A question for those that do not like Zenyatta...
 

I don't want to argue about the merits of the campaign that Sherriff and the Mosses have planned for her, or even if she is HOY material, I just want to know if any of Zenyatta's detractors enjoy watching her run? Irrespective of who she's racing against, can you at least appreciate watching her come from last and always managing to cross the finish first? Did you not at least say "Wow" when she won the BCC last year? That was an electrifying event. Can you not respect the fact that she (and Rachel as well) have brought new fans to this sport - maybe not people who will bet much and add to the pools - but the kind of people who will now have something positive to say about the sport of horse racing instead of being indifferent about the sport or worse. At the very least, have you not enjoyed having a single on your ticket these past few years when trying to hit the pick 6 at the southern California tracks? :D

Before you attack me as a "zennatard" or some other derogatory term, understand that I am a fan of Rachel Alexandra, Quality Road, Zenyatta, Summer Bird, and the list goes on - I am a fan of this sport and a fan of the horses that make this sport exciting and fun. I just want to know - can you appreciate watching Zenyatta race? I know I do.

As I've said before, it's nice that she has brought in some fans and she's a very good horse, but the level of her competition precludes me from getting much excitement out of her races since, regardless of her style, her winning is just about a foregone conclusion. I'm excited by races where the outcome is in doubt beforehand.

This does not mean I don't like Zenyatta. Quite the opposite. I think she's awesome, and I wish she had more opportunities to prove it. It's not the horse I dislike, it's the way she's handled, and I think her campaigns do a disservice to her. I think most feel the same way. At the same time, her winning streak, which so many fans cling to as irrefutable proof of her greatness, is meaningless to me since there's such a controlled environment in most of her races. I can't call her great based on what she's done on the track, even though I think she has great talent, and that's unfortunate.

Oh, and not this again.

Since they are forever linked.
 

I think both are great for the game, anyone that doesn't want to watch either race probably isn't a fan of horseracing.

And I did it without mentioning either of their names.

This is a straw man (straw horse?) argument. Nobody's hating her. If you can't like Zenyatta I really question your ability to enjoy this sport. She's a four legged amazon with the dancing quality of Ginger Rogers or perhaps Cyd Charisse. I'm pretty sure the Breyer people somehow turned one of their figures real. The frustrating thing is but she and you-know-who have things to prove this year. We're not at the stage where either has gone where they could go or tried what they could've. A variety of reasons for this, but I bet either or both had been tempted by the Stephen Foster--a tight finish in the Apple Blossom would've led to a rematch cry, and maybe they'd have gone to CD to duke it out. Now, neither goes.

I feel like we're in this crazy holding pattern til the fall. Anybody else getting that? The summer doldrums--our ladies could bring it Saturday and make those go away. Here's hoping they do.

Horseracing differs from most other sports in that the schedule isn't set. However like boxing the path that is taken and the choice of opponents/races that the competitors choose makes all the difference. Floyd Mayweather is a great fighter, extremely skilled, smart, tough, quick, fast, etc. Watching him fight is pleasing to the boxing fan. But he hasn't fought a serious threat in years and as such will continue to face criticism and doubters until he agrees to fight the other star fighter in his class, Manny Pacquio. If they do finally get together it will be a huge event which will not only be good for the sport but will go along ways towards determining each fighters place in history.

How is that relevant in a horse racing discussion? Well we get to choose our competition as well and until Zenyatta starts to run in better races, against better horses all her races are simply undercard events. I am old enough to remember when horses were pointed to all the top races without regard to a PR campaign for horse of the year. While I don't expect people to suddenly revert to 1975 schedules, taking off the shackles and trying to prove your horses greatness instead of talking about it isn't too much to ask for. I love Zenyatta, I really respect John Sheriffs as a trainer, Mike Smith is my friend. I just want to see her do memorable things. Carrying 129 is harder than most think but let's face it, like Joey said, she is supposed to win these races. Horseracing is supposed to be competitive, not a continuing coronation ceremony. If wishing to see the best horses meet or to see a 6 year old do something different is wrong then I suppose I am not enough of a fan anymore.

I prefer RA over her in terms of quality, so I guess in your mind that makes me a "detractor." Why you would even ask such a question I guess goes to the "quality" "issue."

i don't think anyone doesn't like zenyatta. they may dislike the hyperbole, the rabid fans, the schedule, lack of shipping, etc. but i doubt anyone dislikes the horse.

lol

:tro::tro::tro:

Can I get an AMEN?!

Yes, Zenyatta has thrilled me twice now in 2 years. Quality Road has drawn the "wow" from me twice in two months, and Rachel Alexandra dropped my jaw everytime she went into the gate starting with the Oaks last year.

Did she really bring new fans to the sport? I don't know any.

Who is Zenyatta?

I lost the Baffert drawing. :mad:

people who know i'm a race fan have never asked me about zenyatta, her win streak...but they question me about rachel, the t.c. races, and even knew who won the preakness.

Mine That Bird,Super Saver,Looking At Lucky etc. etc. are more well known than Zenyatta among my friends who know little about horse racing.

It would be odd to dislike a horse like Zenyatta, but I have to admit that at least a part of me would be a little happy to see her lose, just because I would take some enjoyment from the pain and confusion this would cause her legion of worshipers. The same thing was true of Bernardini a few years ago. I didn't hate the horse, but his fans were freakin' annoying. I enjoyed watching Invasor running by the colt in the final strides of the BCC just because I knew that all of Bernardini's fans would be dumbfounded that such a thing had happened.

Also, like Chuck and others have said, it would be nice to see her (and Rachel this year) being placed in better races. I can't imagine how excited I would be for the Foster today if those two were both in there against Battle Plan, Blame, Duke of Mischief, General Quarters, etc. That would truly be a horse racing EVENT.

So will I enjoy watching her run this weekend? Yeah, probably a little. She's a good horse who runs her race EVERY time. It would be hard not to appreciate that. But it is tough to watch her knowing that each victory adds fuel to the ridiculous fire set by her fans, and that usually (the BCC and the Apple Blossoms being the exceptions) there is some other race I wished she had been entered in instead.

My analogy above got me thinking about who is more annoying and over-the-top....Zenyatta fans the past two years or Bernardini fans in 2006? As far as I am concerned the answer is....hands down....the Bernardini fans of 2006.
If you don't believe me or are just anxious for a trip down DT's memory lane, here you go:
http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3752
http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2503

I can relate.

That's no joke.
I was living in NYC in '04. I'm a Dodger fan and an NL guy all the way so I didn't give a crap about the Sox or the Yanks, but living in New York when they blew that 3-0 series lead was wonderful. I fully enjoyed every single minute of the pain and humiliation all of the fans around me seemed to be experiencing.

Me too !;)