The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Mo-Z — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:16:20 GMT

I only caught Z's 19th race and we were hooked. Wish I would have seen them all. Vic Stauffer said it best-if there were 10 more horses in front of her, she'd pass them also!! Mike Smith said it BEST HORSE EVER!! Ann Moss also said it best-a gift frm up above> Will never be another one like her. Long Live the GREAT Zenyatta!!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

just me — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:48:11 GMT

Great article. I have been a huge fan of hers since she won the Apple Blossom in 2008 and I do understand where you are coming from. I, too, would have loved to have seen her run in a wider variety of races. I had hoped that this year she would run in the Stephen Foster or the Whitney. Or as you said one of the 1 1/4 mile open races on the west coast. Alas, the fact that she didn't does not make her less talented or amazing. I can't fault John Shirreffs or the Mosses, after all, they kept her running for three full seasons, healthy and sound. They gave the fans unprecedented access and shared her with all of us.

At this point I don't really care about the HOY award. I find it astonishing that racing would snub her for three years running. That is racings short-sighted loss, and yes, it has diminished my respect for many of the leading analyst who are only impressed if horses run all out every time, and have spent three years trashing her. (Oh, by the way, they have given Blame some of that treatment too, relentlessly preferring Quality Road all year). But for all the fans, we have unbelievable memories from races big and not so big. I personally feel blessed to have seen her three times with the win in last year's Classic as the pinnacle. I'll miss her. I dare say racing will miss her.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

mike williams — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:04:13 GMT

There is nothing as exciting or heart stopping as a dedicated closes getting up in the nick of time to win a race.Zenyatta like Forego was on of them.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Michelle — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:44:17 GMT

The only "tragedy" is that many people did not discover Zenyatta until the end. I have watched her since her second race and was NEVER disappointed. She was thrilling to watch. I knew when she blew by Ginger Punch in only her 4th start that she was truly special. I always knew how great she was. I am thankful that she was carefully managed and not run into the ground like so many others. Yeah maybe 1 or 2 other races against males would have been nice but she has conservative connections who put her health first and foremost. I admire that. No tragedy in this horse racing fan's eyes.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Dominic Campisi — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:53:21 GMT

Wow I can't believe how much Zenyatta's loss has generated. I was thinking the whole time what it was going to be like for her after she won. I respect what you and your magazine does and was so honored that you were going to print my letter before the race. I think the sport has a major problem. Almost reminds me of the Civil War north Vs south. I could only think that the people on your staff really know racing and horses. We all know Zenyatta especially has created so much interest it's helped rejuvenate the sport a little bit. I just can't see after that race and the attention and excitement she brought to the sport how anybody could put her down. Going back in history I don't know of any horse who could have made up that much ground in that stretch drive like she did. I had told my relatives friends that what happened Saturday might happen to her if she gets caught behind the horses and can't make her move at the right time. There was more speed out there and things need to go right. Well, we all know now everything went totally wrong from the opening of the gate. What gets me is that I consider myself a sports fan not so much as a horse racing fan and when I see all these comments from these horse racing fans I just shake my head. First I would think it would be just a great pleasure to have seen her run. We all know if we know anything about sports to win nineteen straight races is amazing let alone the things you must know could go wrong on any given day out on the track. We also know Zenyatta's style makes it even more amazing she did what she did. But heres the point I would like to make that I don't understand. If you watched the race and saw exactly what happened how could you not just be amazed by this mare. I have watched the race over fifty times now in slow motion and regular speed. What are all your people and the other people across America not seeing if they watch the race? Blame has a perfect trip goes between two horses and is going down the stretch drive has fast has he can go. Zenyatta is caught on the turn looses time to go outside then has to make a sideways move to the outside that looses more time so she can run. At the same time Blame is blazing as fast as he can go down the stretch and Zenyatta still catches up to him but looses by one more stride that she needed. What am I not seeing that all these fans are. What race did they see? It's on film. It can't change. She started to late because of what she was dealing with. Blame had the perfect trip. Racing fans that have been around the sport and your people can't remember what they saw. Blame's owner in complete denial. He needs to ask his jockey what the out come would have been. His jockey saved the race for him but not if they had a little more room. It wouldn't have mattered. The bias courier says today in editorial maybe she would have passed blame we don't know. WATCH THE RACE A COUPLE OF TIMES THEN YOU'LL KNOW. How can they knock Zenyatta after the way she came back in that race? Blame won but Zenyatta's race was priceless. She ran down Blame why doesn't anybody see this? Are the people back there so against the West no matter what race they saw? Does horse of the year mean that much to your readers and staff. Blame lost a race badly before this one. He beat Zenyatta in this one but he had a perfect trip and Zenyatta still ran him down from way back against all odds and made the race great and historic. That counts for nothing. It's point blank she lost. It's not how she lost or how exciting she made the race none of this matters. What really cracks me up is everybody forgets Zenyatta is a filly she's not supposed to be able to track down a male who has speed but she did. I wish Garret Gomez could really say what was happening and put this all to rest. This is so hard for me when all you have to do is watch the race. Give the mare credit for an all out effort. It's not always about winning. It's about seeing that crowd again excited and her dancing for them and the anticipation to see if she could do it. That stretch drive after what seemed like no chance at all to almost win means nothing. If Blame turned it on like he did and blew her away I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this. But she gave horse racing something memorable along with a shot in the arm it needed. Even Andrew Beyers can't even give her the credit she's due because she has made him look so bad the last two years. He was praying to God she wouldn't make it. He probably be out of a job right now. But all these horse racing lively hood people giving up on her. Jumping on the band wagon. This is there living and I say to myself what race did you watch. What did you see? Film can't lie. Hancock should be kissing Churchill Downs dirt track for the gift God gave him that day. We all have different opinions but film always has the same results. The Magruder film still shows JFK getting shot. The 911 film shows the planes hitting the towers. The Belmont shows Secretariat running away. Why does the horse industry bite the hand that feeds them? PLEASE TELL EVERYBODY TO WATCH THE RACE ON FILM it could be something they will never forget. Zenyatta's not horse of the year. She's a horse to be historically remembered forever.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

ZENYATTA'S AN INSPIRATION! — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:29:11 GMT

All that energy Zenyatta put out in her dancing show for her adoring fans and still win 19 races in a row including the Breeder's Cup last year is increadible! Had she just walked calmly to the starting gate like the others she would have easily won! But she knew her adoring fans wanted to see her dance. She is more than a race horse, she is an inspiration, an entertainer, a personality, a phenomenon, a once in a lifetime experience. She most definately is HOTY if not Horse of the Century! Thank you and we love you Zenyatta, Mike Smith and the whole Zenyatta team!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

trackgirl — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:32:11 GMT

Even in one defeat...Go Zenyatta- 2010 Horse Of The Year!!!!! The HOTY is SUPPOSSED to be determind on the ENTIRE performance of horse for that year. Rachel Alexandria won it 2009 deservingly. Zenyatta deserves it this year 2010! The Breeders Cup Classic is about the best for the older horses. Zenyatta done did that, and in my book, proved that. My uncle got out of horse racing because of a similiar event, feeling cheated. I think Zenyatta, her owners and connections, would be CHEATED! if she did not get HOTY!!!!!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

trackgirl — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:24:46 GMT

I do believe, regardless of the upset in the BCC, that even though Blame is believed to be a nice horse, Zenyatta SHOWED herself to be a really nice horse! That stretch drive was amazing. I was so excited seeing her coming home that until the wire, I thought she was going to get it! I know Z was trained beyond the wire, I just hope she wasn't confused. Beautiful mare, positively talented, and very deserving to be Horse Of The Year!!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Horse Pics — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:42:10 GMT

Blame got really lucky. One more stride - maybe two at the most - and the result would have been different.

Zenyatta didn't finish down the track. Blame wasn't running away from Zenyatta, or keeping her at bay. Zenyatta was coming like an freight train. Blame was all out in a desperate bid to get his nose home. And the wire came just in time.

This is a mare with a stride measured a foot longer than that of Secretariat.

Zenyatta likely raced more in California, in part, because those there showed that they APPRECIATED her.

She's shown up with her "A" game each and every time she's gone to the gate.

Because she happened to have had traffic problems in the 2010 Classic (who'd have guessed that Quality Road would back up then and there?) and missed by such a slim margin, she again gets pegged as less than what she is?

There have been a ton of reasons given for denying this great horse HOTY honors. Synthetic specialist (even though she's proven multiple times that she can run on dirt). Didn't race enough outside of California. Didn't have to use those "extra gears" to win? Doesn't mean that they weren't there all along.

Zenyatta beat horses (including mares) that beat last year's HOTY. That HOTY got credit for beating the best of the boys - yet Zenyatta didn't get any respect in winning last year's Classic - and beating many of those same colts and geldings.

I have no doubt - even had Zenyatta finished first in the 2010 BC Classic - that the same old arguments against her (along with some new ones) would have surfaced.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

LeAnna — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:01:58 GMT

I would like to take a moment to add my two-bits about Zenyatta and HOY.

First of all, I think she is the greatest horse right now in racing. She has done for racing what no other horse has done, and that includes the Triple Crown this year and years past.

For the Breeders Cup Classic, I don't believe she was in her final gear but had a lot more left but just ran out of room. Although, Blame may have beat her, they both had two different trips. Zenyatta out ran many high quality horses in the stretch, who many said would beat her. Yes, she had a lot to overcome but isn't that what make a great race horse? I ask, if the shoe was on the other hoof, could Blame have come from that far back and beat Zenyatta. I don't think so!

I do have a question though. People have said that Zenyatta did not go out and race against the boys until the BCC, so where were they when she was running? Many asked for Rachel and Zenyatta to race each other but only Zenyatta showed up last year at the BCC and the second race out for Zenyatta.

My hat goes off to the Zenyatta team for her lightly raced seasons! They saw what they had in her and chose not to wear and break her down. If more owners would look at that, maybe some of the other greats would still be around.

Another thing that has bothered me is, Zenyatta ran in the BCC last year and won against the boys(great ones at that) but where was Rachel? Nothing against Rachel but if winning the BCC means who will get HOY, why didn't Zenyatta get it last year. I think the racing sport need to get the guidelines staight and stick to it. This makes it fair for all the horses, trainers and owners!

I think Zenyatta has proved what a noble, graceful, has heart and loves to run, so what else does she have to prove? If she doesn't get horse of the year it will break my heart, but then I rememer everything she has done and I feel honored to watch her perform!

If she is retired, I hope she has offsprings that set the racing world on fire!

Good luck in your future Zenyatta and thank-you for bringing the sport back to life!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Zen's Auntie — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:10:54 GMT

I did read it thoroughly Patrick before posting its weighted I get it - this whole G1's not being Grade 1's BS is just ridiculous.

More travel more wins more grade 1s world records... Whatever none of that matters right.

If its a whole male that raced anything it gets preference? Blame is 5th in the TBA calculations not 2nd or 3rd - 5th.

Lets just call the award what it is these days the best stallion prospect of the year award and be done with it.

3 grade 1 wins one by 6 inches another over a shorter distance horse by 6 inches and 1 over an injured horse DOES NOT A HOTY make - its so much nonesense

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Mike Relva — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:54:01 GMT

LAZ

Very,very good points.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

nancya — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:13:09 GMT

I saw the gears - 2009 Breeders Cup Classic when she blew by the field. Blames owners say Blame won HOY by beating Z in the classic? Hmm. Interesting. Both sides of the mouth?

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Mike Relva — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:04:43 GMT

PATRICK

Tell you what,get back to me when you ever see another horse that creates a fan/media sensation like her,ok?

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Zen4Zen — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:01:08 GMT

If Zenyatta had such an easy campaign, whom did Blame beat of any real note besides Quality Road? And how about the number of Grade 1 races Zenyatta won this year, leading her to the pantheon of the most consecutive unrestricted wins for a modern thoroughbred?

It is formulaic and almost capricious to allow Blame's better racing luck and better trip in the Classic to determine Horse of the Year.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

skyfire — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:59:06 GMT

If Zenyatta had finished first I would support her as HOY. Blame won in the race in which Zenyatta, Looking at Lucky, and Quality Road also raced. That is scoreboard: Blame is HOY.

Zenyatta could have wrapped up HOY with prior wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Pacific Classic and Goodwood, I feel those would have easily been victories for her. Sadly her owners put her in against second rate competion that did not build an imposing resume. The Mosses should take a page from the wildensteins on how to design an impressive campaign for a serious mare.. Goldikova was the most impressive horse at the Breeders Cup.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

LAZMANNICK — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:53:07 GMT

What's with the pathetic comment one of the posters stated of not rewarding the mare HOY because of cowardness. Comments like that are as pathetic as the people that write them. Zenyatta contested the BCC two years in a row. The last time I checked she is the only horse that did. Blame was around last year, why wasn't he in it. Of course we all know our defending HOY's connections never had any desire to enter the BCC last year or this. What's cowardly about racing in the Breeders Cup three years in a row? Nothing. Whether she gets HOY is irrevelant. She is the best horse racing in N/A today. With an unimpeeded run she was the winner. Oddly enough, without Quality Road backing up into her path she was a winner.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

zenyatta mondatta — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 01:28:20 GMT

If you want to vote ZEnyatta for HOTY. go to your search bar on your computer and type in 'Zenyatta petition' and you will come to a website that is a online petition ,and once you sign it it goes to the NTRA. Voice your opinion for ZEnyatta, go to the website and sign the petition.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Karen2 — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:48:42 GMT

So...for all you who believe Blame should be HOY....if Zen had beat him by a nose.....would she automatically deserve HOY title? Just curious on your opinions.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Saratoga AJ — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:58:24 GMT

Moss has still not said if She will definitely will be retired now...so how's this this scenario?:

Why not keep her in semi training like last Winter, and let her go out a winner in her last race in the oldest and most historic and famous West Coast race...the "Big Cap"...the first "Hundred Grander"..the Santa Anita Handicap in March. Go out a winner in style, beating the colts in her last race. Go out a winner just like perhaps the most famous West Coast based horse in history, Seabiscuit did when he finally won the Big Cap in his last race in the Spring of 1940.

One warm up start in a filly and mare stakes race, then on to the SA H'Cap for her last hor-rah. I know the California Racing Assoc. would love to see the attendance that March day at Santa Anita. On dirt. And she wins big. Beating the colts in her last race.

How's that for an exclamation on her great resume?

Just like Seabiscuit.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Dakota — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:18:08 GMT

Patrick,

I have to disagree when you say Zenyatta was all-out. It looked to me (and I've been on this mare's bandwagon since the middle of 2008 and I've seen all of her races) that once she got to his hip, she thought she had his measure. On TVG, they showed the wire in slow-motion shutter cam. At the wire, she was half a head back, on the next stride her nose was in front and her ears went straight up. But, whatever. We disagree.

I'm sorry that you felt cheated in some way by her races. She wasn't racing nags. Many of her opponents were stakes winners, graded stakes placed. Not her fault that no one in another state with a Grade 1 winner had the nerve to do what Zenyatta did in just the fourth start of her career: travel to face the reigning Eclipse Award winner. Maybe that's because those owners & trainers knew that they wouldn't have the same result that Zenyatta did.

Her connections made her accessible. Fans could visit, feed her carrots, kiss her nose. Fans cheered for her and turned out in droves to see her run.

She is the best thing that has happened to this sport in years and the best racehorse of either gender in decades. Tragedy? I think not.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Zen's Auntie — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:51:03 GMT

One horse broke 4 world records this year.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Linda Parker-Fedak — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:25:34 GMT

Wow! You just jumped on the Zenyatta bandwagon with the Breeder's Cup race? Where have you been??? I have followed her from day one and let me tell you, that race was NOT her only thrilling race and showing ALL of her "gears"! If you have not done so, see if you can watch video of her past races and THEN tell me about not being impressed with her... As for Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra won last year, and where is she now? No one even talks about her anymore. She has "faded away"... And how is the Horse of the Year picked? If the voters go by wins, heart, bringing horse racing back into the public eye, making millions of people fall in love with her, and her just being great for the sport, then she should win HANDS DOWN!!! We horse lovers have been truly blessed to have had her on the track from first race to last. She was robbed last year. I hope she is rewarded this year! She is like Princess Diana was, the people's princess and the people's horse!

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Patrick — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:14:31 GMT

@Zen's Auntie - Blind Luck isn't HOTY because if ranking were made realistically the races Blind Luck ran in (restricted to 3yo fillies) wouldn't be worth as much as Zenyatta's (restricted to F&M 3 and older) wouldn't be worth as much as blame (3yo and up). There's a link on the TBA homepage about standings, give it a read ;-D

@Karen - Zenyatta's connections weren't concerned w/ respect they were concerned w/ perfection and kept her conservatively placed in races she had very little chance of losing.

@draynay - short and sweet and you can't credit a horse for a win when the horse didn't.

@keeneland cat - Had Zenyatta won I wouldn't have argued about HOTY, but I still would have been upset to have only seen her at her best 1 time.

@Mike - YOu're right i shouldn't even discuss after the wire. Crazy camera angles and all.

@Goodwin - If they don't name her HOTY of the year or if they do name her HOTY no one will care or even notice.

@Zeeman - Exactly.

Really i want to get off the HOTY debate, I don't care, and it doesn't matter. What matters is that the owners were timid, and they cheated fans out of Zenyatta's best 19 times.

re: The Tragedy Of Zenyatta

Abbie Knowles — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:19:58 GMT

A lifetime achievment award for Zenyatta is a fabulous idea. She has given so much to racing, drawn in so many new fans and been good for racing! Her dancing, her kissing of her fans, her exciting come from behind style, those 19 straight wins. Has any other horse been on 60m minutes or the Ophrah Winney show or been voted amongst the 10 most powerful women? I think not!

Zenyatta has never been given a HOTY award which won't bother her but she should be given recognition and so should Team Zenyatta. They have always looked after her, put her first and yet graciously shared her with her very large number of fans. It would be a travesty of justice if that was not recognised in some way.

Blame is a great horse who ran a marvellous race but had the perfect trip - everyone knows that and he returned to eerie silence. Doesn't that tell you something? Zenyatta is the people's Champion! Things went against her in the BC Classic but she ran her heart out and so nearly achieved the impossible! So maybe she has been "looked after" but that is certainly not a crime in my book and it is almost certainly why she has raced on through her 6th year and is still sound. Team Zenyatta should be applauded, not criticised!

For me the welfare of the horse MUST come first! Team Zenyatta always put her welfare first! I wish all owners were like them!!!!!! Then there would be no need for all those who have to rescue ex racehorses fallen on hard times etc etc etc. And no real tragedies like what happened to dear Exceller and Ferdinand! Any death of a horse is a tragedy but the deaths of those two and the deaths of those horses slaughtered whilst sound and healthy are more than tragedies!

So let's not use tragedy in the sense it has been used here because that is not a tragedy!

Thank you Zenyatta and Team Zenyatta for the years of pleasure that you have given. You have enriched our lives!

God Bless