The Daily Racing Form’s Steve Crist, one of two living horse racing writers with a plaque in the Hall of Fame, has chipped in with his take after reading that HRI’s John Pricci and Joe Drape of the New York Times, as well as trainer John Shirreffs, had opinions on this matter also. The vote in the court of supremes was 3 to 1 that the unbeaten mare is assured of the Eclipse Award no matter what happens next Saturday.
Crist identified Quality Road, Blame and Lookin at Lucky as potential winners of the Breeders’ Cup Classic that would deny Zenyatta his vote. Suffice it to say, not one of these horses is a horse that anyone outside the sport has ever heard of, and, despite the anticipated national TV audience, will not have heard of next Sunday. Here, then, comes the interesting part. What exactly does Horse of the Year mean? And what good does it bring to the sport’s promotion?
To the gamblers who come to this site, it means nothing. To the horse racing fans, it’s a milepost. But to voters, it can mean getting your back up straight and expressing a truth you believe in. Note the emphasis on “truth you believe in.” The truth is that Zenyatta was dismissed from Horse of the Year consideration in 2008 after going unbeaten and winning the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic and Curlin, the twice-beaten winner that year, won despite the excuse that he couldn’t run on grass and rubber bands.
What Crist, Pricci, Drape, Shirreffs or Zast, for that matter, think is marginally relevant. When decisions like this call for wide-ranging ballots, it’s the voices of the many that register. The upcoming midterm elections will prove that when something is put into people’s minds, no amount of logic will ever change it. So, too, Zenyatta’s fate as Horse of the Year is pre-determined.
As my column concluded on October 3 after the Lady’s Secret Stakes, “Win or lose at the Breeders’ Cup, Zenyatta became Horse of the Year by a neck at the wire with a quarter of the year yet to go. As for the long-awaited fate at stake in horse racing’s premium attraction, you can engrave the Horse of the Year title on Zenyatta’s vita.”
That’s the truth, as I wrote it, and I’m sticking to it.
Vote early and often on Tuesday.
30 Oct 2010 at 04:42 pm | #
Vic,
What I find interesting with Mr. Crist is his column he states that “Zenyatta deserved to share last year’s award with Rachel Alexandra...” - but Mr. Crist went ahead and voted for Rachel Alexandra.
If he truly believed that both horses should of shared the award last year then why didn’t he either decline to vote like Steve Haskin of Bloodhorse, or split the vote like Richard Eng of the Las Vegas Review Jouranl.
“Actions speak louder than words”.
30 Oct 2010 at 05:31 pm | #
Splitting a vote is fence-sitting to me. The privilege of the vote carries with it the responsibility to cast it. Sometimes it’s tough, but at all times you must choose.
I voted for Zenyatta in 2008 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. But I won’t say that I was right with my choice, just like I can’t say Crist would be wrong with his if he cast it for some other horse but Zenyatta.
The blog item, and the blog item I wrote four weeks ago, are about what will happen when a vote is taken; I’m reading the tea leaves. I think the voters will give the title to Zenyatta no matter which horse wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic. She’s won all her starts, all graded stakes, and there’s enough interest out there to right the wrong that some people believed happened this January.
31 Oct 2010 at 08:23 am | #
Vic,
So horse of the YEAR is now horse of a CAREER?
HOTY is now a makeup call?
HOTY is now a popularity contest?
HOTY can be anything, a claimer, a pony or maybe Mr. Ed?
HOTY has become a vote standing by party lines?
HOTY is now just an OPINION by STUBBORN TURF WRITERS denying horseracing FANS a CHAMPIONSHIP decided on the racetrack!
The polls haven’t closed yet so why are we posting the results before the ultimate DEBATE, the BREEDERS CUP!
31 Oct 2010 at 10:16 am | #
Personal Ensign, read my lips. The BC Classic is a non-factor for Horse of the Year this year. The majority of Eclipse Award winners have made up their minds already.
31 Oct 2010 at 11:17 am | #
Vic,
How about TIME FOR CHANGE!
Let’s not have our SUPER BOWL of horse racing the BREEDERS CUP turn into an allstar game exhibition.
With all the chips on the line I want my HOTY to show up against the best and win it on the PLAYING FIELD!
That did not happen last year, so take the vote out of human hands and let the horses decide the outcome between the rails.
That’s CHANGE I CAN BELIEVE IN!
01 Nov 2010 at 05:01 am | #
Vic,
I hope you’re wrong about the majority of voters having already decided.
That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. I have not decided, and won’t until sometime after Saturday’s race.
The notion people make up their mind without all the facts is depressing, although that seems to be the way America works these days.
01 Nov 2010 at 01:38 pm | #
Amen Vic Zast. I stand by your words and agree wholeheartedly. I do believe the award will go to her whatever the outcome of the BCC will be.
People forget she is six years old and has raced long enough to break Cigar and Citaitions record, she has surpasses the great “Eclipse” himself, Damn, how many horses have ever done that, I ask you? I dont care what surface her hooves were planted on when she won and ran her races , the fact is she won them all. HOw many horses have brought the attention to this dying sport other than Zenyatta. I dont recall seeing Blame, QR, LAL, on “60 Minutes” or “O” Powerlist, and in “W” magazine plus Sports Illustrated this year other than Zenyatta.
Yeah, I agree with you, Vic, its hers. Also, how many other filies/mares are game enought to take these boys on??? Last I looked, she is the only filly entered…
01 Nov 2010 at 03:05 pm | #
Personal Ensign, I don’t recall anyone having a fit that RA wasnt running in the BCC last year? Why didnt she have to participate in it like Zenyatta has done and is doing this year and every year. Why is it the BCC is suppose to be the end all this year, but wasnt last year? Makes no sense right? I agree with Vic, It won’t be a factore this year either.
MOst voters have already make their minds up.
03 Nov 2010 at 08:45 am | #
This is a little like two years ago when Horse of the Year Curlin was excused for finishing fourth in the BC Classic. Voters rationalized that he simply shouldn’t have been asked to run on the synthetic, a surface he didn’t favor.
Zenyatta is stepping out of her comfort zone, too. She’s daring to try the boys when, in fact, her conventional choice would have been the Ladies Classic. Why should anyone require a mare to beat males in order to be HOTY?
All that aside, the voters have made up their minds already. People vote with their hearts. Zenyatta has everyone’s.