A Sad Day For Racing

[Dahoss]

Just so no one thinks I had anything to do with the penalty box, I didn't. I don't agree with it and don't really see why he was put there. I do think it's worth going back and getting it all out one last time, because this is going to be my last post on Zenyatta and HOY.

My biggest issue here is apparently logic has been thrown out the window. I understand we all view the game differently. Some are fans first and never bet, some bet sometimes, weekend warriors and people that make a living playing. There is room for all of us (and hopefully more), but I do think if you are going to have an opinion, you should at least be able to back it up somehow. Otherwise what is the point of having one? And by backing it up I mean supplying either facts or an arguement that makes sense.

One thing that has become apparent is somehow this became some kind of east vs west thing and it's totally not. Who cares where a horse is from? Another thing is no matter what a "Zenyatta hater" says, it always somehow gets distorted. We said we wanted to see her do more this year. That turned into she needed to face only males, ship multiple times and run in NY. It's just not true and further demonstrates that logic has been thrown out the window. Here's a good example....

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, Blame never ran at Aqueduct. Not that it matters if he did, but the implication is that Aqueduct is somehow not good enough for a HOY candidate. Yet it's the people from the east coast that are arrogant. And if you notice in the post, running in NY seems to be some sort of negative. Well, like it or not the top races for handicap horses in the summer and fall are in NY. Blame was running in the top races for handicap horses. Blame paid $10 in the Foster. Is that a negative? He was 2nd choice in the race.

So when I bring it up, this is the answer...

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

I've been to probably 30+ race tracks across America and Canada. I've never been to Aqueduct. It's not one I've ever wanted to check off my list.

Seriously, if there is something at Aqueduct I should see, let me know. I'll be sure to go. I'm a sucker for nostalgia and history, as any Hialeah fan in 2011 of course would be. I've made Belmont for several "Belmont Stakes," the first being Seattle Slew's win.

Okay, I'll admit in misreading something last night about Blame and Aqueduct.

I just don't see or buy that Garrett Gomez aboard Blame for a 4-1 record in his 2010 races was all that special.

Seriously, who cares how many tracks someone has been to? What does it have to do with the discussion or the obvious error in the post? but he's right, Blame's year wasn't all that special. Neither was Zenyatta's if you look at the races, who she faced and what they ended up doing. There is no way someone can be honest and say Zenyatta faced better competition than Blame did in 2010. There is no way someone can say Zenyatta beat better competition than Blame did. It's just not possible. The only arguement we hear is she did more for the game. That's a chickenshit cop out. I have yet to see someone put forth an arguement that what Zenyatta did on track was better than Blame...because you can't.

I think awarding Zenyatta HOY sets a bad precedent. Her connections knew that by running in the campaign they chose, they needed to win the Classic in order to be deserving of HOY. She didn't. She ran well, but in a game where inches separates millions of dollars, she fell inches short, to a horse that had a better year on track than she did. i don't like seeing the sport turn into a popularity contest. It isn't American Idol. it's better than that and we should expect better than that. It's not about who has more fans on Facebook. It's about what you do on the track.

She didn't have to travel or beat males every race. But there were races in her backyard that she was eligible for, that would have tested her and they avoided them. The funny thing is I'm almost positive she would have won them. But they didn't try. They avoided top competition to protect a streak and were rewarded for it. Had she just ran in one of those races against males during the year, I would think she is deserving. but she didn't.

If people think that she had was deserving of HOY based on what she did on track this year, fine. But I urge you to go through the history of the award and tell me how her year stacks up with other winners. I'll save you the time....it doesn't stack up well. She was a fantastic horse. She was an amazingly consistent horse. Her run in the BC this year was exciting and made for a great race. But she didn't deserve HOY. The horse that beat her...that beat better, that faced better deserved the award.

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

I know nothing about you, but I picture you as a pasty white, pudgy young man sitting alone in a disheveled apartment with two day old skid marks in your underwear.

Is there something wrong with sitting alone in two day old skid marks? If there is, i don't ever want to be right.