BEYER: Defining Zenyatta's historical role

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by goingtothewhip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...110703043.html

I laughed.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by chucklestheclown

I laughed.

so did i. didn't you know horses win 18 races straight all the time? including the breeders cup classic. wait a minute alot of these horses don't even run that many times anymore. boy, she stinks....lol. thanks for the article its a real eye opener. theres two or three really good horses racing in the whole country.....i guess shes not one of them andy. your supposed to be so good with your crappy numbers....do something useful and tell me who is going to beat her. i took history in school and history never cashed me a ticket.....lol. in fact, i think that involves looking ahead......i don't need your stupid "history" lesson.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Here are some amusing quotes from the wonderful world of facebook about this column ...

NY Times Molly Jo Rosen:

I'm wary to share this on my wall because I really disagree with what Andy writes. With all the respect I have for him diminishing the more I think about it, let me say this:

You don't assassinate the character of an elite athlete, let alone the best PR machine this sport's had since the 1970's. Will Zenyatta go down in... history as the best racehorse of all time? Who knows. But she's the best in the game right now and she and her connections deserve better than some cheap excuse to bemoan a bad surface.

I will simply say that as a member of the media, an owner, and a lifelong racing fan: while an interesting read, this was a low blow to racing. Period.

Bruno De Julio:

I am sitting here clocking at Churchill and reading all the rhetoric being written on Zenyatta - I know what I see - I have clocked and watched the best - she is, hands down the best athlete I have ever seen, and for All the right reasons ...- I am sooooooo sick and tired to hear these blowhards continue to knock her - i am going to stop defending her she is a big girl and can handle herself

[PeteMugg]

The guy's strategy for the BC was to throw out all the dirt horses, yet he still couldn't come up with Zenyatta as the winner. I guess he's consistant.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by PeteMugg

The guy's strategy for the BC was to throw out all the dirt horses, yet he still couldn't come up with Zenyatta as the winner. I guess he's consistant.

How many dirt horses even ran in last years Classic?

Like 3?

[PeteMugg]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

How many dirt horses even ran in last years Classic?

Like 3?

Actually, if you count QR and Z, about eleven of the entries had wins on the dirt. I guess many of them had success on synth as well. But hey, we know it's impossible to be good on both. Essentially, AB dismissed Z for RVW and TO.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by PeteMugg

Actually, if you count QR and Z, about eleven of the entries had wins on the dirt. I guess many of them had success on synth as well. But hey, we know it's impossible to be good on both. Essentially, AB dismissed Z for RVW and TO.

I thought he was dismissing all horses going from dirt to synthetic last year .. I don't know though, I don't follow other peoples angles that closely.

I also thought Beyer had a decent Breeders Cup with picks he made in his column last year - I remember a bunch of threads being started about it on other boards.

I hate handicapping races on boards because you always have to listen to somebody's crap. He dismissed a 5/2 favorite for two Euro's - big deal.

I didn't dismiss Zenyatta in the race - though off her form.. with no bias shown to her trainers tendency of getting horses to peak on the big day when he's kid gloving them along ... she absolutely should have been dismissed.. even against that vomitious field of horses relative to past Classic fields, in her back yard, on her surface.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Here are some amusing quotes from the wonderful world of facebook about this column ...

NY Times Molly Jo Rosen:




Bruno De Julio:

Go back and read her post about her "stats" for the Saratoga meet that she provided her "clients." She boasted about having a 58% win rate but then back-pedaled when questioned about it saying that 58% was the rate with which she had the winner among her top four selections.

Yeah, she has a lot of credibility.

NT

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Go back and read her post about her "stats" for the Saratoga meet that she provided her "clients." She boasted about having a 58% win rate but then back-pedaled when questioned about it saying that 58% was the rate with which she had the winner among her top four selections.

Yeah, she has a lot of credibility.

NT

I remember noticing once that she claimed she was picking winners at like 60% at Saratoga. I assumed it was probably a top 3 thing like the tip sheet people there claim when you walk into the track.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Here are some amusing quotes from the wonderful world of facebook about this column ...

NY Times Molly Jo Rosen:
Will Zenyatta go down in... history as the best racehorse of all time? Who knows.

Oh my god.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by HomerS

"assassinate the character"

Exactly what I am talking about. Molly Jo should be embarrassed. Such nonsense.

& the best PR machine since the 70's??? LOL thats why so many non racing fans are following Z's career

No horse in the past decade holds a candle to Smarty Jones as far as PR goes.

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

& the best PR machine since the 70's??? LOL thats why so many non racing fans are following Z's career

No horse in the past decade holds a candle to Smarty Jones as far as PR goes.

I'm not so sure Smarty Jones garnered any more non racing fans than Big Brown. Both horses had all of three weeks in the spotlight. I'm not saying Zenyatta is the PR machine this woman says she is but if you polled a thousand people at random to name a racehorse who ran in the last ten years I'd be surprised if Smarty jones would be holding the candle at the very top of the list.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

I'm not so sure Smarty Jones garnered any more non racing fans than Big Brown. Both horses had all of three weeks in the spotlight. I'm not saying Zenyatta is the PR machine this woman says she is but if you polled a thousand people at random to name a racehorse who ran in the last ten years I'd be surprised if Smarty jones would be holding the candle at the very top of the list.

Smarty Jones was connected to likeable people, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and got tons of coverage in mainstream media (even before the Derby). There was a story there...the horse who had a terrible accident, the dying owner, the blue collar family man trainer. Nothing was likeable about Big Brown but the horse. I know plently of people (myself included and a few other regulars on this board) who became attracted to the sport because of the media (overhyped or not) over Smarty, I've never heard anyone say they became a fan because of Big Brown.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Smarty Jones was connected to likeable people,

Decrepit car dealer for an owner, a trainer who wastes his time hunting, and Stew Elliot as a jockey?

That's a trifecta of likability if I've ever seen one.

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Smarty Jones was connected to likeable people, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and got tons of coverage in mainstream media (even before the Derby). There was a story there...the horse who had a terrible accident, the dying owner, the blue collar family man trainer. Nothing was likeable about Big Brown but the horse. I know plently of people (myself included and a few other regulars on this board) who became attracted to the sport because of the media (overhyped or not) over Smarty, I've never heard anyone say they became a fan because of Big Brown.

Big Brown was a huge flop in the Belmont so I suppose no one wanted to embrace a loser.

As far as the "feel good" story I'm not so sure that captured the imagination of fans as much as SJs' courageous effort in defeat.

One thing Big Brown had over Smarty Jones PR wise was UPS.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

& the best PR machine since the 70's??? LOL thats why so many non racing fans are following Z's career

No horse in the past decade holds a candle to Smarty Jones as far as PR goes.

Agreed

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by HomerS

How many people even heard of Smarty Jones before the Derby

What you said..

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by HomerS

How many people even heard of Smarty Jones before the Derby?

For sure for 6 weeks or so the Smarty fans were out in full force with hyperbole. And thats not unusual when it comes to the near TC winners. Is the norm more then the exception. But a little different here.

At risk of bringing out more angry fans would say the Easy Goer crew was at least on par with Zenyetta crew in terms of hype.

Think the East-Coast West coast divide is similar

besides californians & horse racing fans, who dont count anyway, there is NO zenyatta hype!!!

[Antitrust32]

All I know is that Smarty generated about a thousand times more hype in the "outside world" than Zenyaddayadda.

Funny Cide also, and Big Brown are ahead of Zenyaddayadda in the PR department.

Basically any horse that has come into the Belmont with a chance at a TC is ahead of Zenyadda in the PR department.

Rachel is ahead of Zenyadda in the PR department. People watched the Preakness.

[Arletta]

Popcorn anyone?

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