotions and displaying “the better angels of our nature” when they are flushed with either victory or defeat. It does makes it extremely hard for those who identify themselves as Rachel fans to even be able to cheer for Zenyatta at all (though I concede that if Saturday’s results were the other way around, I might be penning admonishing words to Rachel fans for behaving in classless fashion towards Zenyatta fans, so I digress).
I guess I’m a poster child for this phenomenon/dichotomy/conundrum. Perennially torn between both factions. Zenyatta was a horse I fell in love with on paper in her maiden race, and then followed closely here as she progressed up the ranks. BEFORE the great masses who exist now had showed up. I remember screaming from the rooftops when she won her allowance victory that she was a “future Grade 1 winner, at least” (with the “at least” part suggesting the sky was the limit for her). Turns out that suspicion was correct and that she’s not just a Grade 1 winner, but an undefeated Classic winner who is every bit a champion and then some.
Then Rachel came along. A once-in-a-lifetime 3-year-old that broke hundreds of years of historical precedence every time she took to the track. Her 2009 campaign, despite all of the recent bashing from “haters” who are coming out of the woodworks in droves now, was a thing of beauty. No 3-year-old filly had ever achieved such a distinguished mark of races won. Was she ever better than Zenyatta? In hindsight, I don’t think so, but see – that’s where most fans get caught up. They mistakenly assume that “Horse of the Year” should be bestowed upon whomever would likely win a theoretical race between the competitors. It’s not about that. It’s about who had the better overall campaign.
I maintain that a slightly more aggressive campaign with Zenyatta in 2009 would’ve locked up Horse of the Year. She certainly had the race of the year, but for months while Zenyatta was barely in the news, Rachel was shattering history at numerous tracks. Oh well. At this point in time folks have heard it all before, so it’s not like anything I type is going to change anyone’s mind. Everyone’s an expert – and everyone knows better than the Eclipse Award voters….yet everyone cowered like frightened schoolgirls when we suggested opening up the voting process to the public (far easier to sit back and criticize whatever happens in the voting from a safe distance, I suppose).
So where do we go from here?
Well, it all depends on how Rachel Alexandra returns from the race. Personally, I don’t think she looked ready to take on Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom. I can’t imagine Jess Jackson will send her. I know she’s been off for 6 months, and that her training schedule wasn’t ideal, and she “needed a race”, but it would seem only those with extreme hubris or a personal lust to see her throttled on the big stage would dare put her in a race against Zenyatta now.
I wonder…if Rachel is scratched from the Apple Blossom, how many of those Zenyatta fans that actually cheered for Rachel’s defeat, and who also hold tickets for Oaklawn, will piss and moan about being “cheated” ? That would be priceless! One can only hope they take a healthy dose of egg on their face in some fashion.
That’s what I never understood about this situation. Even if you are the most diehard Zenyatta fan and the most rabid of Rachel bashers – you should’ve been pulling for victories by both horses on Saturday. That would’ve only hyped the Apple Blossom even more, and made any victory over the other horse all the more celebrated. Just as the call for the Santa Margarita implored “if you don’t have goosebumps now, you don’t like horse racing” - well, guess what Californians – right back at you. If you weren’t pulling for both horses, you don’t like horse racing. Period.
I equate this to what I go through during SEC football season. I’m a diehard Crimson Tide fan. I HATE Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida with a passion (to the extent that the color orange actually can make me physically ill) – yet you best believe yourself that I’d prefer to face all of those teams when they are undefeated rather than in some weakened state fresh off a humbling defeat. Anyone remember last year’s SEC Championship game? What made beating the Florida Gators in that game so special was that they were the undefeated, defending national champions – not some weakened foe that many saw as a “paper tiger.”
In fact, there’s a direct comparison we can draw between that SEC Championship Game and the supposed cheering of Santa Anita fans as Rachel was defeated by Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies.
In the final minutes of Alabama’s romp over Florida, the big screen at the Georgia Dome flashed an image of Gators quarterback Tim Tebow crying on the sidelines. The stadium, and most Alabama fans erupted in joy. I’ll admit – for a fleeting moment I smiled, thinking of Alabama’s motto (“make their ass quit!!!”). As such, I think I can relate to what “Zenyatta fans” (those who are exclusively Zenyatta fans rather than fans of both horses) must’ve experienced the past year. Every news broadcast, every College Gameday presentation – all were filled with references to “Gators this” and “Tebow that.” Most announcers seemed to have an unnatural Tebow-fetish. To defeat him on such a big stage was euphoric, if not outright epic.
Within minutes though, I was posting this to Florida fans across the net:
“Hold your heads high, Gator fans. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. We know damn well it’s you we’ll have to face next year, and the year after that (and so on) if we want to repeat as SEC champs. While I’m celebrating this victory with everything I’ve got, please know from one SEC fan to another that it pains me to see your magnificent quarterback reduced to tears of defeat. He’s a warrior, and that’s not the way he deserves to go out. Pick those heads up and go knock the tar out of folks in the Sugar Bowl! We’ll see you next year for another epic conference championship.”
Man, what I wouldn’t give to see ONE classy comment from a self-proclaimed Zenyatta fan (and non Rachel fan) out there, if only to reinforce my general belief in humanity that normally defines me. Sadly, all I hear so far is “nah-nah-boo-booing”, which while infinitely entertaining for children under the ages of 5, tends to get old to the rest of us pretty fast.
Wow…this far into the article and I’ve barely got to talk about the races themselves.
Zenyatta’s move was remarkable. Much like Odysseus in the Tampa Bay Derby earlier in the day, it looked for a moment when Mike Smith sent her to the inside that the unthinkable was about to repeat itself. She seemed to have nowhere to go. Luckily some room did open up, and she began to extend those amazon-esque strides when she needed to, inhaling everything in her path. In fact, it almost seemed like someone reminded Dance to My Tune (the off-the-charts longshot who would’ve won, had Zenyatta not caught her) that she wasn’t supposed to win.
Amazing performance? You betcha. But, if I can say one thing – Dance to My Tune had not finished in an exacta since 2008. I’m just sayin’ – we’ve seen Zenyatta beat the best before, and this field certainly was one she was supposed to toy with.
Of course, so was Rachel in the New Orleans Ladies. I actually thought, despite the contentious pace setup on paper, that we’d see more of a Mother Goose style performance rating off the pace and then exploding in the turn. Instead it looked like Calvin Borel was fighting her a bit early in an effort to keep her relaxed, and that she simply had nothing in the tank for the final 16th of a mile when she needed it the most.
In other news, as pointed out over on the TVG Community, take a look at these Google results from yesterday.
Anyone doubt that we could “Take Back Saturday” now (if we’d just get our butts in gear)? Temper a bit of the excitement with the fact that the majority of those “NTRA” searches were from folks like yours truly in mad, rabid bids to attempt to access the promised “LIVE streaming video” that the NTRA absolutely choked on delivering. So much so that I actually felt embarrassed for having spent energy broadcasting to folks all over the internet that the live streaming was supposed to be available.
There they were – no doubt in greater numbers than anyone (including me) had anticipated. Real fans – the kind of fans who go out of there way to organize an entire day around the haphazard channel and multi-media surfing we force them into, if only to catch a fleeting glimpse of our future stars. Real fans – ones who don’t need to quantify the validity of their fanship by categorizing the physical reactions of their epidermis in response to unfolding situations on the track, and who aren’t participating in orgies of celebration over the downfall of a perceived foe. Real fans – folks who just love horse racing. We had them – and we failed to deliver.
Alex Waldrop has already issued a public apology on the matter. Look, I know folks will snicker and laugh, but I’m glad he’s done so. The situation was utterly unacceptable and displayed everything that’s been so damn frustrating for those of us that tirelessly try to promote this game. We aren’t paid marketing staff. We aren’t on anyone’s salary list. We work day jobs, raise families, and spend significant portions of our “home time” thinking up ideas to promote the sport and then firing off posts hoping to attract someone from out there in the vast expanse of the internet. And then, just when we’re on the cusp of making a monumental turning point – we’re failed by technology and those who promised us they had our backs.
It’s disheartening – but having met the folks from the NTRA, I’m satisfied that they understand this can never happen again. I know they are racing fans at heart and I’m sure they are angered that this didn’t go off as planned. Alex is a stand-up guy and issuing a public apology to the enraged masses (heck, even I dropped an “f-bomb” about the situation over on Twitter. I’m only human – and I was PISSED) was the right thing to do. He didn’t waste any time in doing so, either – nor did he fill it with political or party-line mumbo jumbo. Just “straight-up”, we screwed up, we apologize, we’ll fix it. I respect that approach. Now let’s just make darn sure we deliver on that promise next time through. NO EXCUSES!
If yesterday taught us anything it’s that we’ve go what it takes to turn some heads with our marquee racing action on a Saturday afternoon. Kudos to the folks behind the Santa Anita operation that actually got the Santa Margarita broadcast LIVE on ESPN News. That was a much needed pick-me-up following the New Orleans Ladies debacle. Remember folks – accessibility/availability is the first and most crucial component towards growing the sport. ”People will come” – but we have to tell them where to go. :)
As for the other races on the day? How ’bout my boy Odysseus!!!
Who wants on the bandwagon now? Left for dead as the field turned for home in the Tampa Bay Derby, somehow he rallied to fight his way into an EPIC photo finish with Schoolyard Dreams. No matter how many times you watch this replay, it still seems unfathomable that he got there – but he did! Suffice to say, he validated my aggressive top 5 placement in our most recent Kentucky Derby rankings, as did Lookin’ at Lucky and Sidney’s Candy (currently my #10 horse). I also thought Interactif looked “hella” good running second behind Sidney’s Candy. We’ll have our updated Kentucky Derby rankings posted shortly.
My power went out yesterday right before the Zenyatta and Lucky races because of the major storm we had in New York. I just managed to reset my cable box in time to see them both.
Odysseus was impressive! First time I saw him. I like him a lot.
Lucky is staying at top of my list after the race he ran yesterday.
Thanks for posting this, I was sorely tempted to try to post something myself to, say, the TVG boards, where much of the puerile Rachel-bashing is taking place.
I admit that I have a preference for Zenyatta, for whatever reason she “speaks” to me more than Rachel, but RA was an awesome filly in 2009 and when I try to list the horses who have ANY chance against Zenyatta in North America, I can only think of Rachel and Quality Road.
It baffles me how anyone can look at Rachel’s defeat and KNOW for a fact that it’s because she’s “overrated” (what a meaningless thing to say! Compared to WHAT?) She could be much less fit than they thought, she could have hated the new figure-8 noseband, or–god forbid–she could have failed to progressed as a 4 year old, in other words, she could have “lost a step”. Maybe Zardana just ran the race of her life and caught Rachel in a vulnerable moment.
But since it’s her FIRST RACE BACK, how can you say for sure?
I really was looking forward to the Apple Blossom. I was pulling for BOTH horses to win today, because I knew that would give us the best chance to SEE this historic match-up. No one would bother debating the merits of these two horses if they were hopelessly mismatched.
On paper, both these mares should have easily handled their fields. Rachel even more so, because she wasn’t carrying the weight that Zenyatta was. When she lost that stretch duel, I was really concerned and disappointed. The Apple Blossom is now in doubt. Well, Zenyatta will be there… and I’m happy to see her run anytime, anywhere. But I was really looking forward to the match-up.
I really, really hope that she comes out of the race okay, and got some much needed fitness out of it. As other people have pointed out–if you take Zardana out of the race, Rachel “romps”. Would we be having this conversation? But I agree, you can’t help but be disconcerted that Rachel, known for her guts and heart, got beat in a stretch duel. She tried, though, and Borel didn’t push the issue after it was clear she was beat. Maybe she got out of the race what she needed. They’ve got four weeks to decide.
Also, I didn’t take any kind of sinister meaning out of Denman’s race call, “If you don’t have goosebumps…” etc. To me, he was just reacting to the drama of the race–Zenyatta, spotting her rivals tons of weight, getting trapped midstretch but then finding a hole and cantering by under a handride to her 15th straight win. I watched the races in “context”–Gatecrashers on TVG, because the blasted NTRA site wouldn’t load–and I made no connection between Rachel’s defeat and that comment in the race call by Denman.
I agree that anyone “cheering” Rachel’s defeat is classless and apparently doesn’t want the Apple Blossom match-up to happen. The only excuse I can give is California folks cheering their California-based mare for winning (lots of people are completely ignoring the winner, who ran a great race), not necessarily cheering Rachel’s losing. But still, if you care at all about the Apple Blossom, you wanted Rachel to win. You wanted her to be ready and the same horse she was last year. Otherwise the match up in April is either unfair or meaningless.
My family and I happen to be some of those Zenyatta bandwagoners that true racing fans must really hate, and we ourselves were at Santa Anita yesterday for the Santa Margarita Handicap. We were watching Rachel’s race on the big screen there (along with everyone else) and I really do think that the scene that you’re envisioning in Arcadia when Rachel lost is something other than what it actually, truly was.
As Rachel was coming down the stretch and it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a runaway for her, voices did start rising in general surprise and excitement, and I heard quite a few folks yelling for the other horses to really push Rachel to the limit (presumably, to soften her up in advance of her matchup against Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom). And then, when the unthinkable occurred, I heard some people audibly stoked that it was John Shirreffs’s horse which had pulled off the upset (for better or worse, he seems to be thought of as one of “our guys”). And maybe there was a *tiny* bit of immediate, in-the-moment schadenfreude from some. But truthfully, the main vibe in the air there at Santa Anita was one of utter shock. Seriously, just shock and confusion, and quite a bit of murmuring about the ramifications of it all (“Does this mean no Apple Blossom? What does this do to the $5M?”). But no, I swear to you, it’s not like Santa Anita suddenly became a giant party scene on Rachel’s grave.
Besides, in my mind (and I bet I wasn’t the only one), there was the fear that Rachel’s surprise loss might possibly prove to be a bad omen for Zenyatta’s Santa Margarita run. I mean, if that could happen in New Orleans, couldn’t it happen here? So there was that.
And then finally, as you mention, there was a wave of realization that a Rachel victory (coupled with a Zenyatta one) would’ve been far better for horse racing than what actually went down.
I don’t know if any of the above restores a modicum of your faith in humanity, but there it is. I’m a Team Zenyatta guy and I’m elated at her 15th win, but I’m bummed that Rachel lost, ’cause I was really looking forward to seeing them compete against each other on the 10th, at their respective peaks.
Patrick Meighan
Culver City, CA
@Patrick - yes – thank you deeply. I was hoping beyond hope someone would say this. TVG reported the cheering (a couple of times, actually), and even showed people cheering and talking some light trash in one of their rooms – which was very upsetting. Then folks all over Twitter were posting things about Santa Anita “celebrating” and “cheering”. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking “I know too many REAL racing fans from CA and who are at that track to possibly think it’s ALL of them, but clearly it seems some were celebrating.”
I’m very glad to hear your experience as it absolutely restores faith in me that, as you say, there wasn’t some sort of mass schadenfreude (…and I’m now kicking myself for having not used that term in the original post…could’ve saved me about 1600 words! LOL).
Appreciate your very well written reply.
@nonheinous Agree on pretty much everything. I didn’t mean to suggest that Denman himself was wrong for his comment, or that it was particularly heinous (LOL), but the timing of it just made for a very awkward situation. My honest-to-god reaction was a bit of a chuckle (although I was mesmerized by Zenyatta).
As for Rachel – couldn’t agree more. I’m not ready to put her on the shelf quite yet, and I don’t think this race was a referendum on her career anymore than it was the 2009 Horse of the Year vote. She’ll have every reason to move forward….I just don’t think she’s anywhere close to Zenyatta at this point.
@Mike – Glad you at least got to see Odysseus. No doubt Lucky is a legit top notch Derby contender. It’s probably no surprise who I’m likely to have at my #1 spot, but suffice to say Lucky, Eskendereya, Odysseus, and Awesome Act will be my top 4.
Once again Big Man , you call a turkey a turkey and thats why me and you will always be welcome at the same bar drinking the same Beer. of course not all zenyatta fans are classless, but those that were, like you said Big Man, shame on them.
I, too, am a die-hard Zenyatta fan and have been since her first race (thank God for Calracing.com). When it comes to race horses, I **rarely** use the phrase great…but I do with the Z mare. She leaves me in awe.
I freely admit I am not a Rachel fan; I *greatly* admire her talent (that KY Oaks was amazing), but she doesn’t “reach my heart.” (Although, to be fair, that probably has more to do with her current “I haven’t met a needle I don’t like” trainer.) But I have never “dissed” her or rooted for her to lose. I was *definitely* pulling for Rachel yesterday, because damn it, it would be TREMENDOUS for the sport.
I loved your analogy to SEC football; you hit the nail on the head. I’m a huge Nebraska fan, and believe me when I say “I root for all teams in the Big 12, except when they play the Huskers.” The better the overall Big 12 plays, the better the Huskers become. (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that we now have Bo Pellini, as opposed to The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named But He’s Now With The NFL And Good Riddance.)
So yesterday, when Rachel lost, I was bummed…and when Z won, I was literally shaking. I couldn’t not believe the “take a sharp left, two quick strides and POOF! she’s outta there” move. So I completely understood Trevor’s call — if that didn’t reach viewers, it’s a pity.
Z and Rachel are the best things to happen to this sport in years. Win ‘em all, girls….except when Z and Rachel meet. That’s when I will wear my Team Z shirt with pride. (Except I don’t have a shirt. Hello, NTRA marketing, could someone create some Z and Rachel shirts, PLEASE?)
[...] ups and downs that only now are we beginning to be able to put into proper context. Along the way we also caught a glimpse of some of the better 3-year-olds in the land as they [...]
calm down east coaster u sound so pissed off! Rachel getting beat was kind of sad but this is horseracing and u can cheer for whoever u want. I had a bet on zardana at 9 to 1 so u mean i cant root for her and against rachel? People were probably happy because of the over hype for her, many of us out here in california respect rachel as a great filly but not in the league with zenyatta. And we know she should of been horse of the year!
Reasons california fans would cheer:
*zardana is a california horse, running on synthethic, going east and winning on the “more fair” dirt surface….see, horses that win on synthetic aren’t as good, so when one wins on the dirt, it’s a big deal.
*zardana was trained by one of their favorite california trainers
*zardana was riden by one of their favorite california jockeys
*THEY MAY HAVE HAD MONEY ON THEIR HOME TEAM….”REAL FANS” BET, YOU KNOW….even when they’re cheering for a favorite, they MAY bet against her, even a horse of the year. Imagine you had twenty to win on a horse you didn’t think had a chance and she won. You bet your cry-baby liitle ass YOU’D BE CHEERING TOO. Like YOU worry about the feelings of the losing fans when you win? Really? That’s your first thought?
Good Lord, man, apologize. Attacking the integrity of other fans based on third-hand tweets double-dipped in sour grapes is, in itself, CLASSLESS.
I’ll cover 2 responses at once here:
@jonny d asked: “I had a bet on zardana at 9 to 1 so u mean i cant root for her and against rachel?”
@vickin asked: “REAL FANS” BET, YOU KNOW….even when they’re cheering for a favorite, they MAY bet against her, even a horse of the year. Imagine you had twenty to win on a horse you didn’t think had a chance and she won. You bet your cry-baby liitle ass YOU’D BE CHEERING TOO.”
Thought I had covered that in the post rather to-the-point guys. Perhaps you missed it?:
“The only way it’s excusable, in my mind, is if those cheering had wagered serious cash on Zardana to pull the upset. If that’s the case – yes, you have every reason to erupt in celebration.”
@vickin: read much?
I was watching Rachel’s race from Santa Anita’s walking ring, and yes, there was a lot of screaming during the stretch drive, but everyone I heard was rooting hard for Rachel. Obviously, there were probably some there who were exulting in her loss, but that did not seem to be the general tone of the reaction as I experienced it. And speaking of classless, how about spinning elaborate fantasies of how HORRIBLE SoCal fans just so you can justify a tirade against them. And no, the feeble, “if this isn’t true, don’t hold it against me, but I’m gonna spew some total BS anyway” non-apology holds no water. Shame, shame, shame, right back atcha.
@laurieK – regarding “spew total BS” and “spew elaborate fantasies” – you realize this is what they reported (and showed) on tv as well? Don’t let facts get in your way – wear that “perpetual victim” badge with honor and pretend like those of us who would dare comment about it must be making it all up – just so we can attack SoCal. “Help help, you’re being repressed!” I guess despite them showing and commenting about it on TVG – none of us watching are allowed to have a reaction, right? How dare we! Laughable.
Just to clarify the matter – since evidently reading comprehension is at a premium these days – the “tirade” is directed at those who DID cheer for Rachel’s defeat purely out of spite. Nobody else. Yes, that action is classless.
I too was at Santa Anita and i disagree with the guy who said Zenyatta fans weren’t cheering against RA. I was one of the so called “trailer trash” fans cheering against RA and i’d like you to prove that RA fans wouldn’t have cheered against Zen if she lost. You presume that Zen fans are made up of some evil DNA, that RA’s fans couldn’t possibly be made up of. This is horse racing, this is competition, i for one wouldn’t have cheered if RA got injured, but get beat? YESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Your namby-pamby Horse of the Year has been discovered as a fake. Meanwhile, Zenyatta just WINS, no excuses, except for the RA fans who will point out that Zen didn’t face anybody, and it was on artificial track and that 15 for 15 doesn’t prove anything, heck, winning Breeders’ Cup races doesn’t prove anything either. And RA’s defeat actually proves that she’s better than Zen . . . . .
Look, championships are decided on the track, not in the ballot box. Zen is immortal, RA is NOT!
@markinsac - so apparently I wasn’t making this all up as some sort of fantasy. Amazing how this changes from comment to comment. I’m either a horrible schlepp for “inventing’ this idea, or i’m a schlepp for being some sort of biased east coast fan.
I’m guessing for those saying such things, it’s your first visit here, in which case – Welcome! Have a look around – you might be surprised at what you see.
Case in point:
“…YOUR (emphasis added) namby-pamby Horse of the Year has been discvoered as a fake…”
Wow – so Zenyatta’s a fake? Oh, what’s that??? Didn’t know Zenyatta was MY (emphasis added) Horse of the Year?
Nice try though
As for the following comment:
“I’d like you to prove that RA fans wouldn’t have cheered against Zen if she lost”
Okay – I’ll bite. Many of “us” (however you choose to classify/label me) are fans of both horses. It’s insane to think you can only like one. I’ll submit the countless pro-Zenyatta posts here (I made a tribute video of her for – those aren’t easy to put together), tweets, and Facebook updates urging Zenyatta to victory as proof that this “Rachel fan” (me – though again, I’m a fan of both horses – something that might make simple minds explode) would NOT have been rooting against Zenyatta.
Or, you could note that I said the following: “…though I concede that if Saturday’s results were the other way around, I might be penning admonishing words to Rachel fans for behaving in classless fashion towards Zenyatta fans, so I digress…”
So yes, I actually agree with you that it could’ve been the other way around – and it would’ve been just as classless in my mind.
I maintain that “REAL” racing fans understand that Rachel’s defeat was a defeat for the entire sport. Now we don’t get that Apple Blossom matchup – a matchup for the ages and one which doubtless Zenyatta would’ve won. If you can’t understand that, and if you honestly think the New Orleans Ladies WAS a referendum on the 2009 Horse of the Year Vote, then (in my opinion) this is truly unfortunate.
Next I’ll address this part:
“Look, championships are decided on the track, not in the ballot box.”
This sounds good as a sound-bite, and I think we all “want” it to be this way very badly, but it’s not true when we look over the course of history…if by this reference you are talking specifically about the Breeders’ Cup Classic (in as much as any horse that receives “votes” for Horse of the Year has to have achieved something “on the track” to be worthy of said votes in the first place).
If we’re talking purely about the Classic – do yourself a favor and jot down a list looking at the last 2 decades. Note who won the Classic, and then note who the Horse of the Year was that year. Again, you might be surprised at what you see. I’ve covered that at length in the past, so I’ll let you conduct the example on your own and see what you find.
Suffice to say, if you go back to 1990, only 8 of the last 21 BC Classic Winners (or just 38%) have also been Horse of the Year:
-07 Curlin
-06 Invasor
-05 St.Liam
-04 Ghostzapper
-00 Tiznow
-95 Cigar
-92 AP Indy
-91 Black Tie Affair
So, while the recent trend has certainly been to reward BC Classic winners, we can’t boil down Horse of the Year to that one race by any stretch of the imagination.
Finally, I’m guesing you meant your last statement in reverse, as you typed:
“And RA”s defeat actually proves she’s better than Zen….”
???
Don’t worry – I know what you mean, and I’m sure many CA fans feel that Rachel’s loss does “prove” Zenyatta is the better horse. Horse of the Year ’09 though wasn’t about who was better head to head (as they never faced one another, rendering all such discussion/debate irrelevant) – it was about who had the overall body of work that was most impressive (although I feel compelled again to remind you of who my vote was for). In the end, if you’re totally discounting the historically unprecedented body of work that Rachel put up there as a 3-year-old filly as being wholly unworthy of discussion when stacked up against Zenyatta’s full body of work for ’09 (not just her Classic victory), then methinks you are being just a tad biased.
And there’s nothing wrong with being biased -just don’t be classless about it is all I’m saying.
I think that’s fair.
I was cheering for Rachel to lose because I had a C note on Zardana, does that make me a Wal Mart fan.
@Chris You wrote: “I was cheering for Rachel to lose because I had a C note on Zardana, does that make me a Wal Mart fan.”
No, but your lack of literacy skills might.
Since you were unable to find the section in question before posting, and also apparently did not see the other similar comments that have already been replied to, here, I’ll make it easy for you:
“…it’s excusable, in my mind, if those cheering had wagered serious cash on Zardana to pull the upset. If that’s the case – yes, you have every reason to erupt in celebration.”
Try actually reading the post next time, rather than just jumping to a conclusion based on a teaser/headline you saw on Equidaily.
@ Laurie - I want to apologize for missing your comment until now. I guess I got a bit caught up in the attack-replies coming in from Equidaily.
I really want to thank you for reading the post before commenting. You can always tell who has done so and who hasn’t just by the substance of the comments themselves.
You raise many great points. I’ll start with the “human connection” element . I’ve long suspected that’s what actually drives folks to/from certain horses. I ran into a bit of that with Big Brown in 2008, as I absolutely despise Rick Dutrow, but loved his horse (I have a similar love/hate thing with D’Funnybone this year). I also think this is part of what drives the current trend to bash Curlin as some washed up has-been that didn’t really accomplish anything. It’s sad, but I suppose that just human nature. What I applaud here is that you recognize this is the reason Rachel hasn’t entered your heart. That demonstrates a level of maturity and honesty that I wish others had (including myself).
So you’re a Nebraska fan? It might please you to know that my wife had a crush on Grant Wistrom (I know, what???) back in the early 2000′s. I’m a pretty big St. Louis Rams fan, and I’m holding out all hope that we draft Suh. I can’t fathom how we could consider anyone else with the top overall pick. Suh is the best at his position that I’ve seen since Warren Sapp – if we pass on him, we’ll be 1-15 for the next decade.
You also brought up a great point about the Zenyatta t-shirts. I made a casual reference as my Facebook status update yesterday that said “Chuck Norris wears Zenyatta underwear” – and in some of the good-natured back and forth over that, we discussed what a serious business opportunity somebody is missing to more aggressively market horses as popular as Zenyatta and Rachel. I know countless folks who would buy stuff like that up right away.
Someone really needs to move on that. You’ll be pleased to know that more aggressive mareting like that was a keypoint of the marketing plan we pitched to the NTRA a few years ago (although admittedly, we cautioned against horse-specific items, as they don’t tend to stay in action for long – but Zenyatta, Rachel, and any horses that reach the level of uber-popularity that they have are certainly exceptions).
I really appreciated your reply and your perspective, and would just like again to apologize that it was missed until now over the din of other not-so-friendly replies. I hope to hear from you again at some point.
If any of those 8 BC Classic winners were also undefeated, do you think they would have been voted “Horse of the Year”? This “body of work” I keep hearing by RA supporters is JUST AN EXCUSE! You people can’t admit: Zenyatta shows up, NO EXCUSES! Zenyatta is one of the greatest race horses in American history, NO EXCUSES! You wan’t excuses go to the Rachael camp: The Woodward took to much out of her, she’s taking the rest of the year off: The weather in New Orleans was bad, she’s not ready; she’s not going to run on plastic . . . and you RA supporters keep defending the losers: Jess Jackson, Steve ASSmussen and Rachael Alexandra. Sad.
Zenyatta’s win was grand! It is unprecedented for a deep closer to be perfect in 15 races, including 9 G1 races. She controlled the pace in none of them and we still don’t know just how good she is! The closest to a real test was the Classic and she won much as usual, except for the 112 Beyer (thanks to a good pace). But Zenyatta only ran in the Classic because of Rachel and Jackson. The Mosses’ conservative race strategy would have deprived all horse lovers of Zenyatta as we know her now. Competition is Sport is supposed to work like this, let’s honor both teams.
Personally, I think that if Zenyatta had been in the Woodward instead of Macho Again Zenyatta would have won the Woodward and HOY. But Zenyatta wasn’t there, right? Rachel made history with her campaign and HOY voters decided that was bigger than Zenyatta’s Classic, which was the race of the year for sure. It is a reasonable decision and it’s history. On to 2010!
I love Rachel and I want her baaack at 4 and winning big races. But she can’t fight every short distance specialist and then hold off every closer at 10f. Asmussen changed her equipment to give Borel more control and the experiment failed. (Fighting Borel may have contributed to her coming up short.) That’s a bigger problem than her fitness.
Oh, and a plug for Zardana: she scored most of her wins on dirt in Brazil, and may have taken a big jump in class back on dirt for the first time since 2007.
Brigette, you complain that at the Woodward, Zenyatta “Wasn’t there”. In the Breeders Cup Classic where was Rachael? In next month’s Apple Blossom, “Where will Rachael be?” It’s odd you didn’t mention that . . .
@markinsac – you just insist on labelling, don’t you. It might be futile to even attempt to reply, but heregoes:
“If any of those 8 BC Classic winners were also undefeated, do you think they would have been voted “Horse of the Year”?”
Depends – what other races did they run? You can’t tell me the rest of Zenyatta’s 2009 campaign (minus the Classic) even remotely stacks up to the other horses campaigns. Apples to apples, this most certainly is not.
“This “body of work” I keep hearing by RA supporters is JUST AN EXCUSE! You people can’t admit: Zenyatta shows up, NO EXCUSES!”
Hi mark, this is earth…have we met?
I’m not sure how many times I need to say this to you (evidently things don’t sink in the first time through), but please stop classifying me as an ‘RA’ supporter (as opposed to a Z supporter).
For the last time, I love BOTH horses. Get that through your skull, please. It’s really not that difficult to understand.
I’ve been posting here about Zenyatta (and following her actively) since 2007 (not that I need to justify my fanship to you). It’s also evident that you missed the link I put in my last reply where I explained (in painstaking detail, I might add) why she (Zenyatta) was my Horse of the Year for 2009.
So please, spare me the lecture on why she should’ve been HOTY, dude. I was on YOUR side on that issue, genius!
FInally, you said:
“…and you RA supporters keep defending the losers: Jess Jackson, Steve ASSmussen and Rachael Alexandra. Sad.”
(Sigh) Believe what you want to. I’m sure it all makes sense from grandma’s basement.
Dude, you’re an idiot.
You really should learn proper use of quotation marks. You really look like a fool when attempting to quote somebody multiple times and being unable to get the quote accurate.
Nowthen, the only excuse for having cast an Eclipse Award vote for Rachel Alexandra for Horse of the Year is a lack of appropriate research.
One either researched his or her vote responsibly and appropriately OR he or she voted for Rachel Alexandra for Horse of the Year. The two are mutually exclusive.
It has been six months since the Woodward Stakes, and the whole field put together has managed the sum total of one win since then. (5-horse field, allowance race, 1-to-2 odds)
Rachel Alexandra was merely a member of the weakest 3yo crop in many decades, and some people voted as if she’d won the 1987 Preakness, the 1994 Kentucky Oaks, and the 2001 Haskell. Granted some of this is merely a product of a considerable cheapening of the breed in modern times, but that is why responsible and appropriate research is imperative.
The 3yo male champion of 2009 topped 54 stakes foes during the year, and those 54 runners COMBINED to win just 4 subsequent races in 2009. This is the mark of weak, weak, WEAK!!!
Rachel Alexandra has defeated only pigs and piglets while having lost to even worse (now including a 3rd string waterboy from California). The best field she faced in 2009 had just two foes, and Rachel Alexandra was 1-to-20 on the board!! Not only that, but the other two were kind enough to each race for second money while battling together on a white-hot pace (6 furs. in 1:08 4/5 in a 9-furlong race).
Finally, to add a touch of humility where there is already plenty, Jess Jackson has for a 3rd time ducked Zenyatta. Those who have done the appropriate research can easily understand why. As for you, it’s difficult to figure out if you’ll ever figure it out.
@Brigitte – Zenyatta’s win was grand indeed. And I agree with you – had Zenyatta gone to the Woodward, she would’ve won for fun and the whole Horse of the Year debate for 2009 would’ve been academic.
If anything, as hindsight has taken hold, I’m a bit upset at the cautious early 2009 campaign that they did with Zenyatta. I feel like her greatness was constricted by that early schedule. Of course, at the end of the day, her connections know what’s best for her a heckuva lot better than us, so who knows – I’m sure they had good reason.
I’ll take it a step further from your Woodward analogy…if Zenyatta had run in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic (against Curlin, Raven’s Pass, etc.), I’m convinced she would’ve won and would’ve been Horse of the Year that year as well.
My hunch is that the Moss family knows they need to be a bit aggressive this year and you’ll see Zenyatta tearing things up all over the country, if only to prove that YES, she’s the best horse on the planet, bar none.
As for Rachel – I’m holding out hope that somehow I get to see her on Black Eyed Susan Day.
@LOU
Wow, it must be “send in the clowns” week.
I’m an idiot?
Your scolding me about “voting for Rachel” when the post I keep referencing clearly tells you my vote (and I’m not an official Turf Writer and thus did not have an official vote to cast, mind you) was for ZENYATTA.
For the last time, since apparently this is difficult for some:
http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/11/09/the-great-debate-for-2009-horse-of-the-year/
I’ll even save you the trouble of having to click the link. I know simple minds can become confused during simple tasks…
Here’s the paragraph where I cast my “vote” officially:
“Much like I had been calling for a dead heat had the two ever locked horns on the track, I find myself utterly divided over who I would select as Horse of the Year. I suppose to extract a full answer from me, one might have to subject me to brutal interrogation, straight out of the famed Russian Roulette scene in The Deer Hunter. Tying me to a chair, constantly slapping my face whilst shouting “Mao!” and demanding that I make a selection. I believe what follows is what my ultimate decision would be under such duress (apart from arising from said chair and declaring “3 bullets!!! We play with 3 bullets!” in classical De Niro fashion):
– Rachel Alexandra for 3-year-old filly champion
– Zenyatta for Horse of the Year “
Something tells me I’ll still have idiots showing up here insisting I voted for Rachel.
Yes Zenyatta’s campaign was “Cautious”. But who is sound now and who isn’t? Looks like the Zen camp knew what they were doing, they didn’t run their horse into the ground
@marcinsac – no argument from me there. Cautious yet effective campaigning. And there’s no question she’s in rare form – and even more surprisingly has been able to hold her top-form since way back in 2008. Remarkable doesn’t even begin to do it justice.
@markinsac, there’s no proof that RA is unsound. Let’s not spread unfounded rumors.
As for Zenyatta’s 2009 campaign, I think it makes plenty of sense if you believe, like I do, that at the time perhaps the connections didn’t *really* know what they had. You have to admit, that it’s only as time goes on that one really realizes just how freaky Zenyatta is. I’ve always been amazed by her, awed by her, but there was always a bit of tenuousness about it, esp considering her style and her age. It’s very tempting for a lot of people to think, “Well, it’s been x many races in a row, maybe this time will be when she finally gets blocked or just doesn’t make it up there in time, or has a bad day.” But Zenyatta just keeps winning.
I think they had these things in mind when they campaigned in 2009: Breeders Cup in November at Santa Anita
5 year old behemoth mare (i.e. you worry about keeping her sound)
Personal Ensign’s record
And probably no chance of HOTY when RA clearly stole the show (i.e. so why push it more than the horse needs to be ready for the BC?)
It’s obvious to me why they didn’t leave California (after the weather twarted her 2009 debut in the Louisville Distaff), and no, it had nothing to do with “ducking” Rachel or being afraid of competition–I think they just wanted to keep her on the surface she was going to have to run on in the BC. And I think as each race happened, and as Zenyatta kept winning, it wasn’t until later on in the season they really thought, “Hey, the Classic is a serious option. Maybe we can do this.” At that point, you aren’t going to be monkeying around going cross country, running on the wrong surface for your goal, chasing after Rachel Alexandra in what is probably a hopeless bid to beat her for HOTY. They just want to keep their mare sound, happy, winning, and ready for the biggest race on the biggest stage. Which they did.
Yeah, I would have loved to see some more interesting races before the Classic, but hindsight is 20/20. Obviously they know now that they have quite the horse indeed, and I look forward to seeing her on dirt, and running against the males again later this year. If she runs against a healthy Rachel, even better.
If she repeats a win in the BC Classic next November, I think my head and heart would explode.
Funny thing is…and I can’t remember who first mentioned this, but the only horses in North America at the moment that appear they could give Zenyatta any trouble in the 2010 Classic are Quality Road and Rachel – and I think she’d defeat both of them without any real difficulty. Rachel could still come back strong though, but at this point in time you’d have to think that if Zardana “collared” Rachel, that Zenyatta would do the same.
It’ll be interesting to see – I suppose one of the 3-year-olds could blossom into something special, but it would take a heckuva 3-year-old to stare down Zenyatta in the Classic.
I’m sure she’ll go to Churchill – and I’m fairly certain she will repeat as Classic champion.
Of course, anything can happen – long year ahead (we all know that too well).
The word sound has to be applied here, they scratched her out of a $5 million race after she ran second in her comeback race. She’s burned out by a silly campaign. It is truly unfortunate that she’s not 100% because us Zenyatta fans wanted the showdown. J. Jackson will continue to make excuses and avoid Zenyatta at all costs. RA will probably be retired so your precious “Joke of the Year” can save face.
@ Markinsac–Well, as a horse owner and “equestrian” of over 15 years, “soundness” means something very specific to me. It means a horse is lame. Limping. In pain. Sometimes it’s very subtle. Or not. It can be an injury (acute) or a structural issue like arthritis/joint damage (chronic).
“Burned out” is probably a more accurate way to describe what I think you’re trying to say about Rachel’s condition, and is a far more subjective judgment, and you’re welcome to it. I wonder the same thing, if her campaign last year affected her negatively. I just think it’s too soon to tell. It’s not like RACHEL asked to be scratched from the Apple Blossom. Her connections decided to.
And who is this “You” that you keep referring to? *Your* precious Joke of the Year. Newsflash: I prefer Zenyatta. And, I would have voted for The Big Mare for HOTY, if I had a vote. I think she’s the best damn horse in America, if not the world (don’t know enough about the international scene right now). Doesn’t mean RA didn’t earn the 2009 HOTY award, too, she ran her butt off last year. You said as much yourself.
But, I am soooo over the 2009 Eclipse awards. She didn’t win, she deserved it too, it’s a travesty that a horse of her caliber hasn’t won HOTY yet, but honestly I am just so damn happy that she’s racing again this year, that I don’t care. If she stays sound and undefeated this year, and travels a bit, get some races on dirt, I see no excuse for her not to win HOTY this year. Especially since I don’t see any Secretariats in the 3 yr old Male division…
@nonnonheinous – I totally goofed and didn’t give you credit for the notion that QR and RA were the only ones in your mind that could face Zenyatta (and even they would be hard pressed to have a chance at victory). I should’ve given you full credit for that.
Like you, I’m also confused about who the “your precious JOKE OF THE YEAR” comment was directed towards? I think I’ve posted a half dozen times now that my vote would’ve been to Zenyatta as well, but I digress. Maybe it’s because, like you, I actually understand the rationale behind Rachel receiving it, even if it wouldn’t have been my personal choice? How dare we, I suppose.
You’ve got to tell us more about yourself sometime. 15 years as a horse owner? I bet you’ve got some stories for us all that would rock our worlds.
@Kevin Stafford– That’s okay, I barely remembered I wrote it!
Yes, apparently it’s logically impossible to love Zenyatta, even think she deserved HOTY, even think she’s the best horse in America, but still not think Rachel Alexandra is total garbage, a fraud, “overrated”, etc. Or so it seems many people try to tell me.
As for my years with horses, it’s not terribly interesting! Just really expensive!
Some of my favorite horses to ride over the years have been Thoroughbreds, though. Great jumpers.
I always have to be careful when I say I’m a horse owner around racing fans, because in that context it means *race* horse owner. Never owned a race horse. I’ve just been riding since I was a kid, owned my own horses for many years now. Starting with hunter/jumper and now I just have a nice little Paso Fino for trail riding.
@nonnonheinous I must say, I’m not surprised about your background. It seems the most level-headed folks you meet with respect to horse racing are folks who have owned, cared for, and loved horses outside of racing them. There’s a great friend of mine who I hold very dearly who used to ride show horses and jumpers and was an “equestrian.” Without fail, I can always count on her to put things in proper perspective.
You seem to have that gift as well.
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE FACT OF HUMAN NATURE:
In a close race that involved two great female horses, the vote for the 2009 Horse of the Year went to Rachael Alexandra because most of those eligible to vote were from east of the Mississippi. The voters voted for their heart, not their heads. Most westerners voted for Zenyatta and most easterners voted for Rachael. And none of those who voted will admit to this phemonena. They all point to the facts behind their judgements.
Rachael won due to bias, and that’s not to say Zen’s supporters were biased too.
@markinsac – so would you support the movement we actually tried to start right here to open the voting to the public? I don’t think it ever really had a chance of taking off, but making enough noise, we could’ve done something…the timing was right, and the NTRA was listening.
I actually disagree that it’s a “fact of life” though, although you do make an interesting point that at the end of the day, really, who amongst us isn’t “biased” towards whoever our selection is? I think the folks did their best to remain fair. I think no matter which way it went – one side was going to be stuck carrying the “we got robbed” flag.
Perhaps a more interesting question is this – the rivalry between east/west that seems to suck so many in – is this beneficial or detrimental to the sport long term?
I get that it can help generate buzz and excitement, but it can also lead, as we have seen, to some petty squabbling and general lack of consensus/concerted effort amongst the powers that be.
It’s an interesting question.
well, in most professional sports, the championship is decided on the field. Racing, as we all know, doesn’t do it this way, however, we do have the Breeders’ Cup which is as close as it gets to a championship. Zenyatta has won the Breeders’ Cup races twice, is undefeated and has NO horse of the year trophies. That’s the basis of my “Bias” claim.
Well, and isn’t that the whole problem with the Eclipse awards? Because there is no “objective” criteria or rubric for deciding which horse is worthiest (no point system, in other words), voters have no choice but to devise their own way of deciding. So, you got the numbers folks putting more weight on the number of times RA ran, the number of times she beat the boys, the number of race tracks she ran at, etc as being the deciding factor. Others, who put a lot of weight on the Breeders cup, would have voted for Zenyatta. Some people voted based on which horse they felt was actually better, even though they never met on the track.
But the bottom line is that even when deciding which “objective” criteria to rest your case on, you are making an emotional (though we will invent reasons for it) decision.
The point is that we can create a uniform system to decide Eclipse voting in order to try to reduce bias, but we need to be aware that the assumptions and values underpinning the system itself by necessity contain biases.
Agreed, even if we let the fans vote, most are located in the east so Rachel would have won anyways. Rachel fans looked at the records of the two and decided that Rachels feats were better than Zen’s feats, Zen’s fans would do the same. It’s just a shame that Zenyatta has compiled a resume that is UNMATCHED in the annals of horse racing and has NO HOY’s!
@nonnonheinous Very well articulated! I couldn’t agree more. Would you believe I was once with a group that pitched a “standings” idea to the NTRA for that very reason? It wans’t perfect, but it was an improvement over the current form. I’m sure it caused some eyebrow raising from the Graded Stakes folks (if they ever even saw it), but that’s exactly what we wanted to do – not just for Horse of the Year, but to help tell the story of the sport so that folks could link certain races to the standings and understand why important stakes races mattered.
Needless to say, they didn’t bite.
@markinsac – don’t worry, this is her year. There’s nothing that can stop her now.
Yes, if she remains undefeated and wins the BC Classic, anybody who votes against should lose their privlidges. But there truly is hard feelings about 2008 and 2009. You people were sold a used car in Rachel and she gets the HOY and it can never be taken away. In any other year, i’d be a huge Rachel fan but I live here in Calif and have seen Zenyatta in person for 5 of her races including the two BC wins. As a kid, i remember seeing Ruffian and was awed, even at that young age, by her greatness. Then came Affirmed, Seattle Slew and Spectacular Bid, all right next to each other, and ive seen Secretatiat on YouTube. Zenyatta is just as great as them, and I get to witness it in person. You people in Arkansas should count your blessings, a horse like this only comes around once in a lifetime. Enjoy your day at the races and cheere loudly for big Zen, and Rachel, i really hope you get back to your old self because then big Zen is going to whoop you in mid stretch, then you can tell your grandkids, you got beat by a legend.
Kevin:
Thanks for the warm welcome — I find the discussions on this site fascinating.
First — “Chuck Norris wears Zenyatta underwear”? Now THAT should be on an NTRA shirt!
As for your wife’s crush on Grant Wistrom, hey, I completely understand. A couple months ago, I saw a picture of Grant wearing glasses and thought “Damn, when did get to be so hot?”
As for Suh — he’s incredible and he’s *whip smart*. He did the right thing by staying with Nebraska another year and gained so much more knowledge from Bo and Carl. Here’s hoping that he goes to a team that will take advantage of his talents.
On to racing: there was an interesting discussion this afternoon on Steve Byk’s show. The handicapper from some dot com (for the life of me, I can’t recall his name) said he had a bit of a “Come to Jesus Moment” (my words, not his) after Rachel lost. Her loss put things in perspective: he said (I’m paraphrasing) that some have forgotten how difficult it is to go 15 for 15. Z has raced in the big leagues, all in graded stakes (except for her first two races), can overcome a fast or slow pace, overcome traffic, go wide or to the inside, show incredible agility, and can kick into another gear with just one stride. She faced eight Grade I winners in the Classic, has won from six and a half furlongs to a mile and a quarter, and proven she can carry weight.
Fans of racing have wanted a Triple Crown winner for so long….we’ve been looking in the wrong place for our superstar. Our star is a Big Ass Mare who loves crowds and has yet to reach full speed.
It’s a good time to be a fan of horse racing.
Laurie, you summed it up so beautifully, after last year’s BC Classic as Zenyatta was being led out of the winners’ circle, i told my father, “Take a long look at her, this is the last time we’ll ever see her!” And the only race left was the Horse of the Year vote. But Zen lost that again and when Moss announced Zen would race again, i was so overjoyed!
I must admit, there’s nothing like a day at the races when Zenyatta races. All the other races just seem so unimportant. The buzz builds all afternoon and when the race before Zenyatta’s finishes, we all think, “It’s time for the Zenyatta show”. I wish i could be there in Arkansas to see big Zen race, but she will be in good hands in Sheriffs and the great Oaklawn fans who will support her. And I hope that she returns to Hollywood Park this summer so us Los Angeles race fans can see her, perhaps for the final time. Wherever she goes, please enjoy the moment, take lots of pictures, and it’s my mission to be at Churchill this fall to see the fitting finale of the greatest race horse of our time, maybe all time.
@Laurie – I may have to pitch that t-shirt idea to some folks and see if they bite.
Very well stated. It is indeed a great time to be a horse racing fan. Of course, I always feel good about things this time of year (It’s the down period from December through early February that is the absolute pits for me, as there’s seldom much to be overly excited about…apart from the new crop of 3-year-olds bursting onto the scene of course)
@Mark – I’d make your arrangements for Churchill now – don’t get shut out by the crowds once the date draws closer. You’ll want your spot reserved because she will be there – and she will win.
A lot can happen between now and November. If any of you watch the replays of her races, which are available on YouTube and elsewhere, you can see how dominating she is once she starts rolling. It’s hard to fathom Rachel holding her off. And she seem so smart, like she knows when to make her move and where the finish line is. Perhaps it’s her running style that has kept her so sound for so long. And I have to admit, there has been so many times that she’s been so far back at the top of the stretch, i thought “this is it, she’s not going to win this one”~and swoosh, she’s suddenly in front! And if J. Jackson doesn’t let Rachel run against her, Rachel will be forgotten faster than a Billy Ray Cyrus song! Jess, give Rachel a chance to prove me and the legion of Zen fans wrong. Don’t be scared!
Ok calm down. I do think they will run in the same race at some point this year. Me, I’m not worried. Wasn’t that Mad magazine – “What me worry” I was really looking forward to this early in year, big big race, but hey it will happen. So will Manny and Floyd M. “There’s TOO much money involved” HAH. That’s partially true I guess. Oaklawn is a really nice track, great food. I’ve spent a lot of time in Arkansas. Get out and see the countryside, or go up to Mt View for the music festival (around the sane time). Have a great time, that’s what it’s all about. The Racing Festival of the South is great, so hang in.
Roblejeune! Where in the world have you been? Long time no see!!! I think that was MAD magazine (of course, now my ADD has me thinking of Spy vs Spy and all the other assorted classics from our youth). The parallels between horse racing and boxing are a plenty!
I’m around. Unfortunately they closed Bay Meadows- closest track to me- so I’ve been kind of out of it lately, between BC and then the vote and now. I don’t remember if I had typed on here about John Sheriffs Youtube channel or not. It’s great. The other coincidence is that one of my best friends from out here, bought a house right next to the Fairgrounds in Nola. He did it for Jazz Fest of course, but I do have a place to stay there. He’s the same guy who’s parents first bought land on Arkansas many years ago, and why I was writing about Oaklawn. Ok I hope to stick with it through the Triple Crown now. Wish I could travel to Oaklawn or NO Fairgrounds, but I probably wont. Might make the SA Derby but not sure, it’s a 7 hour drive. DARN I miss live horse racing. PS Kevin, I do have some pictures from BC with Zen etc. If you want me to mail you some let me know. Yes Mad Mag. Spy vs Spy could be the plot to have or not have the Zen and Rachel race. Wouldn’t it be really funny if the fight and the race happened in the same month WOW?
Ohh PS PS I will be on the radio playing music this Sunday at 10:30 AM ( Pac. daylight time) on station KPIG in Freedom, Ca. REAL Louisville music by the way. Anyway check their web site for a live feed.
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