Sky Beauty is a good example that not all horses are made for shipping. From what I understand, and granted maybe I got some bad info, she just fell apart when she had to get on a plane or traveled and great distance.

I have no idea if Sky Beauty could have beat Hollywood Wildcat or One Dreamer if the race was in NY but going into the gate anyone around that horse knew she had little chance after the ship.

I understand your point, but I don't think we can make claims about Zenyatta's soundness because instead of having periods of absence within her form, she simply showed up late. Zenyatta didn't start for nearly the entire first two seasons of a normal horses career. The reason? Could be any number, including a fracture. As far as I can tell, Personal Ensign retired without incident after the Distaff.

Well, Gulch was a Grade 1 winner at 9f, competed in all 3 Triple Crown races (placing in the 12f Belmont), and won the Met Mile inbetween those races over his elders. His durability and stamina are hard to fault. Was he at his best at 9f? It's a similar scenario to the idea that Medaglia D'Oro couldn't stay 10f. Yeah, I suppose he's vulnerable, but it would take a very good horse to beat him. And it did.

It's probably true, I remember John Veitch saying that she looked pretty bad prior to the 93 Distaff..

In 94 she was just abysmal at Churchill.. Hollywood Wildcat wasn't too much better that day either, as the favorite..

I was commenting on Quality Road's schedule compared to Ghostzapper's and Skip Away's.

I was basically lamenting the way horses are campaigned nowadays.

the quote I got from someone he knew the horse pretty well the day of the race was "who is this horse", i guess she lost a lot of weight before both BC's. Maybe it was a seasonal thing.

it really ruins the sport doesnt it............

ok enough about the sport, lets commence back to the 5357 post on Zenyatta this month

Gulch was defeated by Java Gold, Polish Navy, Lost Code, Cryptoclearance, Cutlass Reality, Alysheba, Bet Twice, and Personal Ensign. If I have my facts right, those are the only horses to beat him at 9f (at least in the 7 9f races I came up with).

I think it's pretty lofty company.

You're a dolt. I never said you couldn't give your opinion. You never gave one. You had no answer to my original post, remember?

Try to follow Smooth Operator's lead, at least he comes back with some rebuttal other than "she's not retired yet".

I'm still reeling from the unfair smackdown to the mighty Swan.

His jockey wore purple silks IIRC. He deserves everything he got on here.

I don't remember Swan but wasnt there a Kings Swan, and in particular a horse that got a bunch of bad rides as a maiden that cost me a fortune?

Maybe you are unable to read or maybe you just avoid what I have stated a number of times already, here is what you said above, I clearly have stated let's wait until Zenyatta's career is over before making claims her race record of 'ennui'. But if if you ask me where she belongs, Zenyatta in my opinion already belongs with the greatest females of the game and this includes Personal Ensign. But I do understand why some others need to see more, I can accept that, I don't need anymore confirmation but yes it would be nice if she can prove it on BC day once and for all to the remaining sceptics.

I was referring to Kings Swan ( I always remember some Aqueduct Stake that he toughed it out in under like 197 pounds and one of the Rastas saying " and NOOOOBODY passes the Swan " ).

He actually dealt Ogygian his first defeat and beat Gulch in the Tom Fool. He was also 5th behind Lady's Secret when she won the Whitney. He rocked.

okay, maybe it was a son of his, just remember betting a mdn going to the grass for the first time at like 70/1 only to get the worst ride ever and lose by a length or so, think you bet it as well.

He had no balls....and no sons.

I remember that maiden we bet as well. Wasn't it the last race at Belmont a few years ago?

Nice try. I read your initial response to me when you first posted it. I said your point about waiting for Zenyatta to retire was "well taken". However, you made your point with respect to comparing her to Personal Ensign in any fashion. In my mind, that meant you didn't want to compare the two anymore. Sorry. I didn't silence you, you silenced yourself.

Now you try to re-attach your retirement cop-out to only part of my post, the "ennui" comment. Ok. I'll bite. I'm not sure how you can get around the monotony of Zenyatta's campaign. It's not like one big race at the end erases the meek spotting the rest of the year.

To be fair, I based my comment on the belief that the Clement Hirsch will be next. Maybe we'll see a bumrush at the end instead with the Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and BC Classic. Or the Hollywood Gold Cup, Pacific Classic, BC Classic.

I won't hold my breath.

he's a hopeless ejit. why do we still even bother?

:tro:


Clearly some impressive mares on Crist's list … but there's always a tendency to over-glorify some of the achievements of past runners.

I consider classic distance runners inherently superior to sprinters and strict milers, Indian boy.

If this Goldilocks is so great, why didn't they stick her in the BCC (or the BCT) last year?

Not surprisingly, both of those contests have significantly higher purses than the BCM.

yup, and we bet the horse back at half the odds to get the same horrid ride...think he finally won a race or two later at about 4/1.