I think she will still get it...even in defeat.

The award is for horse of the year. This year. Blame will have finished this year 4 for 5 and won the BC Classic. Zenyatta will have finished the year 5 for 6 and finished second in the BC Classic. It's one of the wierdest statistical oddities I've ever seen that she won't ever win horse of the year but unfortunately that's the way it's going to shake out. Imagine you owned Blame. How would you feel if you beat one of the all time greats and they gave HOY to the horse you just beat. That would be totally unfair.

Is she 100% going to be retired?

Her campaigns are the reason why.

Had she even raced in and won the Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic without shipping ... I think she'd win the vote for sure.

The Breeders Cup Classic might be the biggest race - but it's still only one race - and that margin of victory was hardly conclusive and Blame had the home court.

I have no problem at all if she wins the vote.

However, Uncle Mo has a year that ranks up there with some of the better 2yo seasons I've ever witnessed in terms of his three performances.

Goldikova has a race that ranks up there in terms of special individual performances...and she did A LOT in Europe

Blame has a chicksh!t year where he raced just five times and ducked several spots he belonged in - while he did win the two toughest races this year (Whitney and BC Classic) - in terms of past champion older male seasons - his season rates very low IMO.

Perhaps compared to seasons past -- but he hasn't got much to beat as far as 2010 campaigns go....which is why he deserves it.

Actually he was fourth.

Uhm I have seen horses win the Classic beating horses that have been the best all year and they still didnt get HOY. It is totally an East Coast bias from the press always have and always will be. RA didnt win the Classic last year and she got horse of the year and was life or death to even compete on a grade1 level this year
Blame will get it and I love Claiborne Farms as they have been a staple in the industry for 100 years. That said, I still think it sucks azz that Z will be denied the award again.

It always sucks when you enter for a couple of hundred k's and nobody shows up.

What did she do this season to earn it over Blame?

What did he do? Its a mute argument.

"Moot" is the word you were trying to use.

Schaefer, Foster, Whitney, 2nd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup > Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom, Vanity, Hirsch, Lady's Secret, 2nd in the BC Classic by a distance.

How is it moot? He won three major grade ones against older males and the head-to-head with Zenyatta. She beat weak fillies and lost the head-to-head. There is no rational justification for making her horse of the year.

No its mute cause I wish you would shut up. :)

This point cannot be repeated enough, because it has lots to do with 2009.

You are on to something here.

With the U.S. government pushing amnesty and citizenship for illegals isn't it time a foreign horse 'Goldikova' get HOY? She not only beat the boys she destroyed them. Best performance of the day at least, by a ton. BTW Uncle Mo was a trailing 2nd. Being a 3 time BC champ (only horse ever) it should be her's but know it won't and can't happen.

And for those pushing for Blame? Didn't he barely hang on to a mare who never ran out of Cali and on poly (sans) Arkansas? Or is she now good enough to give reason to naming Blame HOY? Can't have it both ways and the only strong supporters of Blame should also be strong supporters of Zenyatta. To the haters he barely beat a mediocre horse and the rest of the field had to be horrible to finish that far behind her.

You're not making any sense.

There's really nobody else who can win besides Blame. . . Even if one were to have a negative opinion of him.

Lots of sense-making going on in this thread.

One way to say it would be all that SHE did for racing. Another way would be to point out what YOU FANS did for her and all of us in racing. The way YOU embraced her made the world stop and take note. What a horse does to promote the sport is vitally important but IS NOT criteria in the HOY voting equasion. She will be talked about for generations. Blame will only be known for beating her. But the fact of the matter based on what he achieved this year and the fact that he crossed this line in front of her in their only meeting Blame will win HOY. I wish she'd won. More so for us fans than anything else. She didn't. But on a positive note. No horse was hurt. The race was fairly run. Zenny's reputation was actually enhanced by her performance. I felt more proud of her in defeat than any of her wins. The greatest female horse of all time ran the BEST RACE of her career and was defeated fair and square. I choose to rejoice in what happened today. Great theatre. Great horses. Great day. Oh BTW I'll never forgive that damm BLAME :mad:

If you ain't first, you're last

When did Blame beat one of the all time greats?

Tell me you aren't one of those mindless Quality Road fans.