Fleur de Lis and Foster online?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Unfortunately. And it wasn't as if he hadn't been successful doing it the other way either.

Gone are the days when horses ran in the Met Mile crushed and 5 days later cruised to victory in the Belmont Stakes now 5 weeks is a short turn.

Rachel needs to be running in G1 9f's races against the boys till BC. Zenyatta needs to go in the Gold Cup against Rail Trip if she isnt going to ship. It's time for people to get that its about competing not compiling.

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Gone are the days when horses ran in the Met Mile crushed and 5 days later cruised to victory in the Belmont Stakes now 5 weeks is a short turn.

Rachel needs to be running in G1 9f's races against the boys till BC. Zenyatta needs to go in the Gold Cup against Rail Trip if she isnt going to ship. It's time for people to get that its about competing not compiling.

If Zen isnt going to ship and they are only looking for the record, that was the hardest race she'll be in all year. If you think her prior races were creme puff, wait till you see the next 3.

[dean smith]

Originally Posted by santana

Freddy ...you know you would hammer that.

Absolutely he would hammer that.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I think it's more likely that I am on the Olympic team for shotput in 2012 than it is for Zenyatta to appear at Saratoga this summer.

and my fat a s s running in the 100 meters.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by 2Hot4TV

Zenyatta only spotted the boys 3 pounds in the Classic and I was refering to RA racing Zenyatta at equal weight at 1 1/4.

RA had a nice go as a 3 yo, but I still dont see undefeated in her PPs.

I dont understand for the life of me why they need to meet at 1 1/4? I guess its the "classic distance" by old school definition.. but it is DEFINATELY not the classic distance in this past decade. they should meet at 1 1/8. its both horses' best distance.

CSC drives me nuts with his "classic distance" crap like it means ANYTHING.

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I dont understand for the life of me why they need to meet at 1 1/4? I guess its the "classic distance" by old school definition.. but it is DEFINATELY not the classic distance in this past decade. they should meet at 1 1/8. its both horses' best distance.

CSC drives me nuts with his "classic distance" crap like it means ANYTHING.

You could have probably just stopped there and still ended up with a fairly accurate sentence.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

I agree with everything you say. I think Zenyatta's connections could certainly have been more adventurous in their campaign. At the same time, tomorrow's race isn't a walkover. She is spotting serious weight to a short field of accomplished horses. As far as taking a shot against Rail Trip though, does that really do any good? Even beating Blame yesterday would have hardly made the necessary statement and I think Blame is the best older male running right now besides Quality Road. Winning at Saratoga or Belmont in late summer and early fall are the only way outside of the BC to make any real noise.

really my love?? Of course going in the Cali instead of the Vanity would have done tons of good. People might have actually gained some respect for the connections.. and Z could have proved a ton.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by dean smith

I'm not totally disagreeing with you guys. HOY probably should be based on 2010 alone. That being said, should Zenyatta take her second straight BCC on dirt over the other big guns, thus completely validating her unblemished record, would it? Absolutely not. C'mon. You boys watch and follow other sports, right? Players of the Year and MVPs are given for lifetime achievement all the time. Karl Malone got one. Charles Barkley got one. Barry Larkin got one...

I think as bad a rap as sportswriters get, they do like to recognize greatness when it's all said and done. No one is going to want to explain how a 20-20 mare with two BCC wins never won HOY for the rest of their lives.

(Do turf writers even vote for HOY? If not, who does? I honestly don't know.)

I'll say it. If QR & Rachel are in the BCC and Z beats them, there is no way Zenyatta doesnt get HOY.

If QR wins all sorts of big races this year, and doesnt run in the BCC, and Z wins that race... I still think Z gets HOY.

But here is my prediction:

Zenyatta gets beat before the BCC and is retired the next day and doesnt make the race.

Rachel takes on males before the BCC and loses and is pointed to the BC Distaff and wins that race and wins Champ Older Mare and is then retired.

Quality Road wins the BCC and HOY and then off to stud.

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I dont understand for the life of me why they need to meet at 1 1/4? I guess its the "classic distance" by old school definition.. but it is DEFINATELY not the classic distance in this past decade. they should meet at 1 1/8. its both horses' best distance.

CSC drives me nuts with his "classic distance" crap like it means ANYTHING.

Really?

Are you absolutely certain that "1 1/8" is Z's "best distance"?



…running 1 1/4 miles on dirt is regarded as the definitive test of American thoroughbreds. – Andrew Beyer, 12/26/09


Thank you, Mr. Beyer

The proper time and place for Z and RA to hook up is clearly the BCC at CD … where (hopefully) they'll be part of a nice full field of the best runners in the world.

Incredibly, the reigning 'horse-of-the-year' has yet to prove herself at the CLASSIC DISTANCE…

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Really?

Are you absolutely certain that "1 1/8" is Z's "best distance"?



…running 1 1/4 miles on dirt is regarded as the definitive test of American thoroughbreds. – Andrew Beyer, 12/26/09


Thank you, Mr. Beyer

The proper time and place for Z and RA to hook up is clearly the BCC at CD … where (hopefully) they'll be part of a nice full field of the best runners in the world.

Incredibly, the reigning 'horse-of-the-year' has yet to prove herself at the CLASSIC DISTANCE…

I agree with you on Z being likely better as the distances get longer.

However, RA did win a classic when she took the Preakness. Technically, she's proven at a classic distance.

[Smooth Operator]

Her old man was a fine classic distance runner too … well, at least until he ran into some legit 10f runners like PP and CR.

Nine furlongs was clearly his best distance … and I suspect that it's hers as well.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I dont understand for the life of me why they need to meet at 1 1/4? I guess its the "classic distance" by old school definition.. but it is DEFINATELY not the classic distance in this past decade. they should meet at 1 1/8. its both horses' best distance.

CSC drives me nuts with his "classic distance" crap like it means ANYTHING.

I almost missed this with today's excitement, it does matter. In American racing almost all the greats have won at 1 1/4, that is not unless you want to be associated as the greatest miler, sprinter..ect..

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by CSC

I almost missed this with today's excitement, it does matter. In American racing almost all the greats have won at 1 1/4, that is not unless you want to be associated as the greatest miler, sprinter..ect..

and you could substitute that with 1 1/2 a few decades ago.

Doesnt change the fact that racing has changed over time.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Incredibly, the reigning 'horse-of-the-year' has yet to prove herself at the CLASSIC DISTANCE…

Did I miss the time Zenyatta won a 1 1/4 dirt race?

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

and you could substitute that with 1 1/2 a few decades ago.

Doesnt change the fact that racing has changed over time.

Know what else that doesn't change? That this argument is purely one borne of opportunism.

Obviously, they couldn't make this argument until Rachel's brilliant campaign forced the connections' hand to try to sneak in the backdoor to HOY, deciding at the last minute to negotiate 10 furlongs in the Classic.

Were it not for Rachel having done what she had done up to that point, it seems awfully unlikely that Zenyatta would've ever tried 10 furlongs, and then we wouldn't be having to listen to this disingenuous nonsense like it was some part of their master plan to prove her greatness, you know, getting that win a the all-important 10 furlong distance. They didn't run her at 10 furlongs because they felt the need to get her a win at a "classic" distance, they ran her at 10 furlongs because some 3yo filly had just run ridiculous circles around their scared, pathetic campaign up to that point and it was the only chance they had to win.

FFS, they'll try anything, just to see if it sticks.

[Gaining Ground]

Originally Posted by CSC

I almost missed this with today's excitement, it does matter. In American racing almost all the greats have won at 1 1/4, that is not unless you want to be associated as the greatest miler, sprinter..ect..

in american racing dirt and turf have always been the benchmark for greatness. zenyatta is the greatest synth runner we have seen. im okay with that being her legacy. just not an all time great. are you okay with that also?

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Gaining Ground

in american racing dirt and turf have always been the benchmark for greatness. zenyatta is the greatest synth runner we have seen. im okay with that being her legacy. just not an all time great. are you okay with that also?

this is a PERFECT responce to the CSC's Classic distance post!

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

Know what else that doesn't change? That this argument is purely one borne of opportunism.

Obviously, they couldn't make this argument until Rachel's brilliant campaign forced the connections' hand to try to sneak in the backdoor to HOY, deciding at the last minute to negotiate 10 furlongs in the Classic.

Were it not for Rachel having done what she had done up to that point, it seems awfully unlikely that Zenyatta would've ever tried 10 furlongs, and then we wouldn't be having to listen to this disingenuous nonsense like it was some part of their master plan to prove her greatness, you know, getting that win a the all-important 10 furlong distance. They didn't run her at 10 furlongs because they felt the need to get her a win at a "classic" distance, they ran her at 10 furlongs because some 3yo filly had just run ridiculous circles around their scared, pathetic campaign up to that point and it was the only chance they had to win.

FFS, they'll try anything, just to see if it sticks.

To top all that off, if Sea of Stars runs in the BCC, Zen doesn't.