Quote:
Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane
There is a difference in logistics when comparing east coast racing to west coast. Major stables in the east will move from Belmont in the fall to Gulfstream in the winter to Kentucky in the spring, where the big money races are.
In California there isn't a track within 2,000 miles other than Oaklawn that provides the purse money that California does.
Shirreffs isn't the only trainer staying at home where purse money is as lucrative as anywhere else. There are countless stables in the east who have graded synthetic winners staying in the east because it makes no sense to ship to California when there are races at home that offer the same money. The only difference is that Shirreffs has the highest profile horse in training.
I realize he's ducking males in California and elsewhere and I understand why.
He holds the cards. If there is a filly or mare good enough to beat Zenyatta then come out to California and prove it. She continues to defeat mediocre competition because 75% of the best synthetic fillies are staying home back east. Shirreffs is making no more of an exception in regards to shipping Zenyatta than he has done with any of his horses.
The bottom line is that Zenyatta is owned and trained in California. Is it fair to the horse and fans that they are choosing the easy road ? Of course not. If Zenyatta was trained by (fill in the blank) back east she would be running the majority of her races in New York. Would anyone expect an east coast trainer to seek out the best horses in California ?
|
C'mon stop using the West coast based excuse. This isn't 1975. Horses fly all over the world to compete and where she is based in the Winter has no bearing on what they are doing. I understand as well as anyone that there are always other factors that aren't known to the public when deciding where and when to run horses. But that being said they are working on their third campaign with virtually no variance between them. This isn't a claiming horse we are talking about. And many east coast trainers ship horses west to run in stakes, even conservative types like Clement.
It is their horse. They can do anything they want with her. But what they are doing is a disservice to both the horse and the game. Imagine in 2010 a horse that is supposedly considered one of the all time greats that never competed at Saratoga, or Belmont or Monmouth, or Churchill Downs or Keeneland? That ran on synthetics her whole career with two exceptions (same track, same race)? If they are going to duck RA then you would think they would try something really out of the box like a turf race such as the Arlington Million? You know like Secretariat did a few times? or Dr Fager? Hell even Mr. Sportsman tried the turf with Curlin once. The same old races, the same old competition. Why can't she ship in to run in the Fleur de Lis? Or at least threaten to and stir up ol Jess? Because they care more about some meaningless winning streak and keeping that intact as some kind of medal of valor. Or because she isn't doing that great as some have alluded to.
But I hate to tell them that she ain't leading on the judges cards 1/2 way through the fight. Dancing around shouldn't win them points (yet with the state of eclipse voters, most of whom shouldn't be allowed to vote for town dogcatcher let alone year end awards, who knows). Quality Road is and his lead may be insurmountable enough by November that he may skip the BC as the leader in the clubhouse.