She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

YYZGUY — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:02:35 GMT

And then the big announcement sometime before the Apple Blossom regarding the retirement of Rachel Alexandra. Off to the breeding shed.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

MARK THE MAGICIAN — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:21:00 GMT

Look for a MAJOR announcement about Oaklawn Park and the Apple Blossom at 11:00 A.M. on February 4th!! This is what everyone has been waiting for!!$$$

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Fire Slam — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:08:09 GMT

Mike Rev--

so she didnt win on a fake track???? I thought synthetics were just that, artificial. You can word it anyway you want, those tracks are not real dirt. It is what it is.

Still think Zenn is amazing, and love watching her run. Still think Rachel is better. She runs the whole race, instead of rating in the back. Not trying to say Zenn is not good. She is one of the greats. But Rachel......well she is better then great!!! History!!! Record after record she set or broke!!! Oh by the way, it was on real dirt tracks. Not plastic in one state.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

lynnhurst — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:46:50 GMT

I think Zenyatta can beat any horse

anywhere, anytime period. Have you

not noticed she always wins with her ears up. I have never seen her

ears back as if she was giving everything she had. I believe Mike

Smith when he says he has not gotten to the bottom of her. I could not care if she ever races RA

but I feel she is more than capable

of winning. Just enjoy both of them and I hope there will never be

a match race. If they race I hope

the field will be full. It is great

to be able to see her race again. The Breeders Cup was breathtaking.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Mike Relva — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:43:43 GMT

FIRE SLAM

I don't disagree w/you regarding tracks. I disagree with your remark about what you said about Zenyatta winning on "a fake surface". Don't make excuses for her brilliant win!

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

bgreene — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:55:30 GMT

Maybe Santa Anita will have the dirt tracks down in time for JJ to bring Ra to Cali for a showdown with Zenyatta, dirt is his favorite surface, right? come on JJ bring the girl to Cali in the fall for the new dirt tracks, OOPs, there will be a problem, he will have to duck that too.....

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Fire Slam — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:21:00 GMT

Way to go MIKE Relva!!! It was one for the ages! Never said it wasnt.

Never said I knew anything. Thanks for assuming though.

My opinion of fake tracks or plastic tracks has been influenced by trainers, who I would hope you agree know what they are talking about.

Wait a minute, isnt Santa Anita going back to dirt. What is wrong with the plastic their?? Heeeee heeee,, ha ha.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Mike Relva — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:54:46 GMT

FIRE SLAM

as usual you don't know anything. The race she won is one for the ages! Take your East Coast bias and go somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Fire Slam — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:30:35 GMT

Carolyn--

Im not criticizing her. I said it's not her fault. She is one of the greatest of all times. I hurt my hand from yelling "get up zen, get up zen!!"

Your right. To do what she has done is beyond greatness.

Dont take away from the fact her campaign took place on a surface that is not real. She should be dubbed "Synthetic horse of the year." She was synthetics master/queen.

When she travels outside of Calinfornia, or possibly on the Santa Anita dirt track (yes they are gonig to back to dirt)and beats actual dirt horses, then she deserves to be horse of the year.

This reminds me of Sham and Secretariat. Sham ran the fastest KY Derby---second only to "big red." Poor Alydar. Would have won the triple crown if it wasnt for Affirmed.

Poor Zenyatta. Would be horse of year, if it wasn't for Rachel A.

They both need to be retired and live on a farm, and enjoy being mothers.

Dont want to see either of them break down.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

carolyn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:00:36 GMT

Fire slam, How hard is it for a horse to run on a fake surface? In my opinion, it would take a great horse to run and win on a "fake" surface and win on dirt as well. To me, instead of criticizing her , we should be honoring her greatly, because she can do what some horse's cant do and that is run and win on more than one surface and win it everytime....It's takes a very talented horse to be able to go from both surfaces and excel as well as her....

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Fire Slam — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:52:06 GMT

JPSBMAN--

Nice list of accomplisment for Zenyatta.

However, you forgot to put an asterik by her Classic win. It needs to be noted it was on an artificial surface.

Its a proven fact, and trainers (who should know) have said synthetics are way different then dirt.

Its not the horses fault, but she beat a turf field on a fake surface.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Jess — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:06:04 GMT

This news makes me really happy. She looked too good coming out of the Breeder's Cup, in my humble opinion anyway, to validate retiring her. She obviously loves to run and I don't think we've seen the best from her. She's spectacular to watch and she needs to meet Rachel!!! And she'll win of course. : )

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Cate — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:15:49 GMT

After the Eclipse awards, it seems there's a lot of "my horse can beat your horse any time, bring her on" going on between owners. Please, gentlemen, this isn't boxing! There's living breathing amazing horses concerned here - if the race, the surface, the weather, the time or whatever ain't right don't sacrifice either of them just for bragging rights.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Citation — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:05:15 GMT

jpsbman,plenty of times was 130 or more pounds carried to victory in the last forty years, and even if you meant that Zenyatta carried the highest weight to victory for a FEMALE in the last 40 years, you are still wrong. Safely Kept carried 130 pounds to victory in the 1991 Distaff Handicap at Pimlico.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Fire Slam — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:54:42 GMT

To all who try to make an argument for synthetics: GO TALK TO TRAINERS. AFTER ALL, A FEW OF YOU ON HERE HAVE INDICATED YOU KNOW SO MUCH MORE. The majority of Thoroughbred trainers dont like running on synthetics. They should be dubbed a third surface. They are fake. DIRT IS NOT.

About fatal break downs. What about work outs in the mornings. I have already seen a few break downs in the mornings at California tracks.

Horse are going to break down. Its sad and wish it wouldn't happen. But to really improve and "isolate" break downs, start holding owners and trainers accountable. This will never happen, because if you did, there would be no more claiming races.

How many times have you seen a horse off for an extended period of time, and then come back running for $5,000 at some "no where track." TICE is a perfect example.

Baffert had him. He won a few nice allowance races, and then was "turned" out for over a year.

He showed up in New Mexico, new trainer/owner, running for a bottom level claiming tag. Still cant find the winners circle.

Why was he even brought back to the races?

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Householder — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:23:34 GMT

I can't wait for Zenyatta to win the Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita!

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Mike Relva — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:17:40 GMT

RACHEL FAN FOREVER

Always the same neg. Zenyatta stuff from you. Don't you ever stop? You don't have a clear perspective!

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Zen Fan Forever — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:27:44 GMT

May the good Lord keep her safe and injury free. To watch her run gives me thrills. The thought of not getting HOY because 39 votes were not submitted blew me away. Politics, even in horseracing. I don't think Jess Jackson thought she had a chance in the classic. I'll be he's a little nervous now. She is the Queen of horse racing. She has the toughness and determination of Ruffian. Look out Rachel - here she comes. At 1 1/4 mile you don't have a chance.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

PhonyJJ — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:44:27 GMT

If RA is this slow moving out and onto the race track (training) and she has not raced since Sept. what the heck is the problem? Now she cant train because of rain? What? coming from a horse that runs in the rain and mud? Come On, people, who do they think they are fooling? Not Me? for sure? If she is this wiped out after the woodward, hell, she will never go against ZEnyatta...No way, is she ain't out by May???

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

bsinboots — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:41:20 GMT

Mark my words, Jess Jackson will spend the year ducking Zenyatta. There may have been some question before, but after the Breeders Cup there is no doubt that Zenyatta would win at any distance of a mile and an eighth or longer. I personally think Rachel hasn't recovered from her all out squeaker win in the Woodward, and I will actually be surprised to see her back on the track. Like Rags to Riches before her, I think the win against males took her to the breaking point. Unlike Zenyatta...her BC victory could not have been easier.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

jpsbman — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:32:29 GMT

Well since footlick keeps talking turf I'll go ahead and post this that I wrote earlier.

Undefeated in three years of racing.

Breaks Personnel Ensign's 13-0 record.

Carries to victory the most weight (129lbs) assigned a horse in 40 years.

Wins running every distance from 6.5f to 10f.

Holder of the North American Filly/Mare record for earnings.

Only female to ever win the Breeders Cup Classic

Only horse to ever win two different Breeders Cup events.

And Zenyatta does not even get a 100 votes for Horse of the Year? Adding insult to injustice she does not even get all the votes for older female. Nope, no east coast bias here.

Well since the east coast obviously has zero respect for Zenyatta as a race horse if I were the Mosses I would not run her anywhere near the east coast. I would do the Apple Blossom and then take her to Europe and run her there, at least the Europeans have a little respect for Zenyatta and I think she would be just fine running on turf. I'd like to see her win on turf against the world's finest turf horses. That would be something. She might even be able to make it back in time for one more BC.

Other then Zenyatta the big loser in all this is the Breeders Cup and those of us that thought the Breeders Cup were championships races. Now it appears that the Breeders Cup in nothing more then another open grade 1 race like the Woodard. Put together a nice string of graded wins and skip the breeders. No big deal. I wonder how the Breeders Cup people feel about Zenyatta winning the Breeders Cup AGAIN and still losing Horse of the Year AGAIN? It certainly just got a lot harder to promote the BC as a championship event.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Karen2 — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:44:09 GMT

First I must say GUNBOW....NEVER puts a spin on anything. Second...is it o.k to tell Dray to Sh%&Up??? Can we use that word on here? Rachel has not defeated Zen on the track yet...let's not go so far as to say Z has now been defeated.

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

Footlick — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:06:46 GMT

gw bushwacker- Please let's not go there-lol!

CV- because it seems many people here feel that the only great horse is a dirt horse and a horse that runs on mud. A horse that runs on another surface and- God forbid- runs in Europe can't even compare-LOL!

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

CV — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:46:39 GMT

"Zennyata (sic) made history in one race, on a "fake" surface, against a group of horses that normally run on grass.

Rachel A. beat her opponents on a "real" surface, and race after race broke historical records."

--Fire Slam 19 Jan 2010 9:46 AM

The "Slam" part of your online name is certainly accurate.

God didn't put the "dirt" surfaces on today's racetracks. It isn't 1930, and that surface is a manmade concoction.

Dude, this putdown of synthetic tracks is just dumb. Synthetics and turf tracks are dominant overseas and gee, they seem to produce champions like Sea The Stars and Zarkava.

I'm sure the Europeans have figured out how to make their tracks drain, so Santa Anita can call them. How hard is that?

Last year, the NY Times' turf writer reported synthetic tracks have reduced fatal breakdowns by 40% since they were installed in CA. 40%! How can you call less fatal breakdowns a mistake?

re: She's Baaack! Zenyatta to Race in 2010

gw_bushwacker — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:11:59 GMT

One has to wonder that with all the lobbying to get Zenyatta to race in Europe why they don't care to woo RA.