Shirreffs says Zenyatta deserves '10 Horse of the Year

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

The campaign was designed to get her to that contest fresh and primed to deliver a peak performance (amazing how many on this board can't seem to understand this).

That's exactly correct.

It's reasonable to be disappointed they didn't take a few more shots on dirt or against older males.

It's reasonable to think that running on synthetic tracks against weak mares isn't the best way to prepare a horse for the Classic.

It's reasonable to think the CA mare crop was very weak this year.

It's reasonable to say other people would have done it a totally different way.

But IMO it's not reasonable "to at least understand the thinking" behind the goal of getting a horse to a specific year end race by spacing her campaign and staying with her own sex.

Sure some horses do well despite all the shipping and tough races, they remain sound, etc.. and make until the end of the year still fresh and ready to fire, but that says nothing about the probabilities and all the horses that don't.