Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

MacKenzie — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:57:54 GMT

Sorry Michelle, but I beleive that you misunderstood: I never intended to dismiss Zenyatta as a joke. I have the greatest deal of respect for her as the "great race mare" that she is; my impication was to draw attention to the fact that 'stuffing the ballot box' through whatever means( in this case, a cleverly crafted media campaign) does not give us a HOY that was the most deserving athlete this year.

John Shirreffs and Jerry Moss knew exactly what they were doing when they began campaigning

long before the race was run. It was intended to become a media affair to support Zenyatta whether or not she was to be victorious against the best competition of her racing life - this 'move' left most racing professionals scratching their collective heads:it is a valued tradition in this sport that superiority is earned on the racetrack and by extension the HOY award should belong to the runner who proved his/her superiority the old fashioned way - by actually earning it!

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Convene — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:31:44 GMT

Maybe a People's Choice award is a good idea. Maybe then we can get rid of the venomous exchanges the past two years have sparked. Hey, we all have our heroes. I love The Tin Man and Kip Deville and yeah, Peppers Pride too (in recent years.) Having a vote for a fan-oriented award would involve people and give kudos to both the equine stars and the connections who present the horses for our enjoyment. HOY should always remain an achievement-based honor. As I said, I was overjoyed for Peppers Pride's accomplishment but I would never have even imagined her for HOY. The heart and the head don't always walk to the same beat.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Jimmy — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:03:44 GMT

I say let the fans vote. Why not? After all, the 2010 HOTY won because of popularity, so it already seems as if the fans had a vote. If the horse most deserving of HOTY based on what happened on the track cannot win the award (Blame), then let the fans have a vote since the HOTY award pretty much has lost its credibility.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Tammie — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:10:22 GMT

Bravo to Slew's comments above. I also do not have cable. I go over to my mother's house to watch the Breeders Cup because she gets ESPN, but she doesn't get TVG or HRTV and I can't afford the time to make the trip to her house very often anyway. TV networks used to to a good job of covering horse racing, but ESPN does a pathetic job. How I long for the days of Jim McKay!

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

mike — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:00:48 GMT

if your a zenyatta fan for hoy and blame wins, or vice versa, it's not the end of the world. it's only certain people's decision, not mine not yours. academy award show will never change my mind on what my favorite movie was, why should hoy be any different. are the moss's going to love z any less if she dosen't win, will blame's stud fee drop to 10k if he's not hoy. JUST AN AWARD SHOW FOLKS. p.s. thanks susan from va., took the words right outta my typing.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Trebloc — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:36:48 GMT

Why not allow breeders vote? One vote per horse registered with the Jockey Club for that year.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Billy's Empire — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:25:38 GMT

Way to Go MacKenzie. IMO, Zenyatta got Sympathy votes. She won b/c she's a fan favorite, and not the best horse. That would be Blame. I was listening to the radio this morning, and they were interviewing people that actually had a vote in the Eclipse awards

(jeenie Rees, Jody Demling), and 4 people from the Courier Journal in KY had votes. They all voted for Blame. It seems the people who live and breath the industry in KY everyday got the vote right, as they all voted for Blame, b/c he was the best on the track. Zenyatta is great. She was fun to watch and had tremendous heart, but Blame had a better campaign. Zenyatta got a Special Eclipse award, the older mare award, the HOY award, and a new award that was to be made up just to honor the mare.

If the fans voted, it would be a complete joke of an award. Most do not watch enough racing to warrant a vote. And after reading the blogs, there is so much animosity, hate, and anger towards certain trainers, horses, and demographic bias, that it would not be a vote to honor a true Champion. They got the vote wrong this year, and they are supposed to be people in the know in the industry. I am proud of my Courier Journal voters. They got it right

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Amy — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:43:40 GMT

Access is a huge problem, as commented by others. I am several hours from a harness track, that races on a limited schedule. Otherwise, I am 8 hrs from a track. I live in a state that does not allow online/tv betting, which drives me to drink. And, I do get TVG, but had to pay quite a bit more, about $35+ per month. I had to get a block of sports shows, which I don't watch, in order to watch racing. Thank goodness, I have that. I can't wager. But, I love the sport, and follow it online. But, without the live racing, it would be a daunting task. I am sure there are many others who experience this same frustration in attempting to follow our beloved sport!!!

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Michelle — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:21:41 GMT

MacKenzie - I respectfully disagree that Zenyatta has become the Bristol Palin of horse racing. I have heard many many people in the business praise her as the best or one of the best they have ever seen. I hardly think she is a joke.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Michelle — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:18:35 GMT

Television does not take horse racing seriously as a sport. They have made that abundantly clear. I remember last year, I believe it was ESPN coverage of some of the Win and You Are In races for the Breeder's Cup NOT EVEN showing Gio Ponti's race. They were too busy showing some stupid Hank story or Kenny story about the local deli. They would never do something like that during Wimbledon or NBA Playoffs would they? What does the NTRA do again?

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Michael — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:11:09 GMT

Racing needs to unabashedly "pimp itself out". It's going to be empty and depressing at Aqueduct tomorrow .... and the slots, although needed, are going to bring goodness knows what cast of new characters. Racing seems so uncomfortable operating in the current day and age. The Mosses seemed to get it, maybe because they are rock and roll and racing is their hobby.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Karen in Indiana — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 03:23:01 GMT

Basically, what Alex Waldrop just said is that fans are not intelligent enough to use reason in their vote. But you know, these are not cars racing. Sometimes heart is a good thing. Which is better for racing - the way it is now, with 'professionals' doing all the choosing, leaving fans frustrated or realizing that the trade-off for having an involved, passionate fan base is that some years the choices may be based more on emotion? Cartier awards system sounds like a good balance: a win-win solution.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Wabstat — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:05:15 GMT

Since the fans have a proven track record that they are right about the best horse one-third of the time in any given race (favorite winning percentage), a fair point system is the only way to go with open G1 wins garnering the most points. Blame got robbed.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

ttimsan — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:03:03 GMT

Create a People's Choice award for fan voting if fans really feel the need to prove something through a popularity contest and owners wish to engage in slick PR campaigns.

The Eclipse awards should keep what integrity remains and be awarded solely on the basis of what happens on the track. Open Grade I races should always be given the most weight - since this is where the best of the best go to run. A campaign run over multiple states/tracks should also be given more weight. Shipping causes a great deal of stress and this is where the very good are weeded out from the great. HOY should always be the total package.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

cg — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:20:51 GMT

unfortunately, unqualified people who have little knowledge about political issues are allowed to vote in this country. so goes democracy

most of the turf writers have no clue either. adding fans probably would not be a good idea b/c super saver would have been voted top 3 yr old, if they had a say

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

AfleetAlex — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:58:16 GMT

If the quality of the fan vote is a concern, then why not give a vote to subscribers of the major racing publications such as The Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred Times, and the Daily Racing Form? That would be one way of ensuring that the fans who vote are truly knowledgeable about the sport.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Bill Daly — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:27:54 GMT

I would say that the HOTY award - regardless of who is franchised to vote - needs a set of objective criteria which must be given consideration. Since "Year" is part of the title of the award it just seems natural to include only performances in a given year. The fact that some voters probably factored in her entire career led to Zenyatta's selection. I cannot argue with anybody's selection since there are no criteria now. I do think the fan should have some voice similar to the Cartier model. I think MLB went overboard trying to make the All-Star Game vote nothing more than a popularity contest. We don't need that. A sound reasonable set of criteria is all that is needed. I would add that the criteria be weighted as well. For example, grade 1 wins vs. males should count more than victories in grade 1 female races. I keep hearing Zenyatta proponents talking about her victories in grade 1 races restricted to females as tantamount to open grade 1 races. This is just rubbish. End of rant.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

SMTDL — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:06:49 GMT

Fan voting is a nice idea but seems hardly practical and fair.Some are horse racing fans.Some are more-so fans of certain horses.Some are new and have little perspective on the history of the sport and its changes ,both good and bad. HOTY should not be simply a popularity contest.Voting in a highly popular but lesser achieving horse would not help the sport.Because of the emphasis on a few big money races,horses run less so we don't get the intense multi-race rivalries like ,Affirmed/Alydar,Sham/Secretariat,Alysheba/BetTwice/Ferdinand,or Sunday Silence/Easy Goer that pull in more fans.We need that to bring more fans to horse racing not just part time/special event fans.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Soldier Course — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:29:48 GMT

MacKenzie:

I respectfully take exception to your characterization of Jerry Moss as waging a PR campaign for Zenyatta's being named Horse of the Year. If anything, the opposite is true.

The Mosses and Zenyatta's other connections showed remarkable restraint and professional demeanor in the face of an inexplicable bias against their champion for two years.

Finally and thankfully, Zenyatta's connections spoke their minds when they were asked to do so.

At a press conference at Keeneland last October, John Shirreffs was asked specific, detailed questions about how he would feel if Zenyatta lost Horse of the Year for 2010. Mr. Shirreffs made it clear that this would be an injustice hard to bear, even if she lost the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic. Thereafter Mr. Moss let it be known that the time for consolation prizes for his daughter was over.

Asked, and answered.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

ThoroFan — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:56:46 GMT

With all due respect for those that oppose fan voting, I think they underestimate the sophistication of the fan. There are fan organizations and some serious bloggers in existence today, ThoroFan,Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA) and HANA,immediately come to mind . Why can't we begin this process by inviting a representative(s) of these fan organizations/groups to have a vote on the Eclipse Awards? Their membership could be polled and a "voice of the fan" included in the process. Lets just start now and not wait until we get it "perfect". Its not neurosurgery. Lets not miss the "Zenayatta Effect"

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

SusanW — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:08:57 GMT

Put the ballots in horse racing publications. Obviously, if a person has an interest in racing they know DRF, The Blood-Horse...etc. Make them mail-ns, too. I think people put more thought into something that requires a little effort, not a click.

Before that, can we all start a petition to NBC to keep races out of the hands of the "Real Housewives"? Please?

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

MacKenzie — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:43:25 GMT

I,for one would like to congratulate Jerry Moss for churning out a great PR campaign purposfully directed at those so called turf writers - some of whom, wouldn't know a horse race from a merry-go-round; again, congratulations Mr. Moss - you've succeeded in turning your great race mare into the Bristol Palin of the horse racing world ( and that's not meant to be a compliment ).

The Eclipse -especially HOY - should be and should have been left to an objective analysis of the exceptional performance of our horses ON THE RACETRACK and not be left to the fickle whims of a 'reality show' crazed public.

What we got this year was a "people's choice award" and not truly an Eclipse.

In this climate,the most deserved horse- Blame, who proved his superiority ON THE RACETRACK- well, he never had a chance.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Slew — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:29:10 GMT

Queen Z...you just eliminated disabled fans who cannot get to a track...not quite fair. Cartier Awards has a point system based on stakes races, sports writers' votes and fans' votes. Can we not just follow their lead?

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Catbird — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:32:45 GMT

I like the idea of a People's Choice Award. Fans--especially fans swept away by the emotion of love for a particular horse--should be able to see their votes count.

But the votes for Eclipse, HOY, etc., should remain separate and be made by professionals. And perhaps more should be made of that distinction. HOY should not be a popularity contest and perhaps will not always go to the fan favorite.

No offense at all to Jerry Moss, but these days I think hard about his suggestions. LOL, it was that the Breeders Cup alone should determine who got HOY; if we'd followed that idea this year, his horse would not have won it.

So let's give thought to having the public vote, because that's a good idea, but make sure we retain the integrity of what is already there.

re: Getting Out the Vote By Eric Mitchell

Grob — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:15:06 GMT

Take the people out of it.... do a straight point system, and make it right. You would never "vote" to see which horses are entered in the Derby or other big races would you?