Quote:
|
Originally Posted by King Glorious
Bayakoa also ran second in the San Diego Hcp. She went on to do big things though later on. Same with Paseana. Sharp Cat rebounded to have an outstanding year. I don't know that Eliza went off form as much as she just lost to a very good horse in Dispute (Bonnie Miss, Gazelle, Beldame at 3, Spinster at 4). Her going off form could just as easily be attributed to facing Dispute as it is to facing Personal Hope. Surfside later ran a very good second in the BC Distaff and beat older males in the Clark. For every one of these that you mentioned, there's a Winning Colors, a Ouija Board, a Miesque, a Six Perfections, a Serena's Song, a Personal Ensign.....the list goes on and on. I don't think there is any proof whatsoever that says they will go off form after facing males. I think it's more about what competition you face and how hard you may have to run that may influence your immediate form coming back. If racing against the boys means you have to run a harder race, yes, it can be understood that the next one out may be a little flat. But sometimes, you have to run harder to win races in your own division than you do to win races outside of it. If they were worried about her being knocked out by a tough race against boys and suffering in her next start against her own sex, they could have tried it in June and had plenty of time to recover and show her best against the girls later, as each of your examples did.
|
Well, just to be fair, 3 of the horses you mentioned were Europeans (yes, its a big difference), one was one of only 3 fillies to win the Derby, and the other was the only horse to retire unbeaten in major competition in over 90 years.
Personally, had the BC not been in CA, the only gripe I'd have is that Zenyatta didn't run at either Saratoga or Belmont, the way Azeri didn't and the way Ribboletta did. Your suggestion she should have run in the Hollywood Gold Cup is a bit outlandish, seeing how that race is 10f and at that point she had yet to run further than 8.5f. The Pacific Classic would have been fine, I suppose, if a little late in the season, but we all know what John Shireffs thinks about the Polytrack there. He wouldn't even start Tiago on it last year.