i don't think a differing running style means she's a lesser horse than azeri. many horses need things to go just their way to win, zenyatta doesn't strike me as being one of them.

Zenyatta strikes me more of this type than Azeri.
Heck I am very prejudiced on this one. I have a hard time
even putting their names in the same sentence.

why is that?

Azeri was incredible.

If they had just forgot about that silly record (winning
streak) and let her step it up, against the boys when she
was still good. We would have seen how good she really was imo.

through August of their 4yo years they have basically the same exact record....she still has to keep winning but the talent is there. The best gauge is Ginger Punch, who I think is not quite as good as her record but she is still pretty good, and zenyatta beat her in a small field with no pace like she was tied to a hitching post.

and there is no bigger azeri fan then me, trust me on that one.

Then you were treated to disappointment by Linda de Sucks like me.
I think it is possible to bore a horse to death. She should have run against
the boys earlier. She was good enough. But hell I am a fan, not chasing some silly stat like the connections trying to find all the easy spots. And then she goes to D. Wayne after her prime imo.

cant disagree with that.....you dont know how close she was to going to saratoga during her 5yo year to run in the whitney.

Sorry, I just think Mike Smith is a very average rider at best. No disrespect was intended. Simply my observations from watching him throughout the years. I do agree he has ridden some pretty good horses though.

Ginger Punch was placed squarely on a dead rail at Oaklawn; not that it would have made a difference, but I don't think there's 8 lengths difference between the two (maybe just 5...).

Zenyatta, imo, is the best horse in training not named Curlin.