Shirreffs says Zenyatta deserves '10 Horse of the Year

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Danzig

personal ensign faced and defeated males, including eclipse award winner gulch before running in the distaff and defeating the ky derby/santa anita derby winner. she also retired undefeated, a perfect 13 for 13. alysheba got HOY, and deservedly so. i don't recall if PE was even mentioned as being in the running. zenyatta shouldn't be in the running at this point at all, not with what she's done this year. the only thing her connections are hanging their hats on is her 19/19 record. she didn't accomplish all that this year. if blame or QR wins the classic, her trainer can politic all he wishes. she wouldn't deserve to win, or even get in the voting, based on this years races-and isn't that what the award is for?

I agree.

The connections of PE picked a 3 horse field with Gulch being the major competitor (not the best horse in the country) to take their single shot against boys. I don't criticize it because that's the way it has typically been done in the US when mares face older Grade 1 colts. They look for an easy spot here or there or don't do it at all.

Rachel took on the best 3YOs, but when it came time to take on older males she took on Bullsbay and Macho Again (the 4th string). Again, nothing to criticize.

Zenyatta is the only one that is held to the standard of having to run against the best males a lot of the time or get trashed. It's a double standard.