I need to listen to ATR more often

[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.

[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.

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!

[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?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Revidere

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

[Dunbar]

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, no, you are the correct one, Ateam. We should all continue to rant on about the cowardice of the Mosses when any typical owners would have just retired their Breeders Cup Classic champ. What in the world are the Mosses thinking? Bringing back a champ as a 6-yr-old and running her just twice in the East. Pointing their mare to the Breeder's Cup Classic, as if that's a tough race or anything! It's ridiculous, you're right. We should all be getting excited about next year's Kentucky Derby, or something, instead.

Look, would I rather see her facing males before the BC Classic? Sure. But in an age when pretty much every Grade I winner is a candidate for "He/She's done enough" and whisked off to the breeding shed, I'm EXTREMELY glad that they brought Zenyatta back to race again.

--Dunbar

[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 Dunbar

No, no, you are the correct one, Ateam. We should all continue to rant on about the cowardice of the Mosses when any typical owners would have just retired their Breeders Cup Classic champ. What in the world are the Mosses thinking? Bringing back a champ as a 6-yr-old and running her just twice in the East. Pointing their mare to the Breeder's Cup Classic, as if that's a tough race or anything! It's ridiculous, you're right. We should all be getting excited about next year's Kentucky Derby, or something, instead.



--Dunbar

They brought her back for selfish reasons, not for the fans. If they actually cared about the sport then they would run her against the best older males in the East on dirt. They don't want that.

They want Best in Show awards. If all they care about is awards then Moss should leave the game and invest in Broadway plays. Lord knows he would fit right in with those sissies.

We'll see if they cross the Rockies for the BC

[Indian Charlie]

Best Pal would have beaten Zenyatta as well.

Steve Zenyattawitz is hopeless!

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Best Pal would have beaten Zenyatta as well.

Steve Zenyattawitz is hopeless!

Once out of 10 maybe.