HOTY: If Zenyatta wins the Classic...

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by CSC

I'm sorry but Semantics aside, because I know the RA backers like to keep banging this point of taking on males, she did take the less challenging set of races. A true tougher test would have been to have gone in the Derby rather than Oaks, I'm okay with the Preakness however the Belmont would have been more of a challenge to her, The Travers rather than the Woodward, and deciding to pack it in before the BC and at most the JCGC was extremely premature and certainly not one that screams out challenge and taking risks in a horse that is proclaimed by many as one of the greatest fillies of all time.

So now you're going to bring up the past connections' decision to not run in the Derby? You're s.hitting all over races like the Preakness, Haskell (where she kicked the s.hit out of your boy), and Woodward. We're not talking about the Milady, Vanity, and Clement L. Hirsch for crying out loud. She ran in traditional, historic races and her connections took chances. You're sitting back critiquing every aspect because it wasn't the route you'd have chosen.

I would be more inclined to vote for Zenyatta as HOY if her connections had done at least one more thing that was ambitious. Sitting in cozy Cali all year long running in garbage races does not an HOY make. They chose to run her on the biggest stage but unfortunately by the time they did there had already been a bigger star.

NT

[CSC]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

So now you're going to bring up the past connections' decision to not run in the Derby? You're s.hitting all over races like the Preakness, Haskell (where she kicked the s.hit out of your boy), NT

This has nothing to do with the connections, The RA camp are the one's that are claiming she took on the most challenging set of races available to her this year, I am just pointing out that this wasn't the case and it is foolhardy to keep saying she did.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by CSC

This has nothing to do with the connections, The RA camp are the one's that are claiming she took on the most challenging set of races available to her this year, I am just pointing out that this wasn't the case and it is foolhardy to keep saying she did.

Who cares what they said, this thread is about who we think should be HOY. Jess Jackson also said that Curlin was one of the all-time greats. He can say whatever he wants because from the time in which he bought her she did have one of the most challenging sets of races a horse has ever had, that's undeniable. You're choosing to pick them apart as if what she did is mundane.

If you want to dissect each horse's campaign then I think Zenyatta should have run in the race on Oaks day regardless of track condition, the Californian instead of the Milady, the Hollywood Gold Cup instead of the Vanity, the San Diego Handicap instead of the Clement Hirsch, the Pacific Classic instead of the Lady's Secret.

You see they were really ducking the phenomenal west coast handicap horses like Rail Trip, Dakota Phone, and Colonel John.

That ridiculous argument that I just posited is roughly equivalent to what you're saying about Rachel Alexandra.

NT

[CSC]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Who cares what they said, this thread is about who we think should be HOY. Jess Jackson also said that Curlin was one of the all-time greats.

If you want to dissect each horse's campaign then I think Zenyatta should have run in the race on Oaks day regardless of track condition, the Californian instead of the Milady, the Hollywood Gold Cup instead of the Vanity, the San Diego Handicap instead of the Clement Hirsch, the Pacific Classic instead of the Lady's Secret.

You see they were really ducking the phenomenal west coast handicap horses like Rail Trip, Dakota Phone, and Colonel John.

That ridiculous argument that I just posited is roughly equivalent to what you're saying about Rachel Alexandra.

NT

As with many I was critical of Zenyatta's campaign also, sure I would have loved to have seen her ship and be tested more, however seeing how she ran yesterday I can understand why they did what they did.

Neither camp wanted to ship to each others backyard so maybe both can be blamed for this, I do believe 1 extraordinary performance can sway minds, we talked about this with Summer Bird had he won the Classic, what Zenyatta did yesterday superceded the norm for me and she deserves HOY based on this IMO.