The Whitney number was very much an educated guess Rupert. Even though it made sense on paper to give it a 111 - I'm not giving that figure the benefit of the doubt.

I don't think that number is too far off. I think it was actually a pretty fast race. I think 1:48 4/5 was a very good time on that track that day. I'm actually surprised they ran that fast on that track after running the half in :48. That track was not very fast that day. I would not have expected them to run much faster than 1:48 and change even if the pace was fast, not on that track.

Her losing the Goodwood would be more respectable than winning her 19th race in the Zenyatta IMO. I wouldnt be surprised if other people felt the same way too.

ummm.. she runs in restricted races. Its not like that huge mountain named Rail Trip can run in the Zenyatta. Besides her & Blind Luck, all the fillies and mares on the West Coast are absolute garbage. Who's supposed to show up and face Zenyatta in these amazing Grade 1 races? Quality Road? Blame? They are called restricted races for a reason.

come on now.

Lava Man ran that long ago??? Man I feel old

And if this doesnt change the days of horseracing period will have passed us. There is absolutely no reason that fillies aren't running against the best horses if they can beat them, which both RA and Z have proven that they can. They are basically worthless as their owners wouldn't sell them anyway and there is a ceiling on what they are worth as mares already if they did try to sell them. Ego and greed are killing the sport at the top. What else would keep Zenyatta in CA to run against Rin Tin-Tin and company and Jess Jackson on the bum-a-palozza schedule?

It may be like this but it doesn't have to be.

After 18 starts we shouldn't need IMO's. She needs to ship OR run against better horses where she is at. If they won't run against the dreck that is the older male division in CA then she needs to PROVE that she can beat the older, less dreadful horses in the East or at the very least take on RA.

And we aren't talking about "people" we are talking about a horse that we are supposed to believe is an all-time great.

The reason that people are finding something comedy to say is that the connections have plotted a comedy schedule and want everyone to believe that it isn't. The sport used to be played on the track, not in the popular opinion polls. If she had shipped east and beaten RA or won the Whitney field, the comdeyness that you talk about would have been over.

I stopped following racing after the '98 BC Classic, sorry about the gross error. Lava Man is still arguably the best horse on the backstretch at Hollywood Park.

Speaking of the '98 Classic, isn't Blame's campaign thus far this year eerily similar to Awesome Again's?

no need to apologize, I wasnt trying to point out an error.. was just confused (doenst take much for me)

98 Classic was awesome. Blame will be a tough horse at Churchill this year also.