Who Is Horse Of The Year?
 

Might as well have a poll here to see where the board stands.

Bumpity bump.

I guess you voted Rachel because they are tied now.

I'm surprised thus far, I thought RA would be 75% to Z's 25% when this poll was started, looks like the BC did have an impact on people.

The RA people in here are just more vocal.

Tell me about it.

I posted this link in the other HOY thread, but it will get lost in the Coach Pants-Revidere race to the bottom.

What Jerry Brown has to say about the HOY debate.

http://www.thorograph.com/phorum/rea...5230#msg-55230

I thought this post was interesting:

Re: Okay, look. (235 Views)
Posted by: TGJB (IP Logged)
Date: November 09, 2009 02:33PM


Michael-- based on Rachel's top (3) as a 2yo on poly, if she had come into the race rested, at weight for age, I would have laid about as much of that 1/5 as anyone wanted to take. That would have been all-in time for me.

And they're right.

It really isn't much of a debate. Was Raven's Pass the Horse of The Year last year....or Well Armed this year....I love Zenyatta but her campaign doesn't even come close to Rachel's.

CSC is not debating, he's Rachel hating. Hes already been exposed, the hating started last summer. I think that one of Jackson's wines game him a tummy ache or Assman snubed him for an autograph at the track.
We all know Rachel deserves HOY, there shouldn't even be a discussion.

Funny how anyone who doesn't agree with the notion that RA is the definitive HOY is termed a 'hater'. I don't see this sort of defensive mechanism from the Zenyatta backers. What does this speak of to some of her fanbase?

Even more odd, what does it say about those of us who appreciate both?

I wish the Eclipse vote was tomorrow.

Seriously, dude? Every post of yours about Rachel Alexandra, whether comparing her to Summer Bird pre-Breeders Cup or Zenyatta post, has been the epitome of defense mechanism.

How does thinking Rachel was obviously horse of the year mean you don't appreciate both? Of course I appreciate a horse like Zenyatta. I love her....but the question is not who has the biggest cheering section, its who was Horse of the Year. And that is clearly Rachel for 2009.

You have to admit, you openly questioned whether she was better than Summer Bird even after she destroyed him in the Haskell. You've constantly nit-picked her campaign and went so far as to say her resume should be downgraded a tad because she didn't run in the Derby for her prior connections.

It's one thing to think she's the definitive pick for HOTY, it's another to think Zenyatta is, but both of their accomplishments speak for themselves. I think it's a little too convenient for you, or anyone else who engages in it, to question why Rachel ran in the Preakness rather than Belmont and the Woodward rather than Travers but just assume that Zenyatta gets a pass on the joke of a schedule she had because she won the Classic.

NT

Ultimately, I think it's a question of whether or not you want to call it Horse of the Year, or Horse of the Race. Horse of the Year is Rachel Alexandra, for she did amazing things throughout the year. Horse of the Race is Zenyatta, because she won the big race of the season.

I think the kicker is that Eclipse Awards go well beyond 'What have you done for me lately?' People are also forgetting the impact Rachel Alexandra had when she did her thing and how she was a hot topic on Twitter, ESPN and on the front pages of newspapers.

Also, testing an older filly/mare against males is not as bold and exciting as testing a 3-year-old filly against older males. That's insane... we'll probably never see that again.

Season ending honors are about results and the big picture. I give Zenyatta double bonus points for winning the BC Classic, but Rachel won the Preakness, Haskell and Woodward. She traveled, she tried and she conquered. The race is a photo finish but Rachel's nose is down first... Zenyatta closed hard, but needed one more jump to get there.

Yeah, if there ever was a year for co-Horse of the Years, this is it. But by doing so you do recognize a horse for having never left her comfort zone. Kind of risky, but forgettable. You also recognize a horse for skipping the championships, kind of lame, but understandable.

Interestingly, how big does the scratch at Churchill seem now. If Zenyatta had won on Derby weekend, what does that do to this debate? Interesting stuff to consider.

that guy looks like McChoke a lil

I've always maintained what RA had accomplished up until Sept 5 was HOY worthy, my beef if you can call it a beef is I only wish she had raced the entire year where most horses are primed for a championship run, or more precisely in the JCGC or the BC. Up until that point she was the deserved choice for HOY barring a performance that could supercede her resume later in the yr. This is the chance her connections took when you call it a year with almost 4 months left on the racing calendar, well to be more accurate 3 months and 3 weeks, I don't see the hate in this thinking, I saw that performance from Zenyatta last Saturday and she would be my vote not only because I believe she would have beaten RA(yeah I know we will never know, but she didn't run for whatever reasons you want to believe) in the Classic had she run but the way in which she won the race, which was very decisive.