Monthly Power Rankings - September

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

ace — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:28:19 GMT

Good point, Bob, Summer Bird or Gio Ponti could make it close should they win their next race plus the BC Classic. I think RA's defeat of Summer Bird, albeit at 1 1/8, will tip the scales in her favor.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Bob Z — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:23:45 GMT

What happens if Summer Bird wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders Cup Classic?

Jess might me taking a strategic gamble by not running Rachel again this year...

I'm a big Rachel fan but Summer Bird winning:

The Belmont,

The Travers,

The Jockey Club Gold Cub and

The Breeders Cup Classic

+ (second in the Haskell)

carries more weight than

The Kentucky Oaks

The Preakness,

The Mother Goose (joke),

The Haskell and

The Woodward

It might have been better if he entered her in the Jockey Club Gold Cup... even if she lost a good effort would have gone a long way...

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

berttheclock — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:24:31 GMT

Exborne, one of the finest specimens of horse flesh I have ever seen, Zalataia shipped from France and beat John Henry at Oak Tree. Estrapde, that great mare, beat the boys in the Arlington Million at the age of six.

However, could the current top of the list prevail in that Crown Jewel of the West, the Ralph Hinds Memorial at Fairplex? Yes, I do need far more Stumptown Coffee.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

It aint easy being good! — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:44:15 GMT

Thankyou Phantom and people dont sleep on carless jewel this filly is for real and will be tough in the next couple of months! Zenyatta is the most overrated horse racing, put that horse in a real race and see what happens.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Exbourne — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:12:02 GMT

Hey, Edward, why does everyone assume RA can win further than 1 1/8, (I firmly disagree with this assumption), the reason is stride. If you have ever seen Zenyatta run in person or have seen her in person, then any UNTRAINED eye can see her stride. It isn't because she is a closer, it is her stride. Please tell me who doesn't belong in this group Affirmed, Easy Goer, Alydar, Dr. Fager, Macho Again and Bullsbay. Really, the Whitney was a great field. Being hit about 19 times in the lane, the last 1/8 in a shade under 13 sec and one jump past the wire she loses getting 8 pounds from Macho Again, are you kidding me? Really, that is what racing in America has come to, JUST WIN BABY! Then why is some other horses wins count less? Just thought racing fans would like to know a horse named Lady's Secret won the Whitney wire to wire by daylight, oh sorry, that doesn't count because she was 4. Is she considered an ALL TIME GREAT, just wondering? Doesn't 3 yr fillies beating quality older horses happen in Europe and in the BC, example: Zarkava, Miesque, Six Perfections, and Goldikova? I am sure I am leaving off another 10 or 20,(Dahlia). Can we wait until real horses show up in November and run on championship day before we hand out trophies or has intelligence just completely been abandoned.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

shesfast — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:55:07 GMT

Rachel has proven shes good. She has done things that Zenyatta has never even attempted or came close to doing. Why's everyone still down on Mine that Bird anyways? He danced the big 3 this year. If you say he is so bad then what does that make Rachel hmmn? He's made his money and came in thirds...he hit the board. I say RA, SB, GP top 3 in that order.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

favorite trick — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:53:27 GMT

Rachel is definitely NUMERO UNO. Nobody else (male or female) comes close.

Please give up the ghost: let Zen rest in peace and just DONT bring up this match race with RA no more. Even if Zen and RA enter the BC in a match race (sort of), and Zen wins it by 31 lengths (who cares)this does not erase the fact that she has only raced three times this year. If you are gonna give the HOTY to any horse who wins three races in a row (RA excluded), then by all means give it to a Gio Ponti, or Fabulous Strike, or a Summer Bird (assuming he wins the Jockey cup). They deserve it more.

Off-topic, I feel sad for what happened to AZERI, the 2002 Horse of the Year. More than 2 million dollars in purse earnings and the HOTY title, you would think that AZERI deserves some respect. Well, after the owners pocketed the cash and the trophies during her racing days, the poor horse AZERI is now HOMELESS, PENNILESS, and worse, she is In foal and will soon have another baby. AZERI will be sold in the November brood stock sale, along with the other horses from her former owner.

You would think that after all that millions she earned, AZERI deserves to be retired in peace with her babies. The Real World says NO. And undoubtedly, her owners think even less about it...

It is these sad, sad stories about champion horses which really make me cry and take away any sense of pride I have about this HOTY thing. If unscrupulous horse owners can do these things to HOTYs like AZERI, then what more UNSPEAKABLE things have they done to the more "homely" horses which NEVER make it that far? Furthermore, what is the point of vying for HOTY when it wont guarantee a good life for the horse?

I'd say, if HOTY is going to have some prestige left in itself as an award, it should ALSO include a guarantee that ALL recipients (male or female) should be given a regular PENSION and STABLE upon retirement, and CANNOT be sold or liquidated to pay for owner debts.

We love our pets: our cats, dogs, and even our hamsters. We NEVER abandon them or sell them if we need cash. So why not do the same for our race horses? Our dogs dont earn millions in purse money, but race horses do. So why we keep our dogs, but "liquidate" our race horses? Why we treat horses like meat, and sell them like property? Dogs are also expensive to keep, but we dont "trade" them or "liquidate" a litter for the banks.

What Azeri's connections have done are just appalling IMHO. Or is it just me who noticed this?? I think someone has to step up and say what horse owners CAN and CANNOT DO with their horses, regardless of whether these animals are their "property." Animals also have rights, and this is the right to a good retirement. Especially when they have proven time and again that they are worthy of it because of their stellar performance as champions of the sport.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

jamesb — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:49:54 GMT

C.urlin...

"I think that there is a tie for first place."

HUH? I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that is out there.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

draynay — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:45:22 GMT

What no Smooth Air? It's a sham that a horse who finished 2nd to Big Brown in the 2008 Fla. Derby and won the 2008 Ohio Derby isn't in the top ten.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

The Beav — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:25:37 GMT

Here we go again, what does RA have to do to get the respect? She is flawless this year with a very hard run campaign. How could anyone put less than 1st.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Rachel Crazy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:37:11 GMT

First to Curlin - "Rachel is amazing and Zenyatta... But they both have to prove it." Rachel hasn't proven it???? Are you kidding??

Second to The Phantom - Why do fillies have to beat the best boys at the classic to be HOTY? First, Rachel has beaten boys 3 times so why should the classic make a difference? And second, why is HOTY automatically a male unless filly has beaten colts/horses? Do colts have to beat filly to be HOTY? What about colt beating older mares? Racing is very sexist. Every time a great filly wins, racing fans find an excuse. With Rags to Riches I kept reading about the extra weight the colts carry. Forget that she stumbled out of the gate, went wide meaning she ran further, it was still the weight difference that allowed her to win. With Rachel it was Mine That Bird would have caught her if it were a longer race. Always an excuse when the filly is proven best. Even if a filly has run only against fillies, if she wins by large margins every time and beats track records every time while the best colt hasn't broken any records and hasn't won by as much or maybe has fewer stakes wins, so why shouldn't the filly be HOTY instead of only top filly? Top colt will still be colt of the year. Why should he also be HOTY if he hasn't done as much?

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

NebDiane — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:02:41 GMT

Rachel of course. Zenyatta second. They should have run her against the boys earlier in her career. It is a bit much now but with a career like hers, she deserves #2 if not #1

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

MikeM — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:46:55 GMT

"Only" won the Derby. A very close secound to the Great RA and third in the Belmont. He should be with out a doubt in the top 5. By the wat he CRUSHED the derby field and with a better trip might have beat RA.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

oliverstoned — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:03:47 GMT

If you pulled an intelligent horseperson out of a cave that knew nothing of these horses acomplishments in prior years. Had them study all 10 horses races THIS year as well as their competition, Zenyatta would rank 10th.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Rowner — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:10:39 GMT

Okay, its a no brainer RA is 1, I would put Gio Ponti 2, from here it gets interesting 3/4 would be SB or Einstien, 5 Zenyatta, 6/9 any combination of RT,FT,IP and FS, 10 is MTB other than the derby he just hasn't done enough for me to rank him higher.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

I AM TOGA — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:56:11 GMT

People, do you not get it? She just beat older males, beat everybody up in the 3 yr old divison (male or female), give it a rest its all hers. As far as the rest Gio Ponti has won the same amount of Grade/Group 1's as Sea the Stars this year, and he shouldn't be second thats rediculous! Check yourselve's before you claim to know who's the best thoroughbred in America.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Lmaris — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:20:14 GMT

Rachel

Summer Bird

Gio Ponti

Zenyatta

I have Summer Bird & Gio Ponti as a tie for 2nd, but flipped a coin for who got which placing.

Zenyatta just hasn't run enough or beaten anything new to rate higher than 4th on this list.

After that its a significant drop off in talent but I put Rail Trip (5th) and Icon Project (6th) ahead of the others.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Susie — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:19:50 GMT

Contrary to Mel G., I'm surprised people ranked Zenyatta as high as they did. HOTY is not based on the most talented horse or who would win a hypothetical match-up, but rather on the accomplishments of the horse during the racing year. Whatever Zenyatta did last year should have no bearing on this year's HOTY, and this year's 3 wins is simply not enough.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Hawkeye — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:58:16 GMT

Never mind the sex of the animal for now. RA has won some very tough races this year. Zenyatta is a magnifient animal but still has something to proove. It is the company that one races against among American runners that makes the champion. Both Birds have done splendidly in their races and against tough company. It is a shame that Mine That Bird came up with a physical problem that took him out of circulation for a while. He ran a fantastic race against RA and perhaps was not quite himself in the Belmont. This is not to take anything away from the great performance of Summer Bird. Then Gio Ponti has really come into his own this year. I am really impressed with him. Einstein has been a real trooper and unfortunately has not had the best of trips. I also think he is not quite himself right now and perhaps needs some freshening. As far as the rest I have to sit back and see future performances. I can't help but think that there are still some horses waiting in the wings to stamp themselves as champions yet this year.

I do have to mention that while we wait and see, I still feel that "one race cannot a champion make". We all know that there are so many variables in each race that the best does not always win. Those who base their decisions solely on the Breeder's Cup Races are way off the mark. I have heard it compared to the Super Bowl or World Series which really sounds ridiculous because racing is not a "Team" sport where half the horses running are on one team and the other half on another team. Of course it is a team effort to get the horse to the race but it is not the team that goes out on the track and performs with the runner. In spirit yes but not in reality.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Kat — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:52:53 GMT

Brian - Thanks for mentioning Fabulous Strike. Perhaps because he is a sprinter, he gets overlooked. What a horse and what a heart! Hopefully he will do well in the BCC, but it's not entirely clear he'll take to the synthetics, even with more time to adjust. Zensational is already there. . .

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

TJLuvsTizs — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:34:10 GMT

I agree with Brian, Zenyatta hasn't done anything this year to be in the same conversation as the rest of these horses. Yes, she dug in gamely in her last start, however, she just hasn't raced enough to warrant a top nine pick in my opinion.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

The Phantom — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:04:51 GMT

Ratings are opinions, unless horses race against each other its all meaningless. Settle it on the track at breeders cup classic, case closed. The fillys have to beat the best boys at the clkassic otherwise its best filly of the year, anything else is justa popularity contest.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

slewed'em — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:40:52 GMT

Seriously, Mine That Bird has only won the Derby. I put him at 9 and the only reason is because Rail Trip didn't run better in the classic on Sunday. He is definitely not number 6??

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

LDP — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:28:54 GMT

I'm suprised at the lack of respect, both, Rail Trip and Icon Project are getting. Fabulous Strike should be better than seventh aswell, instead they are seventh, ninth and tenth. Rail Trip has done no worse than second against very good fields, even won the Hollywood Gold Cup, very convincingly. Fab S. hasn't lost this year i believe, and Icon Project just won the Personal Ensign by over 13 lengths. To have these horses ranked under Zenyatta, who has race only 3 times this year against allowence fields, barely winning her last, MTB who has lost his last three, and Einstien, who has lost his last two is rediculous.

re: Monthly Power Rankings - September

Tim — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:18:45 GMT

Did people not watch Icon Project? It is possible she is in the top 3. But she HAS to be better than 10!