[QUOTE=mem;4487050]
Regarding HOTY- has it ever been given to a horse that didn’t race at a “classic” distance (as in 10 Furlongs)?[/QUOTE]
Secretariat as a two year old.
You don’t have to run in the BC to be horse of the year. Mineshaft.
I’m relieved that Zenyatta and RA haven’t met, and won’t. We don’t need to know who’s better. We know we have two pieces of greatness. I don’t need to see one of them fail in order to be happier for the other.
Love them both. What a race.
I want Zenyatta to win HOTY because
[LIST=1]
[QUOTE=haligator;4486747]
Hi All,
There is no doubt in my mind that Zenyatta will be HOTY. Written in the stars for RA? Maybe until today…then the Gods waved their hands over the sky and changed the history of horse racing.
Zenyatta beat the best colts, geldings, and horses the world had to offer this evening. Her run was pure magic, a bit of lyrical poetry that left us mere mortals gasping for air and wondering if we will ever see such a performance again.
When push comes to shove, RA skipped the Travers that had a tough, tough field and ran instead in another stakes. Zenyatta didn’t back down from one of the finest fields ever assembled for the Breeders Cup Classic - she and her team went full speed ahead. Kudos to all of them for sticking to the plan and letting the world see what a real horse can do.
There are just a handful of races through the years that have showcased such class. Off the top of my head I’d have to include Secretariat’s Belmont, Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer in the Preakness, Affirmed and Seattle Slew engaging in a speed duel while Exceller soared past to victory, Genuine Risk taking the Derby, John Henry vs. The Bart, and several of Ta Wee’s, Forego’s, Dr. Fager’s, and a few other game horses’ great days.
But, I think all pales while watching and re-watching Zenyatta and Mike Smith get the job done today against all odds.
I am thankful that I’ve lived long enough to see the miracle that was shared with us today. I think RA is a wonderful horse - however, the tide has turned.
God Bless Zenyatta!
And, I hope Quality Road comes back A-Okay. I’ve been a huge fan of his and my deepest regrets to D, C, and E who have been a big part of his life. I know today was rough for them.
Hallie I. McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC[/QUOTE]
Rachel Alexandra will be horse of the year. Most of the people who vote are located on the east coast. I know a lot of people in racing that have said so even after Zenyatta’s win yesterday, including west coasters. Rachel Alexandra accomplished more this year in a little bit more stunning fashion. I also think the key factor is Summer Bird. When you look at it from an unbiased point of view, Rachel beat Summer Bird a lot more impressively than Zenyatta did since Summer Bird didn’t even like the synthetic surface. Also, a lot of colts in the Classic didn’t fire. Gio Ponti is not nearly as good on the synthetics as he is on the turf, and he somehow managed to get second, only because horses like Einstein, Rip Van Winkle, and Summer Bird didn’t fire their best shots.
You say that RA skipped the Travers that had a tougher
field. I beg to differ. I know that Jerry Bailey said that, but I don’t agree with him at all. RA had already beaten the winner of the Travers by 6 lengths in the Haskell. Did we just want to see her crush him again in the Travers, or did we want her to face new comers? After all, Rachel crushed Summer Bird much more than Zenyatta did, and Summer Bird “didn’t like the synthetics”. I gave more than enough proof to substantiate that claim in an early post.
Rachel took the harder route in facing an up and coming very nice older horse in Macho Again and a field of older horses. She had never faced these horses. Since Rachel had already conquered the best three year olds, she tried something new. There is a reason why very few three year olds have ever won the Woodward, and no three year old filly until the great Rachel. Not even Secretariat could win the Woodward facing older as a three year old. And she won on a surface she didn’t like after setting fast fractions when horse after horse came after her in the early stages of the race. She never got a breather and she turned back all their challenges. Macho Again had the perfect setup, and he still couldn’t get to her. No horse has ever passed Rachel on the gallop out. She always fights back.
But people only see what they want to see. I could never compare Zenyatta’s performance in the BC Classic to Secretariat’s Belmont. She didn’t break a record by two seconds that has stood the test of time. She didn’t win by 31 lengths. It was an amazing performance, but Zenyatta didn’t run like that. It didn’t give me the same feeling as that 1973 Belmont. Nothing ever has. Zenyatta should have won the Classic under the circumstances. She had the perfect set up and some of the best horses didn’t fire. Rachel shouldn’t have won the Woodward under the circumstances, but she did.
Before some of you all say that Zenyatta is better than Rachel, I think that you need to wait and see what Rachel does as a four year old. Zenyatta’s career is finished. Rachel’s is only beginning. A lot of times, horses improve as they grow older. Rachel is only three, and, hopefully, she will be running in the Classic next year at her home track at Churchill Downs. And I dare say that Rachel has had the most impressive three year old campaign of any dirt horse in the history of the American sport overall. Let’s see what she does next year and if she can continue her amazing run of breaking records of all kinds, including stakes records and margins of victory records. Albeit great, Zenyatta has never been able to do those kinds of things.
[QUOTE=Horseforthecourse;4487353]
Secretariat as a two year old.
You don’t have to run in the BC to be horse of the year. Mineshaft.[/QUOTE]
Along with Mineshaft, other recent Classic non-runners that were HOY include Point Given, Charismatic, and Favorite Trick (who won the BC juvenile).
I think it is great that all the argument over horse of the year is between 2 GIRLS!
No colts in the running.
I’d give it to Zenyatta, hands down, because she stepped out of her comfort zone in a big way by taking on the best of the best while facing males at 1-1/4 miles. Those horses she just obliterated all spent the second half of this year carefully prepping to peak for this particular race. Rachel’s connections very carefully avoided running her that far, and that’s fine. Hence the Preakness, not the Belmont; the Haskell, not the Traverse; the Woodward, not the JCGC.
As far as the traveling, different surfaces and hard campaign argument, I think Mine That Bird would win that contest (if there were such a thing).
Only ran on their favorite surface? Well, by that reasoning, Sea The Stars and Zarkava would be classified as ‘also rans’. Neither one of them went out of their comfort zones, they each only travelled across the Channel, Zarkava only faced boys once, etc. It doesn’t matter, they both nailed it when they finished their careers by winning the Arc. What’s so different about Zenyatta and the way in which she won the Classic? Plus, she’s held that world beating form two years in a row. How often do we see that?
Rachel Alexandra did great things for American racing this year, but Zenyatta took the world wide stage yesterday, a day purposely designed to attract the best of the Euros. She left no doubt in anyone’s mind who was much the best horse. IMHO, her finishing move easily rivaled the way Sea The Stars won the Arc. And after the beating we’ve been taking from the Euros the last two years, we needed that. Of course, even if she hadn’t been in the race, Gio Ponti had it covered.
As far as who they beat, the best 3-YO male has to be Summer Bird. Gio Ponti rivaled Rachel to beat Summer Bird. Zenyatta beat both Gio Ponti and Summer Bird. And she did it easily after a horrendous trip where nothing went her way.
So, we’re down to the fact that Rachel raced more often than Zenyatta this year. Rachel wins this point. Is that what HOTY comes down to?
Totally off the subject, we FINALLY got to see Zenyatta’s massive butt go stride for stride around the first turn next to little Mine That Bird. I love that little horse :). Is there an eclipse for ‘win or lose, everyone’s favorite’?
HOTY is not- or should not be, anyway- conferred based on one race. Zenyatta’s performance yesterday was absolutely remarkable and will certainly be lighting up history books and memories for many years to come, but I really think that all it did was make a case against her for HOTY. Before you get out the torches and pitchforks, hear me out.
I think she demonstrated that she is capable of much, much more than what we’ve seen from her. Other than the Classic, she was put in races that were, for the most part, cake walks for her; and had the BC not been at SA, I’m not sure she would have been entered in the Classic anyway. I like the Moss’s and Sherrifs; they seem to be good horse people who genuinely care about their animals and take great pride in their accomplishments; but the Moss’s are also pretty conservative owners, and I think they sabotaged Zenyatta’s HOTY chances by following the same path to the cup they did last year. She demonstrated that she could have been out there trouncing the boys all year, and she was not.
RA was. She had a very ambitious campaign, and she met every challenge with gusto. I say not only does RA deserve HOTY, JJ deserves OOTY for sending her out there the way he did. If Zenyatta wins, it will be based on sentiment, not accomplishments in this years races.
Personal Ensign never got HOTY nods either, and she is undisputedly one of the greats of all time. Now if they would come up with a new award- Horse of the last TWO years- that would be fitting.
As for pipe dreams- it sure would be great if they sent her to Dubai. She does like a synthetic track, has shown she can go 1 1/4, and has shown her heels to the best boys in the world already. THAT would be an epic end to an epic career. 
Any horse that wins $3.3 million in one year is not earning it from cake walks. LOL. Zenyatta earned more this year than RA has earned in her lifetime.
I liked RA early in the year, but she did not prove what Zenyatta proved in the BC Classic. The Woodward – Against a less than stellar group of colts, RA carried 118 pounds compared to 7 boys who all carried 126 pounds. As someone suggested earlier, if RA was meeting every challenge, she would have been at the Travers and not the Woodward. Why the Preakness over the Belmont? Shorter distance? Knowing that many of the boys would not tackle the Preakness because of the turnaround time after the Derby?
To compare a win in the Woodward to the Breeders Cup Classic is folly. This year’s Derby winner and this year’s Belmont winner were both entered in the BC Classic. Where was this year’s Preakness winner? Meeting challenges?
RA won the Woodward against a total field of 8 going 1-1/8 miles while having an 8-pound an advantage and winning $450,000 for her efforts.
Zenyatta won the BC Classic against a total field of 12 going 1-1/4 miles and only a 3-pound advantage over the highest weight of 126# and winning $2,700,000 for her efforts. Five of these boys were carrying 1# less than Zenyatta, including Belmont winner Summer Bird and Derby winner Mine That Bird.
Quite a debate going on. My vote, if I had one, would definitely go to Zenyatta, but I could see the case for dual HOTY. I think I’ve read that’s been done before.
However, sorry but I can’t resist a comment here,
Quote: And I dare say that Rachel has had the most impressive three year old campaign of any dirt horse in the history of the American sport overall. End Quote.
That’s getting into ground that it is truly impossible to measure. Too many variables across history. At least Zenyatta and RA are both racing now and have no time lapse in comparison. If we’re going to widen it to 3yos in all American racing history, though, I can think of plenty who would give Rachel very stiff competition for that imaginary most impressive 3-year-old season ever title. My personal favorite for that title would have to be Man o’ War. Undefeated 3yo season. Set multiple track, American, and world records. Carried up to 138 pounds, giving his rivals up to 32. Defeated the older Triple Crown winner, albeit when Sir Barton wasn’t in form. Won a race by 100 lengths. Won a race while suffering a tendon injury on a deep and cuppy track. Season spanned multiple tracks and even another country at a time when travel was not done on planes and the quick, easy methods of today.
My second favorite would be Count Fleet, undefeated 3yo season. Won TC by a cumulative 3-race margin that EQUALED that of Secretariat’s TC margin. Inserted Withers in the middle of the TC campaign and won that, too, for good measure. Won Belmont by 25 lengths on a track that was absolutely horrible due to wartime gas rationing and consequently limited maintenance. Won that Belmont by 25 lengths while sustaining a career-ending injury, which Hertz always blamed on the wartime track maintenance restrictions. Won said Belmont by 25 lengths when his jockey had tried to pull him up after he was injured. As my personal opinion, I have always thought that those factors in his Belmont certainly cost him at least 1 length (which would break the tie with Secretariat for greatest cumulative TC margin) and probably cost him 6 1/2 or more (thus breaking Secretariat’s Belmont winning margin record).
I’m sure lots of others could come up many remarkably impressive candidates, and everybody has their personal favorites. Lots of great ones throughout history. :yes:
This year, unquestionably the best American dirt horses are RA and Zenyatta. Seeing who wins the vote will be interesting, and that isn’t up to us on COTH. Sure is fun to talk about them here, though.
I’m torn between the two fillies, and can justify both of them being HOTY. My heart, my sentimental side, is with Zenyatta. 
I will say I watched this race at home with my groggy 3yro son next to me. He had just gotten up from his nap and was leaning against me as I loosely explained the race (he was most fascinated with the starting gate and the tractor :sigh: ). But when Zenyatta launched her move, I couldn’t contain myself–I yelped and cheered and hooted, and my son said, “Mommy, you’re scaring me!” When I explained I couldn’t help it, I was so happy the horse I liked won I had to cheer, he seemed to accept that explanation and grinned while my tears of joy formed.
An amazing, amazing race.
There are some 2 yr old fillies out there who could if given the chance, become the first distaff Triple Crown Winner.
I look forward to the day when there are 5 or 6 filles in each of the TC races and all the stakes races. The rule, not the exception.
3 cheers to the ladies!!! I can’t possibly put one above the other because they are both awesome. What a great year in horse racing!
I think both trainers did an excellent job spotting their horses. Asmussen was agressive early, but clearly wasn’t thinking ahead to a fall campaign, or he wouldn’t have run RA in the Mother Goose (which proved little). He ran RA at a better distance for her in the Woodward against a weak bunch of older horses instead of trying a mile and a quarter against a tougher field in the Travers. Nothing wrong with that; he’s placing her in the spot where he thinks he has the most likely chance of winning. Then he says she’s done for the year; she’s had a hard campaign. True enough. He’s takes a bit of a gamble that if Zenyatta wins big in the BC classic he could lose HOY, but he takes his chances. He has convinced the media that HOY is wrapped up.
Shirreff’s keeps Zenyatta in California, which also makes sense since the BC is there. How many times to you see a California based horse shipping east in the fall when the BC is back home (or vice versa)? It doesn’t make sense to do this (the only example that comes to mind is Cigar running in the Pac Classic when the BC was at Woodbine. He lost both races, although was still HOY).
So basically, Asmussen took a chance by skipping Championship day, and he lost. Zenyatta is HOY; what she did yesterday eclipses RA’s amazing year. Too bad these great fillies didn’t get a chance to meet.
From “The Canadian Press”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jv3jgQ4xc6g6vBM5jCINmEjQ-sYA
"Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird was beaten by Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell Invitational and by Zenyatta in the Classic. His trainer, Tim Ice, was critical of Rachel’s absence Saturday at Santa Anita.“Each sport has their championship game,” he said. “If you don’t compete in the championship game, then you shouldn’t be a champion. This is the highlight of the year as far as all the great horses coming together. This should name Horse of the Year.”
[QUOTE=Nikki^;4487401]
I want Zenyatta to win HOTY because
[LIST=1]
Anyone who claims to know who would win if the two fantastic females met up is full of baloney. You don’t KNOW who is going to be the winner of any race before its run, that’s why they run them. I don’t think either of these horses had to give their all in any of the races they ran so we have no idea what they are really capable of.
The Day After
Great article on Zenyatta from today!
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Zenyatta looked bright and alert Sunday morning here at Hollywood Park, one day after her popular victory in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic across town at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting.
“It’s like she’s saying, ‘Want to run again? Let’s do it,’” said her trainer, John Shirreffs.
The Classic likely was her last race, though. Jerry Moss, who owns Zenyatta with his wife, Ann, alluded to that during a postrace news conference Saturday night.
“Where else do you go?” Shirreffs said Sunday. “14-for-14, and top it off with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. On the biggest stage in the world, she performs. Isn’t it amazing that a horse with her running style is 14-for-14? She’s always stepped up.”
Zenyatta, 5, returned to her base at Hollywood Park on Saturday night a few hours after her last-to-first rush in the Classic. Sunday morning, Zenyatta walked the shed row with groom Mario Espinoza for one hour, then was taken outside to graze on a small patch of grass adjacent to Shirreffs’ barn.
“She’s not tired,” Shirreffs said. “I’m pretty numb. It was an emotional roller coaster. Adrenaline can carry you a long time.”
Shirreffs said Zenyatta would remain at his barn for several weeks before going to Kentucky to be bred.
“She needs to be let down,” he said. Her sweet disposition would make her “a great mother.”
“But I feel sorry for the foal,” he said. “How’s he going to keep up with her?”
No decision has been made as to which stallion Zenyatta will be bred.
Shirreffs said Zenyatta’s retirement is more than a big hole in his barn. “It’s a big hole for racing, not just my barn,” he said. “You saw the crowd.”
Indeed, the crowd was squarely behind Zenyatta even before the race, but especially so after witnessing her dramatic rally under jockey Mike Smith.
“She plays to the crowd, and she just loves winning,” Shirreffs said. "She walks with her neck out, stretches. Wasn’t that crowd amazing? In so many different situations: when she came into the paddock, when she came out of the tunnel. Mike stopped her at the three-sixteenths pole during the post parade, and I could hear the people yelling down there.
“There are so many people that really love her and celebrate her,” he said. “It was just an exciting moment. I’m just glad I was Zenyatta’s trainer.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/breederscup09/news/story?id=4635605
How does one top that! I wonder if she will miss the excitment of the track and settle in quietly somewhere to have a nice foal…Who to breed her to…?
Most great mares never reproduce themsleves., She would make a great eventer no? heehee…She has done her due and her connections have the utmost respect for her…
It’s Horse of the YEAR. Not Horse of the Breeder’s Cup Classic.
The Classic is what, 26 years old?
The Woodward was around in 1954 (not sure if that is the first year for it), RA was the first filly to win it. That is a 55 year old race.
The Preakness has been held since 1873. RA is the first filly to have won since 1924, and the only horse to have ever won from the farthest outside post.
The Haskell is 41 years old and has only been won by 2 fillies, one of which is RA.
And those are just three of her eight races this year, to Zenyatta’s five.
Just saying.
