I need to listen to ATR more often

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by Danzig

and it's interesting the comparison to personal ensign. she didn't get HOY either....


and i don't recall mr. phipps and shug bitching about it.


you want to be the best? beat the best. run a top campaign. don't stay in your backyard and say you're king of the hill. that's what is required to be an all-timer.

Personal Ensign wasn't, as far as I know, even considered for the BC Classic. (I certainly don't fault anyone for THAT decision--running against Alysheba would have been daunting, to say the least.) BUT, Zenyatta's camp has set the BC Classic as their year-end goal regardless of who else is heading there. Likewise, they announced the Apple Blossom date well ahead of time REGARDLESS of who else was going to show up there.

Despite that, there is all this relentless whining about the schedule her connections have chosen for her. She's already won Grade I's on both synthetic and dirt, and we somehow just get more whining. What a bunch of cup-half-empty nonsense!

We have a 6-year-old mare that in the hands of 95% of owner/trainer would have been retired (and stayed retired) after being the first mare to win the BC Classic. Instead of retirement, we have the unexpected pleasure of watching this excellent mare run another half dozen times, including two trips east. Despite all of this that we could and should be absolutely savoring, we get a surprising number of otherwise sane people who jump at any opportunity to nitpick Zenyatta's accomplishments.

--Dunbar

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Personal Ensign wasn't, as far as I know, even considered for the BC Classic. (I certainly don't fault anyone for THAT decision--running against Alysheba would have been daunting, to say the least.) BUT, Zenyatta's camp has set the BC Classic as their year-end goal regardless of who else is heading there. Likewise, they announced the Apple Blossom date well ahead of time REGARDLESS of who else was going to show up there.

Despite that, there is all this relentless whining about the schedule her connections have chosen for her. She's already won Grade I's on both synthetic and dirt, and we somehow just get more whining. What a bunch of cup-half-empty nonsense!

We have a 6-year-old mare that in the hands of 95% of owner/trainer would have been retired (and stayed retired) after being the first mare to win the BC Classic. Instead of retirement, we have the unexpected pleasure of watching this excellent mare run another half dozen times, including two trips east. Despite all of this that we could and should be absolutely savoring, we get a surprising number of otherwise sane people who jump at any opportunity to nitpick Zenyatta's accomplishments.

--Dunbar

Right, we should all be falling all over ourselves thanking the Mosses for bringing her back to beat Taptam and St Trinians. The racing world would certainly collapse into dust were we not given that privilege.

It's nice that she's still running and her stretch runs are exciting in themselves, but I'm sorry, her campaign is boring and it doesn't nearly live up to the hyperbole we're smothered with by her connections and fans.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Right, we should all be falling all over ourselves thanking the Mosses for bringing her back to beat Taptam and St Trinians. The racing world would certainly collapse into dust were we not given that privilege.

It's nice that she's still running and her stretch runs are exciting in themselves, but I'm sorry, her campaign is boring and it doesn't nearly live up to the hyperbole we're smothered with by her connections and fans.

No, we shouldn't be thanking them for bringing her back to face Taptam. We should be thanking them for bringing her back this year to take on Rachel (which they tried to do). And we should thank them for bringing her back this year to defend her title in the BC Classic.

So thank her for two races.

And you don't see anything wrong with that?

How about we just shut the sport down completely? It's obvious cowardice is rewarded and praised.

[TouchOfGrey]

Oh dear.

Of all the times for Steve to be off the satellite airwaves! Good for him for saying what many of us are thinking.

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

Oh dear.

Of all the times for Steve to be off the satellite airwaves! Good for him for saying what many of us are thinking.

You can tell a few of the dearly de-darted are still raging on the Paulick Report.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

So thank her for two races.

And you don't see anything wrong with that?

How about we just shut the sport down completely? It's obvious cowardice is rewarded and praised.

So even though they wanted to take on Rachel, they are cowards? Even though they want to run against the best colts in the country, they are cowards? They are cowards if they don't try to choose a really tough race every time?

Is it like that in boxing to? Should a boxer try to look for the toughest fight he can find every time? If he doesn't, is he a coward? That is absurd and you know it. You point for a big fight or a big race, but you don't want to have really tough ones all the way there. You want some of the preps to be relatively easy. There is nothing wrong with that.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Is it like that in boxing to? Should a boxer try to look for the toughest fight he can find every time? If he doesn't, is he a coward? That is absurd and you know it. You point for a big fight or a big race, but you don't want to have really tough ones all the way there. You want some of the preps to be relatively easy. There is nothing wrong with that.

Remind me of the last "prep" fight Mayweather had. The champion takes on the #1 contender to the belt, not a bunch of scrubs he used to beat up in his neighborhood gym.

Besides, how many f'ing preps does she need for the Classic? If she's "prepping" in June for the Breeders' Cup Classic, that doesn't say much for her condition.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

So thank her for two races.

And you don't see anything wrong with that?

How about we just shut the sport down completely? It's obvious cowardice is rewarded and praised.

I agree that cowardice is rewarded and praised. But what's even more rewarded and praised is retiring good horses and taking them out of the game. "It's just good business". "We want to do the best for the horse". Clap clap clap.

Shame on the Mosses for bringing Zenyatta back and only racing twice in the East. And the nerve they have of announcing her schedule far enough in advance that any filly/mare in the country could meet her if desired by the connections.

Shame, too, on Zenyatta for excelling on two surfaces, while "really" good horses can apparently only excel on one, dirt.

Shame on the Mosses for aiming so low as to win a 2nd BC Classic.

--Dunbar

[slotdirt]

Dunbar, I will bet you that Zenyatta will not race again this year outside of the Pacific time zone. Name your price. Breeders Cup Classic on dirt? I laughed.

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Dunbar, I will bet you that Zenyatta will not race again this year outside of the Pacific time zone. Name your price. Breeders Cup Classic on dirt? I laughed.

They're not even taking her out of her stall to walk a couple hundred yards to race in the Hollywood Gold Cup at her home track at her "preferred" distance. What Rocky Mountains exist between her stall and the race track at Hollywook Park?

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I say, once again, that you guys are absolutely insane if you think Zenyatta is crossing the Mississippi again this year. Insane.

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Dunbar, I will bet you that Zenyatta will not race again this year outside of the Pacific time zone. Name your price. Breeders Cup Classic on dirt? I laughed.

Given that you seem to think there is no chance she is running in the BC Classic, how about giving me 2-1? That should be pretty easy money for you, if you're so sure she's staying in California.


--Dunbar

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I say, once again, that you guys are absolutely insane if you think Zenyatta is crossing the Mississippi again this year. Insane.

Zenyatta has crossed the Mississippi, I must had missed that.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Shame on the Mosses for bringing Zenyatta back and only racing twice in the East. And the nerve they have of announcing her schedule far enough in advance that any filly/mare in the country could meet her if desired by the connections.
--Dunbar

Yes, shame on Moss for annoucing Zenyatta's retirement while keeping her in training, then announce in late January that they were going to the Apple Blossom.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Shame, too, on Zenyatta for excelling on two surfaces, while "really" good horses can apparently only excel on one, dirt.

Shame on the Mosses for aiming so low as to win a 2nd BC Classic.

--Dunbar

Wow running 2 dirt races in 3 years means they excel? interesting. Why did they skip last year's Apple Blossom?

(Hey Riot, this is how you seperate a post)

......And why in the heck is the thoroughbredracingradionetwork site down?

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Dunbar, I will bet you that Zenyatta will not race again this year outside of the Pacific time zone. Name your price. Breeders Cup Classic on dirt? I laughed.

Why would you possibly think that they aren't going to run in the BC Classic? Of course she will run in the BC Classic. The only way she won't is if she gets hurt. The BC Classic is their goal and has been all year.

She will probably only run twice between now and then. I guess if she loses one of her next two races, that could change their plans. But otherwise she will definitely be there.

[zippyneedsawin]

OK. I don't have time to read through all 13 pages of this thread, so I apologize if someone has already made this points.
Zenyatta is a very nice mare. She's done nothing wrong, answered the bell for every race and deserves high accolades. However, the company she's kept the majority of the time has been suspect at best. She did beat Ginger Punch (an eclipse winner) in the Apple Blossom.. she gets credit for that one. She did win the BCC.. kudos for that.. It's pointed out that the race was in her backyard on a surface the majority of the field was unproven on.. that's valid.
to me, the BCC win was terrific, but I can see why others knock it.
The bottom line is her connections could have sent her to the Foster last weekend.. she would have silenced her doubters with a win in that race.. but they didn't.. In my opinion.. if she beats Quality Road, Blame or Rachel ( I believe she's back in form now).. she deserves to be put on a pedestal. Hopefully she gets that chance in the BCC.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I agree that cowardice is rewarded and praised. But what's even more rewarded and praised is retiring good horses and taking them out of the game. "It's just good business". "We want to do the best for the horse". Clap clap clap.

Shame on the Mosses for bringing Zenyatta back and only racing twice in the East. And the nerve they have of announcing her schedule far enough in advance that any filly/mare in the country could meet her if desired by the connections.

Shame, too, on Zenyatta for excelling on two surfaces, while "really" good horses can apparently only excel on one, dirt.

Shame on the Mosses for aiming so low as to win a 2nd BC Classic.

--Dunbar

It's like comparing tennis players who excelled on carpet to those who did on grass.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I agree that cowardice is rewarded and praised. But what's even more rewarded and praised is retiring good horses and taking them out of the game. "It's just good business". "We want to do the best for the horse". Clap clap clap.

Shame on the Mosses for bringing Zenyatta back and only racing twice in the East. And the nerve they have of announcing her schedule far enough in advance that any filly/mare in the country could meet her if desired by the connections.

Shame, too, on Zenyatta for excelling on two surfaces, while "really" good horses can apparently only excel on one, dirt.

Shame on the Mosses for aiming so low as to win a 2nd BC Classic.

--Dunbar

I still dont understand when Zenyatta has raced in the East????

As far as I know.. or at least when I look at a map, Arkansas is NOT "in the East". East of Cali, yes, but thats about it!

Soon Zenyatta will be shipping to Turf Paradise, so she can race in the East!

[slotdirt]

Arapahoe Park is the East!

[Round Pen]

I would Like to thank everyone who has made a post in this thread it definitely has made entertaining reading since i have gotten in from the barn this AM.

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

How about we just shut the sport down completely?

Isn't the sport doing a fine enough job of its own on that front?