11/11 ATR: The Great HOTY Debate

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by Kasept

For those wanting some detail to appreciate the nuances of the campaigns...

Zenyatta ran in 5 races this year over 7 months (May 23-Nov 7) over 3 racetracks versus 33 entrants (25 horses)... 4 of which were repeats of races she ran in and won last year (Milady, Vanity, Hirsch, Lady's Secret) and one the Breeders' Cup Classic. She never left California in the 4 races and the Cup happened to be at one of the tracks she frequented most in her career (5/5). Anyway, she won all the races in which she ran, all on synthetic surfaces, and with authority.

Rachel Alexandra ran in 8 races this year over 7 months (Feb 15-Sept 5) over 7 different race tracks versus 50 entrants (47 horses). She demolished her own sex by a cumulative 40 lengths in 5 tries including 2 Oaks (Fair Grounds and Kentucky) and faced 3yo males twice, including in an American classic (Preakness) and in another highly regarded Gr. I (Haskell). She completed her year against older males in the Gr. I Woodward. Her winning a race versus elder males is an accomplishment that hadn't been done in more than 125 years in American racing.


Zenyatta beat these 25 horses in 2009:

---14 females---
Life Is Sweet (3X) - 2009 GI WInner
Allicansayiswow (2X) - 2009 G2 placed
Gambler's Justice - 2009 Listed Stakes placed
Champagne Eyes (2X) - 2009 Listed Stakes winner
Taste's Sis - 2009 MSW winner
Briecat (2X) - 2009 Listed Stakes winner
Dawn After Dawn (2X) - 2009 Listed Stakes winner
Hot n' Dusty - 2009 AOC winner
Modification -
Anabaas Creation (2X) - 2009 G1 placed
Lethal Heat (2X) - 2009 G1 placed
Tidal Dance
Cocoa Beach
Made for Magic - 2009 CLM winner
----11 males----
Gio Ponti - 2009 GI winner
Twice Over - 2009 GI winner
Summer Bird - 2009 GI winner
Colonel John - 2009 Listed Stakes winner
Richard's Kid - 2009 GI winner
Awesome Gem - 2009 G2 winner
Regal Ransom - 2009 GI winner
Mine That Bird - 2009 GI winner
Rip Van Winkle - 2009 GI winner
Einstein - 2009 GI winner
Girolamo - 2009 G2 winner


Rachel Alexandra beat these 47 horses in 2009:

---23 females---
Afleet Deceit (2X) - 2009 G2 placed
Peach Brew - 2009 G3 winner
Affirmed Truth
Hello Again
Lake Lugano
My Spanx
Lil' Hottie
Bootprints
Flying Spur (2X) - 2009G2 placed
Our Dahlia - 2009 ALW winner
Four Gifts - 2009 G3 winner
African Skies
War Tigress
Just Jenda - 2009 G3 winner
Bon Jovi Girl - 2009 G2 placed
Cats
Stone Legacy - 2009 GI placed
Be Fair - 2009 G3 winner
Nan - 2009 GI placed
Gabby's Golden Gal - 2009 GI winner
Tweeter - 2009 MSW winner
Malibu Prayer - 2009 Stakes winner
Flashing - 2009 GI winner
---24 males---
Mine That Bird - 2009 GI winner
Musket Man - 2009 G2 winner
Flying Private - 2009 G2 placed
Big Drama - 2009 Stakes winner
Papa Clem (2X) - 2009 G2 winner
Terrain - 2009 G2 placed (and deceased)
Luv Gov
General Quarters - 2009 G1 winner
Friesan Fire - 2009 G2 winner
Pioneerof the Nile - 2009 GI winner
Tone It Down
Take the Points - 2009 G1 winner
Summer Bird - 2009 GI winner
Munnings - 2009 G2 winner
Duke of Mischief - 2009 Stakes winner
Atomic Rain - 2009 Listed Stakes winner
Bunker Hill - 2009 Stakes placed
Macho Again - 2009 GI winner
Bullsbay - 2009 GI winner
Asiatic Boy - 2009 GI placed
It's a Bird - 2009 G2 winner (well, sort of)
Past the Point - 2009 G3 placed
Cool Coal Man -
Da' Tara

I'm sure someone already covered this, but that's the best I could figure in so far as the relative qualifications of horses faced by both Z and Rachel.