both fillies have had good years. who ends up being judged as having had the better year is yet to be seen. but there's no way of ever knowing which one of the two would triumph in whatever mythical race we want to set up in our minds. suffice it to say that both zenyatta and rachel are very, very special and that both will be remembered fondly in years to come. i'd imagine both will be used as a measuring stick for horses that we haven't yet seen.


native dancer is remembered now as having been a spectacular horse, one for the ages. he suffered only one blemish on his otherwise perfect career when his jock gave him a horrid ride in the derby. many place him on top of the heap as far as horses who only one two thirds of the t.c. not many still bring up the fact that he never faced a top older horse by the name of tom fool, another who is remembered fondly to this day. no one cares anymore that they never got a chance to square off. of course the breadth of years helps; with these two every one is still in the moment.

if zenyatta and rachel had faced each other, and i'd have loved to have seen it, one of them wouldn't have their perfect year. now they both do-might not be a panacea to everyone, but all we can do is appreciate what they both did.

bingo

Ginger Punch may not have fired that day. I agree with you that that is quite possible. In fact, I would guess that Ginger Punch didn't run her best that day. But that wouldn't take away from Zenyatta's perfomance that day. She won so easily and she ran really fast. She ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 3/5. The Oaklawn Handicap which was run that same day and went in 1:50 2/5 (1 1/8 miles).

you are 100% correct.


thinking about the bigger picture for the sport...... if they gave it to both i would not mind it at all.

it has been done before....

Sprinter - Dr. Patches/J.O.Tobin
2YO Male - Crimson Satan/Ridan
3YO Female - Two Lea/Wistful
Sprinter - Delegate/Royal Governor

bless you both r.a. and zen

The chart for the race says 1:48.3 (although no fractional times, so I don't know if there were any timing issues that day).

No it didn't. The final time of the OP Handicap was 1:48 and 3/5.

NT

No, I didn't time her gallop out. LOL. I know the one race is 1 1/16 miles compared to 1 1/8 miles. I was actually at Oaklawn that day. I think that her race was the faster race. I mean I think 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 3/4 is faster than 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 2/5. I think she could have run her last 1/8th in less than 8 seconds.

Can you find me the chart that says the OP Handicap was run in 1:50 and 2/5?

Cause Equibase says it was run in 1:48.60.

NT

I wasn't talking out of my ass, but I was incorrect. If you go to racereplays.com, they show the final time was 1:50.34. They obviously made a mistake. There was a problem with the clocking of the Oaklawn Handicap. I remember that. To this day, I'm not sure if any website has the fractions.

Ah, the Oaklawn Handicap has attracted some great horses: Cigar, Best Pal, etc. But not that year. That year the race was filled with slugs Tiago, Heatseeker, Reporting For Duty, Circular Quay, Buzzard's Bay, Fairbanks, and Silver Lord.

Yes, go to racereplays.com, pull up the race and hit the results tab. They show the final time as 1:50.34. I think that their number is wrong . I think the equibase number is right.

Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago. RB

Fairbanks and Heatseeker were both SPECIAL.

Both Heatseeker and Tiago were very good horses on their best day. The Oaklawn Handicap was Heatseeker's next start following his win in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. And right after his 2nd place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap, he won the Grade II Californian at Hollywood.

Tiago had just run 4th in the SA Handicap and then ran 2nd in the Californian. They were two of the best horses in the country at the time.

Circular Quay was a multiple graded stakes winner coming into the race off a win in the Grade II New Orleans Handicap.

Fairbaks was a graded stakes winner (not to mention running 2nd in the Grade I Suburban) coming off a 2nd place finish in the Grade II Gulfstream Handicap.

Buzzard's Bay was a multiple graded stakes winner but I admit he appeared to be out of form for the 2008 Oaklawn Handicap.

I think the 2008 Oaklawn Handicap was a strong field.

the bc is for championships. just like football was used earlier. new england went 17 and 0. lost super bowl. so new england didnt get the reward. even with something that probably wont be repeated again.

I don't get it.

San Di Agoow... A whales vagina

Oh God.:wf

NT

Are you serious or are you being sarcastic? I hope you are serious. Heatseeker was a really good horse before he got hurt. He was a Grade I winner and made over $1 million.

Fairbanks ran a few big races. He made almost $900,000.

No they're not, that's what Greg Avioli would like you to believe.

Horse racing, unlike the NFL is simply a long season that has a culminating day where you can CHOOSE to run in them. That's why BC Classic winners in the past have earned no end of season honors.

NT