Zenyatta

[Left Bank]

I'm waiting for Shirreffs and Moss to say she lost because the crowd was too loud.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

I'm waiting for Shirreffs and Moss to say she lost because the crowd was too loud.

bah, that's not a good excuse. look at the tens of thousands who were brought to the track because of her in her other starts. easily some of the largest crowd ever in california-she's used to a lot of crowd noise.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Danzig

bah, that's not a good excuse. look at the tens of thousands who were brought to the track because of her in her other starts. easily some of the largest crowd ever in california-she's used to a lot of crowd noise.

Back in the 80s, I remember 50-60k in attendance, for non BC days.

[mark2061mn]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

I'm waiting for Shirreffs and Moss to say she lost because the crowd was too loud.

Smith already said it.

Smith needed a few strides to swing Zenyatta to the outside. Smith was able to get Zenyatta out and into the clear at the three-sixteenths pole. But he said the roar from the 72,739 - the majority of whom wanted to see Zenyatta win - distracted her briefly.

"The crowd was roaring so hard she kind of pricked her ears and looked over at them", Smith said

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by mark2061mn

Smith already said it.

Smith needed a few strides to swing Zenyatta to the outside. Smith was able to get Zenyatta out and into the clear at the three-sixteenths pole. But he said the roar from the 72,739 - the majority of whom wanted to see Zenyatta win - distracted her briefly.

"The crowd was roaring so hard she kind of pricked her ears and looked over at them", Smith said

And the rest of the field were deaf?

They need to come up with a better one than that. How about a bit of credit to the winner from the connections?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Back in the 80s, I remember 50-60k in attendance, for non BC days.

yeah, i remember those days. it would be nice to see that happen again. cali racing has been going south for a few years. between the workers comp rules, owners bailing, trainers of course leaving...others not shipping in-it's been a real mess. hopefully the return to dirt will help-already some trainers who wouldn't go west the past couple years are announcing their return.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

And the rest of the field were deaf?

They need to come up with a better one than that. How about a bit of credit to the winner from the connections?

she obviously has remarkably keen hearing compared to the other horses. they had cotton in there, mrs moss was shushing everyone. too bad fans did something unusual and showed their appreciation by being loud. the nerve.
yeah, it's the fans fault she lost.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by The Bid

They campainged her like a Champion. No owners would bring a mare like that back and risk that unblemished record. .

An unbeaten record can just mean you haven't gone against tougher competition, like (forgive me) Peppers Pride. An unbeaten record does not determine greatness; winning top-class races against the best competition available determines greatness. Sometimes top horses end up with long unbeaten streaks, but streaks in and of themselves are not of any special value.

Champions seek out the best competition; only that can validate a championship. If Ribot had stuck around in Italy beating other Italians, he wouldn't have been considered an all-time great. But instead, he went to England, won the KGVI&QE, went to France twice and won two Arcs. THAT is why he is a legend.

[The Bid]

She had already beaten the boys on the grandest stage. She had nothing left to prove. They brought her back for the betterment of the game, for her rabid fan base, for their egos, and because they really understand how rare it is to see a horse of this magnitude campaigned into their 6 year old season. Something many of you do not understand. An all time great

Her wonderfully planned campaign culminated in the most electric breeders cup ever seen. I would think any common racing fan could understand that

We are very lucky Mr and Mrs Moss were the owners. I cannot think of any other owner who would have continued on with her after they win the first Classic. Sheriffs, what a marvelous job hes done throughout her life. Instead of knocking these people you guys should commend the effort of a champion, and thank the people who let the world share in such a special animal.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by The Bid

She had already beaten the boys on the grandest stage. She had nothing left to prove. They brought her back for the betterment of the game, for her rabid fan base, for their egos, and because they really understand how rare it is to see a horse of this magnitude campaigned into their 6 year old season. Something many of you do not understand. An all time great

Her wonderfully planned campaign culminated in the most electric breeders cup ever seen. I would think any common racing fan could understand that

We are very lucky Mr and Mrs Moss were the owners. I cannot think of any other owner who would have continued on with her after they win the first Classic. Sheriffs, what a marvelous job hes done throughout her life. Instead of knocking these people you guys should commend the effort of a champion, and thank the people who let the world share in such a special animal.

Wow, congratulations.

In one post, you've both posted the single dumbest post in DT history and are now also the most idiotic poster in DT history.

Well done.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by The Bid

She had already beaten the boys on the grandest stage. She had nothing left to prove. They brought her back for the betterment of the game, for her rabid fan base, for their egos, and because they really understand how rare it is to see a horse of this magnitude campaigned into their 6 year old season. Something many of you do not understand. An all time great

Her wonderfully planned campaigned culminated in the most electric breeders cup ever seen. I would think any common racing fan could understand that

She never beat a good field on the dirt. Her wonderfully planned campaign is going to result in her losing the horse of the year despite the entire industry bending over backwards and ignoring the ridiclously poor fillys she has been beating.

The only thing that was most electric about this BC was the need for electric heaters.

It was an exciting race though I would not say it was as good as Wild Again's Classic or Alysheba/Ferdinand or Sunday Silence/Easy Goer

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

She never beat a good field on the dirt. Her wonderfully planned campaign is going to result in her losing the horse of the year despite the entire industry bending over backwards and ignoring the ridiclously poor fillys she has been beating.

The only thing that was most electric about this BC was the need for electric heaters.

It was an exciting race though I would not say it was as good as Wild Again's Classic or Alysheba/Ferdinand or Sunday Silence/Easy Goer

I thought he was talking about Goldikova.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

I thought he was talking about Goldikova.

He may think she isn't that good because she competes on an inferior surface

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by The Bid

She had already beaten the boys on the grandest stage. She had nothing left to prove. They brought her back for the betterment of the game, for her rabid fan base, for their egos, and because they really understand how rare it is to see a horse of this magnitude campaigned into their 6 year old season. Something many of you do not understand. An all time great

Her wonderfully planned campaign culminated in the most electric breeders cup ever seen. I would think any common racing fan could understand that

We are very lucky Mr and Mrs Moss were the owners. I cannot think of any other owner who would have continued on with her after they win the first Classic. Sheriffs, what a marvelous job hes done throughout her life. Instead of knocking these people you guys should commend the effort of a champion, and thank the people who let the world share in such a special animal.

Couldn't agree more. Many around me had Blame as their bets but with Zenyatta closing they too jumped on the Zen Love Bus ( me included) and tried cheering her home. Something I have never seen before and may never again.

BTW Some of the ladies dressed up in crazy Zenyatta fan wear could have stayed home as I never saw one in a betting line. Just taking up space. At least they weren't drinkers as a rule.

[Pedigree Ann]

'Bid, how long have you been watching racing? This was 'a wonderful campaign'! My God, it reminded me of the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals. You have to make it close for the fans, but you always knew who was going to win. And she didn't even carry a decent weight all year against the overmatched fields she faced.

I remember when Ta Wee carried 142 lbs to win the 1970 Interborough H, conceding 29 lbs to the second horse and 30 lbs to the third horse; she was a sprinter for the ages. So Zenyatta won the Vanity under 129 the last 2 year. Cascapedia won the Vanity under 129, and she had to give weight to major runners Bastonera and Swingtime. Silver Spoon, who won the Santa Anita Derby at 3, won both the Vanity and Santa Margarita under 130 lbs. Gallant Bloom, an undefeated 8-for-8 champion at 3, won the Santa Margarita under 129. Then these mares were asked to carry even MORE weight in subsequent races and they lost. Zenyatta's folks put in her level weight races instead, more Harlem Globetrotter stuff.

Of course, the racing secretaries deserve some brickbats here, for failing to weight this horse as she had proved she deserved. If they had, she would have had to race against males to get weight relief. You do realize that Blame was carrying 3 MORE lbs than Zenyatta, right?

[The Bid]

I think it was pretty obvious she was best in there Cannon. As somebody that spends day after day watching horses, do you dispute she was the best horse in there? That CHD had an electricity around it that cannot be found on Derby day? That she brought a dying game a glimmer of light.

For me it was the Greatest Breeders cup. It was a culmination of a great career, and for any fan it should have been a pleasure to have been there to see it. To see her actually make it back to this race was epic. She put on a show for all the people who are so happy she lost. For all the contrarians who don't understand greatness. Ran her heart out, towed a 126lb potato sack around, and made all of our hearts skip a beat.

[The Bid]

Ann I have watched more racing on a long holiday weekend than you have in your life. I don't nose around in pedigrees of days past. If you are foolish enough to not recognize this mare for what she is, thats your loss.

My idea of a great campaign is pointing to a race, getting there, and still having your unblemished record intact. After winning the Breeders cup against the boys last year, you were lucky to see her back at all. Whether she raced once, twice, whats the difference. SHe showed up where they said, she ran how she was supposed to run, like a champ.

Ann they havent been handicapping races like that since trains brought horses to the track and rockingham had a dining room.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I think the time of the race is very misleading because every day at Churchill the track slows down over the course of the day. I don't know if it was like that in past years but I've noticed that consistently this year.

You can't seriously believe this, right?

How do you explain the Chilukki (3rd race, 1:30 PM) vs the Dirt Mile (9th race, 5:30 PM), then? Both were run with an honest but reasonable pace, with horses who attended the pace and closers both hitting the board. The projected spread between the races would be about 15 Beyer points, and it ended up being 1.38 seconds... or 14 Beyer points. By your logic, it should have been ~2.5 seconds or 25-30 points. Not really believable.

Newsflash: Trainers make up a lot of bullsh!t.

[Dahoss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZmDWltBziM