A Sad Day For Racing

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

The spitefulness, the hostility some people display toward a champion.... that is what I'll never understand.

No one is hostile towards her. I'm not sure why this seems to get brought up over and over. No one hates or even dislikes her.

People wanted to see her campaigned more aggressively this year. If that's spiteful or hostile...so be it. They thought more highly of her than her fans and even connections. People are (understandably) confused about how the entire thing went down. IMO we took two steps back as a sport.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

No one is hostile towards her. I'm not sure why this seems to get brought up over and over. No one hates or even dislikes her.

People wanted to see her campaigned more aggressively this year. If that's spiteful or hostile...so be it. They thought more highly of her than her fans and even connections. People are (understandably) confused about how the entire thing went down. IMO we took two steps back as a sport.

People wanted to see her campaigned more aggressively this year.


As they did for Rachel Alexandra. Her connections were thought to have ducked the Zenyatta match up this year. For whatever their possibly good reasons.


This country has an electoral college for final validation of Presidential elections.



Blame was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[letswastemoney]

Why do we even have restricted and open G1 races if there's no difference in weight? If a horse can win HOTY by winning all restricted G1s...wouldn't it be more fair if all graded stakes were open?

[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.

[Left Bank]

Just think,everybody.Next year,Todd Shrupp and the rest of the cast of idiots from TVG and HRTV will get to cast votes as well.Oh Boy!!

[letswastemoney]

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.

What does it say about Zenyatta if a lowly horse such as Blame beat her?

[dean smith]

Last year, when Zenyatta did win the BC Classic, a lot of you East Coast-biased fans kept repeating, "the HOY is NOT decided at the Classic."

Ironically, this appears to be the only solid case for why Blame was "robbed."

By the way, had Blame won, he would have been just about the weakest, most quickly-forgotten HOY ever. So what if the 2010 HOY was Zenyatta's "The Departed"?

[LARHAGE]

Originally Posted by dean smith

Last year, when Zenyatta did win the BC Classic, a lot of you East Coast-biased fans kept repeating, "the HOY is NOT decided at the Classic."

Ironically, this appears to be the only solid case for why Blame was "robbed."

By the way, had Blame won, he would have been just about the weakest, most quickly-forgotten HOY ever. So what if the 2010 HOY was Zenyatta's "The Departed"?

I don't get this denigrating of Blame as the weakest, all it does is underline how average Zenyatta was than to be beaten by him.

[10 pnt move up]

I would love to see the voting breakdown by gender.

[Gate Dancer]

It's supposed to be 'Horse of the Year' not 'Horse of a Career'. Frankly, I think a bunch of the voters for Rachel last year felt guilty (which they shouldn't) since she came back this year and was not as spectacular so they wanted to right a 'wrong' in Zenyatta's favor. She is a great mare but her campaign (body of work in 2010) is just not worthy of being voted ahead of Blame.

I suppose now we'll be subjected to years of clammering for Zenyatta as 'Broodmare of the Year' ..........................

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by dean smith

Last year, when Zenyatta did win the BC Classic, a lot of you East Coast-biased fans kept repeating, "the HOY is NOT decided at the Classic."

Ironically, this appears to be the only solid case for why Blame was "robbed."

By the way, had Blame won, he would have been just about the weakest, most quickly-forgotten HOY ever. So what if the 2010 HOY was Zenyatta's "The Departed"?

Hard to argue with this stellar logic. The Classic is not the ONLY reason Blame should be HOY. It's one of many. Whereas the only case I see being made for Zenyatta is "she did so much for the game". She certainly didn't deserve based on her races this year, unless beating a total of ONE grade 1 winner in her victories (Switch who got her grade 1 the last week of December) is a HOY campaign.

[pointman]

The Eclipse awards lost all credibility with voting Zenyatta horse of the year. The criteria now appears to be the most popular horse, not the horse who accomplished the most over the racetrack. The funniest argument from the lost Zenyatta lovers to justify the decision is that she was the better horse in the classic. Since when does losing a race justify horse of the year?

Poor Al Stall and Blame's connections must be wondering if they can put their hands down yet.

[blackthroatedwind]

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.

All that's missing is a hiccup.

[freddymo]

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 put I like the word TRIUMPHED..
1. To be victorious or successful; win.
2. To rejoice over a success or victory; exult.
3. To receive honors upon return from a victory in ancient Rome. Used of a general.
n.
1. The fact of being victorious; victory or conquest. See Synonyms at victory.
2. A noteworthy or spectacular success.
3. Exultation or rejoicing over victory or success.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

Then, barely triumphed over the undefeated Zenyatta in The Classic.


.

when you lose, you are no longer undefeated.

"barely, triumphed" lol

a win is a win

I was very impressed by Zenyatta's classic, thought that she was probably the best horse in the race.

BUT

Blame won & he was the better overall horse by far for 2010 if you look at records and races.

[randallscott35]

It's funny how people are more hung up on the semantics of the word sad in this thread than actually justifying her win. And we will all "get over it." Last I looked this is a horse racing message board, therefore that's what we are discussing...And yes it is sad when idiocy triumphs over justice.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by westcoastinvader

People wanted to see her campaigned more aggressively this year.


As they did for Rachel Alexandra. Her connections were thought to have ducked the Zenyatta match up this year. For whatever their possibly good reasons.


This country has an electoral college for final validation of Presidential elections.



Blame was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I was wondering who would be the first to bring up Rachel. Congrats. Has absolutely nothing to do with HOY this year, or the discussion at hand, but hey, if that is all you have, go for it.

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.

Wow. You really might have outdone yourself here. Blame won at Aqueduct? In what dream? But even if he had, does that mean something bad?

I won't waste my time going over Zenyatta's race record this year, who she beat, who they avoided, etc. It's been done too many times before. But there is someone with a bias here. Maybe stick to redboards in the future? Those are always a better read than this.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Wow. You really might have outdone yourself here. Blame won at Aqueduct? In what dream? But even if he had, does that mean something bad?

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.

[Dahoss]

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.

Is this internet for "I was worng"?

I guess Mike Smith aboard Zenyatta for a 5-1 record was special. Maybe I need to be "special" to appreciate these things.

[westcoastinvader]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Is this internet for "I was worng"?

I guess Mike Smith aboard Zenyatta for a 5-1 record was special. Maybe I need to be "special" to appreciate these things.

Yawn.

You seized and comprehended the thought.


Congrats.