Surprised Girolamo hasn't been included as I thought he stepped up nicely. Wasn't a vintage Vosburgh field certainly, but he rolled them (:22.2, :22.4, :24.1) and showed a new wrinkle being on the lead.

Agreed...

And by the way... No one was more impressive, in defeat, than Crown of Thorns. That was some try in the Goodwood.

Are they planning on sending him to the Breeder's Cup?

Zenyatta looked like she was beaten and got up to win at a distance that isn't her favorite. Gary Stevens was there and impressed as well. Garry said 'she just continues to amaze me'.

My pick is Zenyatta.

I'll have Mandella today (I think) and find out plans. If not a Classic try, then wouldn't a cutback to the Dirt Mile be right in his wheelhouse at this juncture?

Rigoletta's effort in the Oak Leaf is another weekend effort that was outstanding..

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the weekend live. I am really looking forward to your view on blame and who you think is the horse to beat in this years BCC.

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

Thanks I'll be listening, always liked Crown of Thorns...and yeah that was kinda my next question...which race would they be pointing towards. What did you think of Winter Memories? That seemed really impressive for a second time starter.

:tro: Well said SB. He was tons better than Richards Kid, imo.

Uncle Mo had a nice workout. I didn't see it, but it had to be awesome.


I was more impressed with Blame than most anyone else this weekend.

I still say Zenyatta likely only won because of Switch getting green late.

Hedging?

For some, perhaps she will get the credit she deserves if she wins. But let's also be realistic, it won't matter. I doubt a 120 beyer, secretariat like margin would suffice the detractors, it will probably be passed off as that she got the perfect trip, set up, the competition was mediocre, others had rougher trips....ect... You know excuses and you know the drill...My advice to you, is it doesn't matter what others think, don't waste your time. If they don't she's a great horse by now, why would anyone in their right mind think this will change after the BC?

Sharp post

I thought the performance of the weekend was by Larry Collmus on ESPN.

Richard Mandella just confirmed on ATR that the Dirt Mile will be their first choice with Crown of Thorns with the Classic as a remote possiblity...

Winter Memories was tremendous. It's hard to conceive of her turning out even as good as her dam, but she's certainly off to as ideal a start in that direction as possible. Little in the upcoming Cup would please me more than Jimmy Toner getting attention and doing well.

The filly was tired. She didn't switch because she was "green" all of a sudden. Many horses swap their leads when they get tired. There's a couple of pictures up of both horses at the wire. Z's ears are straight up and Switch's are back. Switch ran a terrific race, but the pictures show who was well within themelves.

Thanks for getting the info...hopefully they stick to the Dirt Mile. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Winter Memories can do in a few weeks. Good stuff with the Johnny D segment...it was kind of like a horse who is a runoff.

Yeah, just a couple minor differences between Zenyatta and the horses you mentioned:

Cigar's BCC at 6 was his 8th race of the year, all against major league competition...and it was the 33rd race of his career. I'm not sure if the horses he faced in his last BCC would compete with this year's version though.

Pleasantly Perfect's campaign at age 6 began in February, included a Dubai trip(beating Medaglia d'Oro), and also the Pacific Classic. He also faced Roses in May(the following Dubai Classic winner) and Ghostzapper in the Classic.

Cigar had a very tough four wide trip on a gold rail in the Woodbine BC against a field that would crush this year's BC Classic crew. Louis Quatorze would be odds on in this Classic.

It is really too bad that there was nobody around a couple of years ago that was warning such things would happen. If so, perhaps people would have known better than to actually cheer for her to break the record in the first place.

oh wait.....

Alphabet Soup was also wide in that race.

He only ran one time after winning the BC Classic ... a great 2nd to Gentlemen ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwrjjH6G7Ps


I remember sports channel showing a handicapping segment about the BC Woodbine's year claiming the rail was gold.

Yes...I figured I laid the sarcasm so thick onto that one that I wouldn't have to use an emoticon. I'm not sure if anyone from this year's race would be able to split that field Cigar faced.

Sorry....I should have realized that.

I thought Jaycito's performance was remarkable in light of the Mike Smith "Special" ride he got.

I am amazed at what some people don't see. They can't be watching a horse race.

What a surprise....Zenyatta fans pretending they "get it" or are seeing something others can't.

There's an original concept.

I saw that too. Horses defineatly swap their leads when tired. Especially a classy animal who was probably trying to do too much to hold that amazon off. Would be interesting to go back and see what became of all the fillies that finished 2nd to Queenie.

Didn't you already incorrectly do that on another board?

Has nothing to do with being a fan of Zenyatta, it's more a part of the game. Like some sit and wait for someone to tell them who to watch and when to bet, I prefer to find them on my own.

As do I. It just seems to me the Zenyatta fans are always acting like they see things the rest of the people don't. Then again, most of her fans don't bet, so that might factor into it.

So, she got tired and had a sudden heart attack, is that what you are saying.

She ran her last 1/16th in under 6.1.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. She tired real bad there. I guess the extra three lengths she pulled away from the third place horse there in the last 1/16th means what? Let me guess, the horse in third was being eased?

Jesus freakin Crist. Just when you think the Zenyattards cannot possibly get a lower IQSF (Intelligence Quotient Speed Figure), they go out there and obliterate their previous lows.

And a freeze frame photograph showed their ears in different positions?

I suppose it's not possible their ears were being flicked about, and that their ears were not pinned in those respective positions. Perhaps, just perhaps, the photo(s) caught their ears that way.

Jesus freakin Crist. Just when you think the Zenyattards cannot possibly get a lower IQSF (Intelligence Quotient Speed Figure), they go out there and obliterate their previous lows. Again.

IC---

Are you obsessed with medical mischegoss ??? No one mentioned a heart attack but you your failed efforts to dramatize ...

I believe the discussion was that tiring horses may swap leads--and they do, and she did .

While you are diddling yourself about the Ztards talking about ears--laid back ears indicate effort or anger--upright ears indicate lack of effort and pleasant attitude .

Any retarded pony clubber knows this .

Do you even read your own foolishness ???

Everything the prior posters said is true, and trying to make it into fantasy just indicates how little you know about horses--regardless which horse you like or put money on .

uh oh

Obviously, even to a scholar like you, I was being facetious about the heart attack quip. Nice try though.

It's 'mishegoss' you numbnut. Try to stick to English.

She ran her last 1/16th in under 6.1 while putting 3 more lengths between her and the third place horse. Is this really the last 1/16th of a horse tired enough to lose her action by switching leads? NO, it is not. If you weren't so blind to reality, you'd admit that.

Her ears may or may not have been pinned back. One snapshot of a horse moving at about 35-40 MPH proves nothing. Unless you are desperate for any flimsy evidence to support your empty belief. Who knows, maybe she was hurt??

Or just happened to have her ears back at that exact moment. Of course, you need nothing more than that one split instant in time to know these things. Being the retarded pony clubber that you are.

I missed this gem until I reread your inane ramblings to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I didn't realize Zenyatta was not even trying and was just out for a Saturday stroll in the Park.

This last post of yours zooooooms you way past CSC1985 and Smooth Operatard as the biggest imbecile in recent DT history.

In fact, five years from now, we (the rest of DT) will look back at you three with fondness. Much like how racing fans who've been around awhile look back to the 70's with a Zen like fondness for the horses from that era.

You will be Secretariat to CSC and SO's Affirmed and Alydar. We will all be looking back and saying that the tards of today (in five years) just do not stack up with the tards of yesteryear.

The biggest moron in five years will be like a Mine That Bird compared to you being Secretariat.

She's bewildering like a tremendous machine!

More twaddle from someone who hasn't the stones to even concede a slight wrong--it is clear which end this windy tome came out of .

Still clear that you don't know what YOU are looking at, and while I don't know what it means historically to be in the class of those you mentioned, I'd rather not be in yours , thank you .

Like I said..the enlighted Zenyatta non bettors..I mean fans "get it", while no one else does.

Off topic, but what's with you and talking about tits, knockers, stones, etc? Frustrated much?

You really don't know what it means to be in the class of Secretariat, Affirmed and Alydar?

It means that your greatness as a complete self righteous imbecile is comparable to their all time greatness as racehorses.

It means that you are the future poster child for the dimwit hall of fame.