A Sad Day For Racing

[Nascar1966]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

Voters should be ashamed of themselves.

I agree with you. Im still trying to figure out how Shireffs was a finalist for Trainer of the Year. Goldikova winning Female Turf Horse off of just one North American Start. Has anyone ever heard of an American horse winning a Cartier Award off of just one European start? There should be a rule for these awards just like Canada has for thier award"s. Blame beat Zenyatta on the track while giving her weight. If Zenyatta is this super horse, why did she only take on the males once last year? All she beat in California on the syththetic tracks were marginally Grade II maybe even Grade III fillies and mares.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

One would have hoped that voters had the wherewithal to conclude that Blame was 2-1 against Haynesfield and defeated him soundly in both the Whitney and Classic. I really don't think this was about the JCGC. It was a crusade by a legion of fans/writers/connections who not only overrated their horse, they overrated her accomplishments, and they overrated her impact on the game.

As Chuck said, I'm eagerly anticipating the tremendous growth in handle and attendance that will stem from all of these new fans being involved in the game.

The wrong horse won HoY but who really gives a flying fvck. She was a great animal and did help promote the sport. Her popularity can't hurt long term. It's not like Blame was some all time great. I could have never voted for Zenyatta but her being HoY is hardily a tragedy. The worst part of the whole thing is that between the two they raced a total of 11 times. Neither deserve too much praise.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

Blame paid about a nearly full $10 in his Stephen Foster win this year.

Pretty sure Secretariat, Seattle Slew.....or Zenyatta rarely returned same.


Then Blame won a race at Aqueduct, and another race in New York.


Then lost a race in New York.

Then, barely triumphed over the undefeated Zenyatta in The Classic.


This voting really isn't that complicated, folks.

Well put I like the word TRIUMPHED..
1. To be victorious or successful; win.
2. To rejoice over a success or victory; exult.
3. To receive honors upon return from a victory in ancient Rome. Used of a general.
n.
1. The fact of being victorious; victory or conquest. See Synonyms at victory.
2. A noteworthy or spectacular success.
3. Exultation or rejoicing over victory or success.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by freddymo

The wrong horse won HoY but who really gives a flying fvck. She was a great animal and did help promote the sport. Her popularity can't hurt long term. It's not like Blame was some all time great. I could have never voted for Zenyatta but her being HoY is hardily a tragedy. The worst part of the whole thing is that between the two they raced a total of 11 times. Neither deserve too much praise.

Exactly...who cares? So if Blame had won, the sport would take a huge step forward...handle would go up and racing would be so much better today for it...yeah right. Who won HOY has no impact whatsoever on whether or not people are going to wager or how much they're going to wager on the races today...tomorrow or the rest of the year.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

How many Zenyatta voters do we think could beat the take-out over the course of a year?

thats a fact and thats why no one should really care....this award goes to building the sport (FANS). the people that fall for these horses are NOT really bettors or horseplayers...they are FANS. the voters do not vote for people that actually know and more importantly BET on this game. they voted for the story....ZENYATTA. anyone that bets all the time and follows racing knows its better to come in second in the jockey gold cup then to win a race they wanted to name after you. the horses in the two fields don't even compare. Blame by far ran a more ambitious campaign...we all know it....but mostly all of us will be betting again wednesday or before.....WE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE RACING NEEDS....THEY GOT US....its not SAD to try and get interest in this dying game....that award means squat to me i'm trying to win bets. hey, the guy before me said the same thing 3 minutes ago.....lol

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

Blame was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I guess its being in the wrong place by being in front at the wire in a 5 million dollar race!

Its pretty ridiculous that Zenyatta got HOTY for this year, but really, its a meaningless award.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

Then, barely triumphed over the undefeated Zenyatta in The Classic.


.

when you lose, you are no longer undefeated.

"barely, triumphed" lol

a win is a win

I was very impressed by Zenyatta's classic, thought that she was probably the best horse in the race.

BUT

Blame won & he was the better overall horse by far for 2010 if you look at records and races.

[randallscott35]

It's funny how people are more hung up on the semantics of the word sad in this thread than actually justifying her win. And we will all "get over it." Last I looked this is a horse racing message board, therefore that's what we are discussing...And yes it is sad when idiocy triumphs over justice.

[LARHAGE]

Originally Posted by dean smith

Last year, when Zenyatta did win the BC Classic, a lot of you East Coast-biased fans kept repeating, "the HOY is NOT decided at the Classic."

Ironically, this appears to be the only solid case for why Blame was "robbed."

By the way, had Blame won, he would have been just about the weakest, most quickly-forgotten HOY ever. So what if the 2010 HOY was Zenyatta's "The Departed"?

I don't get this denigrating of Blame as the weakest, all it does is underline how average Zenyatta was than to be beaten by him.

[10 pnt move up]

I would love to see the voting breakdown by gender.

[Thunder Gulch]

It's a happy day for this board because we can now, finally, move on to discussing real racing instead of debating one horse's merits.

[Gate Dancer]

It's supposed to be 'Horse of the Year' not 'Horse of a Career'. Frankly, I think a bunch of the voters for Rachel last year felt guilty (which they shouldn't) since she came back this year and was not as spectacular so they wanted to right a 'wrong' in Zenyatta's favor. She is a great mare but her campaign (body of work in 2010) is just not worthy of being voted ahead of Blame.

I suppose now we'll be subjected to years of clammering for Zenyatta as 'Broodmare of the Year' ..........................

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Exactly...who cares? So if Blame had won, the sport would take a huge step forward...handle would go up and racing would be so much better today for it...yeah right. Who won HOY has no impact whatsoever on whether or not people are going to wager or how much they're going to wager on the races today...tomorrow or the rest of the year.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Exactly...who cares? So if Blame had won, the sport would take a huge step forward...handle would go up and racing would be so much better today for it...yeah right. Who won HOY has no impact whatsoever on whether or not people are going to wager or how much they're going to wager on the races today...tomorrow or the rest of the year.

Really? You don't think who wins HOTY will galvanize a budding fan base, add to attendance and handle and rescue our great sport from its doldrums? Amazing.

The difference is that one camp and her loyal fans said that this was part of the criteria for their horse winning.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I guess its being in the wrong place by being in front at the wire in a 5 million dollar race!

Its pretty ridiculous that Zenyatta got HOTY for this year, but really, its a meaningless award.

Blame would have gotten my vote, but it is not as ridiculous as some may think it is, his 2010 campaign won't go down as one of the braver one's either.

[Seattleallstar]

Shame on the voters! This is so insane. Blame beat Zenyatta, and had beat the best horses in America in OPEN competition. THIS IS HORSE OF THE YEAR, not Horse that has meant the most to racing.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

People wanted to see her campaigned more aggressively this year.


As they did for Rachel Alexandra. Her connections were thought to have ducked the Zenyatta match up this year. For whatever their possibly good reasons.


This country has an electoral college for final validation of Presidential elections.



Blame was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I was wondering who would be the first to bring up Rachel. Congrats. Has absolutely nothing to do with HOY this year, or the discussion at hand, but hey, if that is all you have, go for it.

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

Blame paid about a nearly full $10 in his Stephen Foster win this year.

Pretty sure Secretariat, Seattle Slew.....or Zenyatta rarely returned same.


Then Blame won a race at Aqueduct, and another race in New York.


Then lost a race in New York.

Then, barely triumphed over the undefeated Zenyatta in The Classic.


This voting really isn't that complicated, folks.

Wow. You really might have outdone yourself here. Blame won at Aqueduct? In what dream? But even if he had, does that mean something bad?

I won't waste my time going over Zenyatta's race record this year, who she beat, who they avoided, etc. It's been done too many times before. But there is someone with a bias here. Maybe stick to redboards in the future? Those are always a better read than this.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by dean smith

Last year, when Zenyatta did win the BC Classic, a lot of you East Coast-biased fans kept repeating, "the HOY is NOT decided at the Classic."

Ironically, this appears to be the only solid case for why Blame was "robbed."

By the way, had Blame won, he would have been just about the weakest, most quickly-forgotten HOY ever. So what if the 2010 HOY was Zenyatta's "The Departed"?

Hard to argue with this stellar logic. The Classic is not the ONLY reason Blame should be HOY. It's one of many. Whereas the only case I see being made for Zenyatta is "she did so much for the game". She certainly didn't deserve based on her races this year, unless beating a total of ONE grade 1 winner in her victories (Switch who got her grade 1 the last week of December) is a HOY campaign.

[pointman]

The Eclipse awards lost all credibility with voting Zenyatta horse of the year. The criteria now appears to be the most popular horse, not the horse who accomplished the most over the racetrack. The funniest argument from the lost Zenyatta lovers to justify the decision is that she was the better horse in the classic. Since when does losing a race justify horse of the year?

Poor Al Stall and Blame's connections must be wondering if they can put their hands down yet.

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by pointman

The Eclipse awards lost all credibility with voting Zenyatta horse of the year. The criteria now appears to be the most popular horse, not the horse who accomplished the most over the racetrack. The funniest argument from the lost Zenyatta lovers to justify the decision is that she was the better horse in the classic. Since when does losing a race justify horse of the year?

Poor Al Stahl and Blame's connections must be wondering if they can put their hands down yet.

.......curlin.