I believe the only three

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by CSC

BTW who did Inside Information beat in the BC, I remember her biggest competition that year was stablemate Heavenly Prize and that one had a snowball's chance on a sloppy track that day.

Lakeway, Serena's Song

basically no ones i guess

[CSC]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Lakeway, Serena's Song

basically no ones i guess

I'll give you Serena's Song only because she was a gamer that campaigned hard that won her share of races, but in fairness she also had a hard time beating Flanders and Jewell Princess when it counted, and she wasn't able to beat top males like Smart Strike in the Islin whom Cigar dismantled a race later that yr. A very good horse but she wasn't in the same class of Cigar.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Lakeway, Serena's Song

basically no ones i guess

Don't forget Mariah's Storm (the dam of Giant's Causeway) .. who soundly beat Serena's Song with a 120 Beyer two months earlier.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Don't forget Mariah's Storm (the dam of Giant's Causeway) .. who soundly beat Serena's Song with a 120 Beyer two months earlier.

She was special.

[GenuineRisk]

Like Sightseek, I've seen a lot of articles using superlatives to describe Zenyatta's challengers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/sp...enyatta&st=cse

("As she was awaiting the start of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, against the best male horses in the world at a distance she had never run, did she suddenly not want to race?")

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo...ition_in_.html

("So it was Zenyatta against the boys Saturday, a terrific bunch, a 13-horse field, 10 Grade I winners (that means they've had at least one good day).")

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...n-breeders-cup

("The end is the only place to start when considering the Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita today. The Classic, with a purse of $5m, is, as the Americans put it, the "deepest" for years, in terms of the sheer number of high-class horses declared to run in the race.")

I saw a few deeper, deepest, strongest ones, too, but I can't find them easily.

Ah, the media. It's not enough that she was the first female to win it, and the first horse to win two different Breeders Cup races, and won Saturday after a pretty sucky start, you have to plump up the field's credentials, too?

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Like Sightseek, I've seen a lot of articles using superlatives to describe Zenyatta's challengers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/sp...enyatta&st=cse

("As she was awaiting the start of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, against the best male horses in the world at a distance she had never run, did she suddenly not want to race?")

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo...ition_in_.html

("So it was Zenyatta against the boys Saturday, a terrific bunch, a 13-horse field, 10 Grade I winners (that means they've had at least one good day).")

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...n-breeders-cup

("The end is the only place to start when considering the Breeders' Cup card at Santa Anita today. The Classic, with a purse of $5m, is, as the Americans put it, the "deepest" for years, in terms of the sheer number of high-class horses declared to run in the race.")

I saw a few deeper, deepest, strongest ones, too, but I can't find them easily.

Ah, the media. It's not enough that she was the first female to win it, and the first horse to win two different Breeders Cup races, and won Saturday after a pretty sucky start, you have to plump up the field's credentials, too?

what were the better fields assembled this year?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

what were the better fields assembled this year?

The field Rachel Alexandra crushed in the Haskell stacks up well enough for spots 2 thorugh 4.

Summer Bird was 2nd ... he's obviously a better dirt horse.

Munning was 3rd ... Very nice horse who was in sharp form.

Papa Clem was 4th .. he won the Arkansas Derby over Old Fashioned and Summer Bird. Ran 4th in the Ky Derby.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The field Rachel Alexandra crushed in the Haskell stacks up well enough for spots 2 thorugh 4.

Summer Bird was 2nd ... he's obviously a better dirt horse.

Munning was 3rd ... Very nice horse who was in sharp form.

Papa Clem was 4th .. he won the Arkansas Derby over Old Fashioned and Summer Bird. Ran 4th in the Ky Derby.

yea, I would take a horse like Papa Clem over Einstein any day of the week and twice on sunday.

They can run on dirt, 10 furlongs, and I will take the euro over munnings.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Ah, the media. It's not enough that she was the first female to win it, and the first horse to win two different Breeders Cup races, and won Saturday after a pretty sucky start, you have to plump up the field's credentials, too?

They are amazing aren't they.

When you read a lot of that silly stuff you get from the racing press ... it's pretty easy to see why guys like Andy Beyer and Steve Crist are as great as they are.

With those two .. you're talking about guys who are both excellent writers and have a great understanding of the sport in terms of both racing and gambling.

Those two names are company I never have to worry about keeping ... because I couldn't pass a 10th grade English class and only can get hired as a small fry racing writer because of my ability in other areas.

It's the exact opposite with a lot of the guys you see writing on racing ... they're very good writers in a lot of cases ... but they don't really understand racing. Some of them out and out have no idea what they're talking about.

You do also have some that are very good writers/handicappers that have a good understanding of racing .. but have a less than stellar understanding of the betting aspect.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

They are amazing aren't they.

When you read a lot of that silly stuff you get from the racing press ... it's pretty easy to see why guys like Andy Beyer and Steve Crist are as great as they are.

With those two .. you're talking about guys who are both excellent writers and have a great understanding of the sport in terms of both racing and gambling.

Those two names are company I never have to worry about keeping ... because I couldn't pass a 10th grade English class and only can get hired as a small fry racing writer because of my ability in other areas.

It's the exact opposite with a lot of the guys you see writing on racing ... they're very good writers in a lot of cases ... but they don't really understand racing. Some of them out and out have no idea what they're talking about.

You do also have some that are very good writers/handicappers that have a good understanding of racing .. but have a less than stellar understanding of the betting aspect.

It's a good observation- horse racing is a unique sport in that it is intrinsically tied to gambling, and any sort of informed gambling on racing requires some pretty good math skills. And there aren't many people who are equally strong in math and in writing, and sports writing, to be specific.

(I also think it's one of the big reasons horse racing has trouble with the casual fans- nobody told them there would be math. )

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

She was special.

Right about now, I feel like saying that about you too.

[Indian Charlie]

Am I the only one who saw the BC classic and thought that Denman was out of his freaking mind saying what he did?

Her race certainly wasn't a bad one, but man, he went wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy overboard.

I have seen much better performances than that one. Even this year I have!

[prudery]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Am I the only one who saw the BC classic and thought that Denman was out of his freaking mind saying what he did?

Her race certainly wasn't a bad one, but man, he went wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy overboard.

I have seen much better performances than that one. Even this year I have!

Well then perhaps a corneal transplant is recommended ..

Please ----why haven't you described all the races that trump this one--big lengths, fast, Rachel, Mine That Bird--the tenth at Canterbury ???!!!

A fascinating race that some refuse to see ...

Watching races for 50 years, and it is way up there ...

" not a bad one"--don't make me laugh ...

Never have I seen such a good horse continually not believed in ..

She runs virtually the same race regardless of pace or opposition seemingly by design ... And does it easily ....

She is an original that must do numbers on you numbers guys, and less popular with bettors than horse people--wonder why ???

So far you haven't beat her, but won't join either...

And no I am not president of the pretty pony club--made my first bet--winning--at age 10 ...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by prudery

She is an original that must do numbers on you numbers guys, and less popular with bettors than horse people--wonder why ???

She's less popular with bettors?

Here's her last 10 races.

* 5/2 favorite

* 2/5 favorite

* 1/5 favorite

* 1/5 favorite

* 1/5 favorite

* 1/2 favorite

* 3/5 favorite

* 3/5 favorite

* 1/5 favorite

* 1/5 favorite

I'd also say she had dominant numbers coming into 9 of those 10 races.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by prudery

Well then perhaps a corneal transplant is recommended ..

For me, or for you? I suggest you need two corneal transplants. One so that you can read what I actually said, and the other to help you learn to watch a race. If you think that's a top 5 or 10 race run in the 50 years you've been watching races, then frankly, you are beyond clueless.

Have you signed up with AARP yet?

Originally Posted by prudery

Please ----why haven't you described all the races that trump this one--big lengths, fast, Rachel, Mine That Bird--the tenth at Canterbury ???!!!

I'm not sure how to react to that. Maybe "Huh?" or "Where did you learn reading comprehension? Perhaps you should have gone to school instead of learning how to read by being taught how to order off the McDonald's menu"

If you are asking me to name a race that was more impressive than this Classic, how about the Preakness from earlier this year? Oh yeah, I can't use that one since you already mocked that possibility above. How about Arazi, or Inside Information? Or heck, even Phone Chatter winning the BC on busted up knees?

Listen man, I never said her race wasn't at all impressive. What I did say was that the track announcer grossly overreacted.

Originally Posted by prudery

A fascinating race that some refuse to see ...

Watching races for 50 years, and it is way up there ...

" not a bad one"--don't make me laugh ...

Never have I seen such a good horse continually not believed in ..

She runs virtually the same race regardless of pace or opposition seemingly by design ... And does it easily ....

She is an original that must do numbers on you numbers guys, and less popular with bettors than horse people--wonder why ???

So far you haven't beat her, but won't join either...

And no I am not president of the pretty pony club--made my first bet--winning--at age 10 ...

Ugh.

[gales0678]

drugs i still think if you put mike smith on Gio Ponti and Dominguez on Zenyatta she doesn't win the race

smith gave her an perfect textbook ride for the pro surface as he should because he's a west coast based jock . ramon, a big a inner dirt specialit made the cardinal mistake of not getting his horse over to the best part of the track for the stretch drive - not only did he lose becuase he was on the deader part of the track , gio ponti never saw zenyatta and never had a chance to look her in the eye , if ramon could have gotten outside of her , we could have seen a different result

jermey rose made the same mistake in the derby , he was too far inside on derby day with afleet alex and mike smith hit the best part of the track on that day 10 wide with the 50/1 shot

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by gales0678

drugs i still think if you put mike smith on Gio Ponti and Dominguez on Zenyatta she doesn't win the race

smith gave her an perfect textbook ride for the pro surface as he should because he's a west coast based jock . ramon, a big a inner dirt specialit made the cardinal mistake of not getting his horse over to the best part of the track for the stretch drive - not only did he lose becuase he was on the deader part of the track , gio ponti never saw zenyatta and never had a chance to look her in the eye , if ramon could have gotten outside of her , we could have seen a different result

jermey rose made the same mistake in the derby , he was too far inside on derby day with afleet alex and mike smith hit the best part of the track on that day 10 wide with the 50/1 shot

While Smith's ride was professional even Chantal would have gotten Zenyatta up. What makes you believe Zenyatta wasn't capable of starting her run a quarter of a mile sooner on the outside and winning by the same length.
She is a terrific mare it was an awesome race, clearly not some Classic that goes down in history as an all time race but it certainly was great theather and a fine way for a great horse to out in style.

Look all story's cant be as wonderful and have the terriffic ending that Zensational did..Now that was the final chapter of an immense champion.lol

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by gales0678

drugs i still think if you put mike smith on Gio Ponti and Dominguez on Zenyatta she doesn't win the race

smith gave her an perfect textbook ride for the pro surface as he should because he's a west coast based jock . ramon, a big a inner dirt specialit made the cardinal mistake of not getting his horse over to the best part of the track for the stretch drive - not only did he lose becuase he was on the deader part of the track , gio ponti never saw zenyatta and never had a chance to look her in the eye , if ramon could have gotten outside of her , we could have seen a different result

jermey rose made the same mistake in the derby , he was too far inside on derby day with afleet alex and mike smith hit the best part of the track on that day 10 wide with the 50/1 shot

STOP!!

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by gales0678

drugs i still think if you put mike smith on Gio Ponti and Dominguez on Zenyatta she doesn't win the race

smith gave her an perfect textbook ride for the pro surface as he should because he's a west coast based jock . ramon, a big a inner dirt specialit made the cardinal mistake of not getting his horse over to the best part of the track for the stretch drive - not only did he lose becuase he was on the deader part of the track , gio ponti never saw zenyatta and never had a chance to look her in the eye , if ramon could have gotten outside of her , we could have seen a different result

Dominguez is more that an "inner dirt specialist." Did you miss his performance at Belmont and Saratoga this year? He gave Gio Ponti a perfect ride in the Classic; Gip Ponti was simply outfinished by Zenyatta (who followed Gio Ponti from the half-mile pole to the quarter-pole along the rail).