Zenyatta remains undefeated and becomes the first female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
How do I know I’m right? Because the event probably was the moment of the year. And you can always depend on the public, led by the “Zenyatta Zealots,” to carry the day. How do I know this? Because, apparently, what happens last happens best.
And how do I know that? Just take a look at the HorseRaceInsider Horse of the Year poll on this same page. Go ahead, click on it. You won’t believe the margin.
http://www.horseraceinsider.com/Horse-Racing/rachel-alexandra-vs-zenyatta-horse-of-the-year-voting-poll
Hear this: I have no problem if Zenyatta were to be voted Horse of the Year 2009.
But her margin of would-be victory according to the HRI poll--61% to 27% as this is written--is laughable, having no basis in objectivity. Who, in their heart of hearts, doesn’t truly believe that the current margin and future result will be a lot closer than this indicator suggests?
(And to the ZZ on-toppers, please, no more hate mail. I’ve been beaten up enough on this subject. Yes, by now I have removed all doubt about what an idiot I am. But, no, I never did drink that steaming hot cup of STFU).
Speaking truth to power, and the powerless, no matter how warped my judgment might be, is my job. And no one’s ever accused me of having a poor work ethic. Ever.
Paraphrasing the late, not-so-great, Joey Zasa, “I don’t guarantee that I have a great work ethic but I guarantee I’ll kill anyone who says that I don‘t.”
As years go, 2009 was a hell of a year between the fences, and the NTRA has compiled some very worthy moments, indeed. Here they are, my reaction in italics below:
Well Armed blows away the field in the Dubai World Cup:
Hey, the Sheikh’s had a tough year, so this would be a nice gesture. But c’mon. Uncontested speed is dangerous at any track, in any race, on any day of the week.
I Want Revenge overcomes a horrific start to capture the Wood Memorial:
Great drama? Yes. Great performance? Yes. Great ride? Yes. Moment of the Year? That’s a very long stretch, and we’re not referring to the one at Aqueduct, either.
Rachel Alexandra runs off with the Kentucky Oaks by more than 20 lengths:
An amazing performance of historic proportions, one of the great Oaks efforts of all time? Absolutely. But that’s what happens when mundane stakes fillies are totally outclassed by one great rival.
Mine That Bird posts stunning, 50-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby:
A definite contender for Moment of the Year. Great shock value; S.I. material. Superb, death-defying race ride. Was time capsule material, especially from the blimp camera.
Rachel Alexandra turns back the late charge of Mine That Bird in the Preakness:
Coulda’ been, shoulda’ been, a contender. Great drama and achievement. Historical performance. Boy vs. Girl. Post 13. Wet track. But not the deepest Preakness talent ever assembled.
Presious Passion fires out to a 20-length lead en route to course record win in United Nations:
Stretch II, but a definite wow moment. But a Sham-Wow compared to his ultra-game, doggedly determined run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Rachel Alexandra toys with the boys in the Haskell Invitational:
For a few seconds on the far turn, there was some drama. But her acceleration into the stretch was, for her, only routinely amazing. But I watched the race from inside the rail on the racetrack. You just had to be there.
Gio Ponti captures his fourth consecutive Grade I score in the Arlington Million:
A wonderful performance. But I remember thinking at the time that this wouldn’t even make the top three most exciting Arlington Millions. Coming up with 12 moments isn’t easy.
Rachel Alexandra holds off her male elders in the Woodward Stakes:
Another had-to-be-there moment, unless, a) you saw it on TV, b) know something about how pace makes the race, or, c) were inside the building or standing on the track apron when the building and ground began to shake.
Linda Rice becomes the first woman to win the Saratoga training title:
Very, very inspirational. Great efforts from her charges virtually all meet long. Her horses made a great appearance. A Saratoga training title is a great accomplishment for any gender. But the training title also was the product of a condition book favoring the types of horses (read turf sprinters) living beneath the Rice shedrow.
Summer Bird registers historic triumph in the Jockey Club Gold Cup:
A paean to the great event and for historical achievement by a three-year-old. But the effort was not significantly better than his Belmont or Travers. [Sincerely hope he makes a full recovery and comes back bigger and stronger. Don’t believe Tim Ice ever reached the bottom of this guy].
Goldikova wins her second straight Breeders’ Cup Mile:
Given the trip, a truly remarkable win, topped this year only by Zenyatta’s Classic. But for some reason I was more impressed by the turn of foot on display in the 2008 Mile. Go figure.
Conduit runs down the stubborn Presious Passion for a repeat score in the Breeders’ Cup Turf:
Really? A life and death score as an equivalent to a magic moment? Sorry, Presious Passion in defeat was the star of this show.
Zenyatta remains undefeated and becomes first female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic:
Home surface advantage notwithstanding, she answered every conceivable question, erased every pre-race doubt, won with deceptive ease and authority and, like Sinatra, did it her own way. The effort makes her a deserving favorite--and worthy winner.
But I'm curious about two things:
Does the public get to vote for Co-Moments of the Year?
If they were coupled in the voting, does three Rachel nominations equal one Zenyatta?
11 Dec 2009 at 06:39 am | #
When it comes to moments like watching Zenyatta’s race in the BC Classic, I can remember only one other in my 64 years as a racing fan akin to it. And that was a June day 36 years ago when I watched an amazing red colt charge down the track to win the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths with tears running down my face. That was my first perfect day. The only other perfect day in my life came on BC day when I watched an amazing mare, black light night, with a dancer’s soul and her ears pricked, ignite the world.
11 Dec 2009 at 07:40 am | #
JRP - you’re NOT an idiot. I love both Rachel & Zenyatta - but Rachel had the bigger year.
If I could vote for co-moments, I would choose Rachel at the Haskell (she was glorious) and Mine That Bird almost catching Rachel at the Preakness (he tried so hard) Rachel at the Woodward (talk about being moved to tears...).
And Zenyatta at the BC, and Goldikova, and Mine That Bird at the Derby and Summer Bird emerging at Belmont and Sea The Stars in the Arc ... what a great year it’s been.
11 Dec 2009 at 08:43 am | #
It has been a great year. Well Armed’s Dubai Cup race was an unexpected thrill. As I watched it, I kept waiting for him to back up, instead he kept going faster. Mine That Bird’s KD win was also so unexpected, what a brave horse he is! Rachel has had impressive wins that were history making. But Zenyatta’s Classic win had me on my feet yelling and crying in the living room.
Marianna, I’m with you - both of those moments bring tears to my eyes. They are both the display of perfection and beauty.
11 Dec 2009 at 10:10 am | #
Thank you ladies!
Marianna: Zenyatta’s Classic and Secretariat’s Belmont. Need to think about that one. But just like this year’s H of Y balloting, neither deserves to lose..."With a dancer’s soul and her ears pricked.” Liked that one so much I’m a cinch to steal it someday!
Noelle: What a great year it has been indeed! Too bad the events off track weren’t as good as what happened between the rails.
Karen: On your feet yelling and crying in your living? Well if that’s not what the sport side of this game is all about!
Thanks for the smiles.
JRP
11 Dec 2009 at 10:35 am | #
I think I didn’t make myself clear in my comment on Zenyatta and Secretariat. I was not comparing the racing achievement between the two but the indelible moment of a great racing memory that will always cling to your mind. The two days just happened to be the only two truly perfect days in my life, where every hour of the day was taken up in pleasurable activities, no annoying phone calls, just quiet time spent with my animals, reading a good book, with the days culminating in an extraordinary racing moment. The first time, I was young enough not to realize how rare a perfect day would be. The second time, I knew better.
11 Dec 2009 at 10:44 am | #
Zenyatta-moment of the year, horse of the year. With you Marianna--no other race since Secretariat’s Belmont has moved me more than Zenyatta’s Classic win. A perfect year preceeded by a perfect year. Last year Curlin had a decent year but his year before was taken into account by many voters who even published that they gave an extra nod to Curlin for coming back to race another year and for his earnings title-both those factors therefore took his CAREER into account in last year’s voting and should be done the same this year for Zenyatta since probably pretty much the same voters. Was a Rachel fan bigtime last year when hardly anyone would even talk about her but sorry the Preakness was cherry picking the TC series and they never really thought about the Belmont since she is real suspect at a mile and quarter much less a mile and half. The Woodward--she did indeed desperately hang on and that desperation would have done no good in one more step--and Macho Again was giving her 8lbs and Macho Again has not won a lot has he?
Zenyatta is the best I have ever seen this side of Secretariat.
11 Dec 2009 at 11:09 am | #
Your so right, it has been a big year. I have to vote for Zenyatta on HOY. Yes, yes, I know. Rachel was great this year and deserves it too. But I think this year should go to Zenyatta. My bet is that if Rachel does good next year, she’ll take the crown. But this is Zenyatta’s moment.
Zenyatta proved to everyone that she can take horses on with a 16 pound weight difference, crushed the field from her legendary move, and she proved that she can destroy the best male horses in a field. She’s classic. Best horse I’ve seen since Secretariat.
11 Dec 2009 at 11:49 am | #
The best since Secretariat? Come on. Among his many spectacular achievements, Secretariat - over just 5 weeks - won the Triple Crown. He ran each race differently and won them all in record time.
Zenyatta, who only ran 5 races this whole year, was set to run against Rachel in the Oaks but her connections were afraid of the rain. Think of Secretariat’s last race at Woodbine, and think about Zenyatta not running because Shireffs must have believed she couldn’t handle the wet track.
Zenyatta put forth a great come-from-behind effort in the Classic and I agree she’s a great horse but I really can’t see how she’s earned the comparison with Secretariat.
11 Dec 2009 at 12:25 pm | #
Noelle - The Oaks is a race for 3YO filles. Zenyatta was going to run in the Distaff - not against Rachel. She is such a big mare, who knows, perhaps they did not want to chance running her in the slop. I can respect the Mosses for that decision.
11 Dec 2009 at 01:01 pm | #
I must leave this earth now to a better place. I humbly pass my candle of light to the greatest female racehorse in history-Zenyatta. May you give her all the love as you did to me. I will miss all of you. She will carry this torch with perfection as she did her racing days. Please honor her as you would me. In the meantime I see Sham waving his paw up there in heaven for a rematch.
Goodbye.
11 Dec 2009 at 01:34 pm | #
John,
Regarding Zenyatta’s moment of the year, I’ve heard from other horse racing fans that visited tracks all across the country and even into Canada on BC day and been told stories of how people were jumping up and down, hugging one another, crying, and screaming as Zenyatta raced down the stretch at Santa Anita. And these didn’t take place at Santa Anita, but at tracks from the Bay Area to Texas, the Midwest, to Chicago, throughoutNew York (yes, even New York!), the northeast and Canada
Truly a moment for the ages!
11 Dec 2009 at 05:01 pm | #
Julia, My mistake about which race at Churchill - thanks for the correction. And I respect the decision not to run Zenyatta if they thought she might possibly be hurt. Lucien Laurin said he was worried about Secretariat on the wet, slippery turf at Woodbine and maybe if that race were run in today’s more careful climate, Secretariat would have been scratched. Safety first. I’m just saying… she might be another Secretariat - but if so her career hasn’t allowed her to prove it.
To “the ghost of Secretariat” - That was LOL hilarious! I can just see Sham waving his “paw”
11 Dec 2009 at 09:22 pm | #
I was just a kid watching Secretariat’s Triple Crown victory with my family. His Belmont was perhaps the most amazing racing performance I’ve ever watched and I’ll never forget track announcer Chic Anderson shouting the famous words, “He is moving like a tremendous machine!”
No, I don’t compare Zenyatta to Secretariat, although I think her stamina, acceleration and determination indicate she could have beaten just about anyone racing now. What I do know is she stole my heart from the first time I saw her blaze past the field in the 2008 Ladies Classic.
When she accelerated from behind and began passing horses in this year’s Breeder’s Cup Classic, I was yelling and cheering for her in my living room, too, and like Karen, I had tears in my eyes when she won.
I also cheered for Rachel Alexandra when she ran in the Preakness and her other big televised races and look forward to following her in 2010. But there’s just something about Zenyatta that really spoke to me, and apparently a lot of others.
Maybe it was that I’ve never seen a horse with such personality and presence, one who looked so happy when she won and pranced into the winner’s circle. Maybe it had something to do with the obvious love her owners, trainer, handlers and jockey have for her. I watched Ann Moss pat Zenyatta’s nose and kiss her the whole time she was in the winner’s circle after the Classic. I read that Mike Smith sang a Spanish song to her to keep her calm as he walked her to the post before each race.
Zenyatta seems like a beloved pet or member of the Moss/Shirreffs/Smith family, more than just a champion racehorse, and I like that.
11 Dec 2009 at 09:32 pm | #
As a follow-up, I also wish there could be a 2009 Co-Horse of the Year vote, because the circumstances surely warrant it.
As for 2009 Moment of the Year, I’m torn between Mine That Bird’s win in the Kentucky Derby, Rachel’s in the Woodward and Zenyatta’s in the Classic. It’s tough to pick just one. I guess a 3-way-tie is out of the question?
12 Dec 2009 at 07:16 pm | #
For me, all of Zenyatta’s races were basically workouts including the 2009 Breeders Classic, but the 2009 Clement Hirsch was her greatest moment. This was the race that convinced me of her greatness because she should have lost.
No, she wasn’t life or death beating nobodies in this race as some foolishly commented. It was a very bad ride by a hall of fame jockey who made up for it with one of the greatest big money ride in Breeders Cup Classic history.
13 Dec 2009 at 11:56 pm | #
One of the first things that Z fans will bring up is that Rachel ‘ducked the BC’ and therefore Z should be HOY.
I would say that this argument would hold a lot more water if Rachel had made HER first start of 2009 in late May like Z did. I would say this argument would be much more valid had Rachel stayed in one place and not did any shipping, like Z did.
Maybe if Rachel didn’t race older males in a graded race at a historic racetrack, people wouldn’t have a frame of reference in their heads that’s its ‘normal’ for her to take on such a task. Three year old fillies don’t race in the BC Classic too often, but Rachel broke the ‘seal’ by racing older males, so everyone just assumed that she ‘ducked’ the BC when in reality, this wasn’t a realistic spot for a 3 year old filly who has been in serious training all year.
14 Dec 2009 at 11:17 am | #
The resume of the legendary Zenyatta:
Zenyatta defeated the winners of 36 grade I stakes, won by eight male grade I winners and eight female grade I winners
Zenyatta’s victims included two male classic winners (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes), two Breeders’ Cup Distaff/Ladies Classic winners, two Travers winners, two Beldame winners, two Ruffian Handicap winners, and the winners of the Santa Anita Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Pacific Classic, Arlington Million, Champion Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Man o’War Stakes, Spinster, Coaching Club American Oaks, Mother Goose, Personal Ensign, Lady’s Secret, and Santa Margarita among others
Undefeated (14 - 0 - 0)
All-Time North American Earnings Leader (filly/mare) $5,474,580
8x Grade I winner
4x Grade II winner
Set a “track record” at Del Mar (Clement L. Hirsch)
Carried 129 pounds in Grade I Vanity. Conceeding 15 pounds to the runner-up.
Beat 2007 Breeders Cup Distaff Champion twice (Ginger Punch)
Beat 2009 Breeders Cup Ladies Classic Champion three times (Life is Sweet)
Beat 8 Grade I males in the Breeders Cup Classic
In the Classic, she defeated at least three likely male champions in 2009 – Summer Bird (3-year-old male), Gio Ponti (champion male grass horse), and Rip Van Winkle (champion miler in England). That will be increased to four should Gio Ponti or Einstein be voted champion older male.
Zenyatta is the only filly/mare to be the morning line favorite in both the “Breeders Cup Ladies Classic” and the “Breeders Cup Classic”.
Zenyatta is the only filly/mare to be the postime favorite to win both the “Breeders Cup Ladies Classic” and the “Breeders Cup Classic”.
Zenyatta is the only Breeders Cup Ladies Classic Champion and Breeders Cup Classic Champion.
All 2008 Apple Blossom runners that Zenyatta beat came back to win their next start.
Closed her last 1/16 mile at Del Mar (Clement L. Hirsch) in 5 and change and the Trakus timing system caught her finishing at a peak speed of 40mph on the wire.
Closed her last 1/4 mile at Santa Anita (Breeders Cup Classic) in an astonishing 23 flat.
19 Dec 2009 at 07:28 am | #
My “Moment of the Year” is Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks by a 20 1/4 length margin. When it first came out on video, I watched it EVERY DAY in amazement for about a month!
Since then, I made my own video about it. (VIDEO RESPONSE):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRxuj72DDs
It was the most visually captivating moment of the year for me!!!