Quote:
Originally Posted by slotdirt
Find me the horses that Zenyatta beat by 19.25 lengths that have since come back to win GI races on dirt. I can think of at least two from Rachel's Mother Goose last summer.
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It probably has no meaning whatsoever to anything, but Ginger Punch had a 7 race string where she won the BC Distaff, Sunshine Millions Distaff, Louisville Stakes, Ogden Phipps, Go For Wand, and Personal Ensign. Her one loss in that skein was by 8 lengths to Zenyatta on dirt. So she won a grade 2 and 3 grade 1s in succession after that 8 length loss to Zenyatta. But for a very lucky photo in the Personal Ensign by Ginger Punch, two horses Zenyatta beat by over 8 lengths in the Apple Blossom would have come back to win G1 races on dirt in the same year actually, but alas, ginger punch got the photo over Lemon Drop Mom.
Time and margins, time and margins. I'm pretty sure 6 horses in the Goodwood ran faster than Zenyatta did in the Lady's Secret on the same day last year. Somehow on BC day all those slow times Zenyatta ran last year didn't translate. These threads are unusual to say the least. It is what it is. They chose to duplicate what they did last year after stating they wouldn't. I have no idea why. But at some point we simply have to accept life as it is. Oh well. They chose a one race campaign last year and it worked (other than not getting HOY). They are choosing the same thing this year. I have no clue why they can't even contest the Hollywood Gold Cup...she certainly could have beaten Awesome Gem and Rail Trip like rented mules in that race, but they just don't want to push it. It's just part of the pure joy that the BC has created in the sport. One race catch all this year is all it is, and that is what the Zenyatta connections chose to do. 10 to 20 race campaigns by star horses will never happen again...ever.