11/11 ATR: The Great HOTY Debate

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

I was responding to CSC saying "that wasnt a valid reason for not running in the BC" so yes my post was about the BC.

First off, she's not retired. She will be running in 2010. Big difference! And if she was spent and needed a month or two of eating grass time.. well it takes time to get fit again after that.

I dont blame the connections at all. Her campaign was a tough as anyone's.

Gander expressed it well so I didn't bother replying last night.

BUT EVER SINCE SHE WAS BOUGHT BY JJ SHE WAS NOT GOING TO RUN IN THE BREEDERS CUP!

Do you believe if she had lost to Macho Again in the Woodward, JJ would have put her on the shelf for the rest of the year with almost 4 months of racing to go? If you do you give him far more credit than I do. Everyone knows what he said, he said the same thing about Curlin a yr earlier before flip flopping, I don't know why you are so sure to believe him now.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by CSC

Gander expressed it well so I didn't bother replying last night.



Do you believe if she had lost to Macho Again in the Woodward, JJ would have put her on the shelf for the rest of the year with almost 4 months of racing to go? If you do you give him far more credit than I do. Everyone knows what he said, he said the same thing about Curlin a yr earlier before flip flopping, I don't know why you are so sure to believe him now.

I think he realized he made a mistake by going against his gut feeling with Curlin.. and would make sure he didnt do the same thing with Rachel.

The horse ran so hard for 9 months this year.. she deserved a rest.

If he somehow retires her while she is healthy and she doesnt run next year I may change my opinion.

[Gate Dancer]

I think the thing that offends me most about the Zenyatta Classic is that so many people seem to fall into the "this was the best Classic field ever" camp. Zenyatta is a tremendous filly but to think she faced the toughest and deepest Classic field ever is a leap of epic proportions............here's a few names from truly CLASSIC fields:

1984---Wild Again, Gate Dancer, Slew O'Gold, Desert Wine, Precisionist
1985---Proud Truth, Gate Dancer, Turkoman, Chiefs Crown
1987---Ferdinand, Alysheba, Cryptoclearance, Gulch, Afleet
1988---Alysheba, Seeking The Gold, Forty Niner, Cryptoclearance, Personal Flag
1989---Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Cryptoclearance, Blushing John
1991---Black Tie Affair, Twilight Agenda, Unbridled, Strike The Gold, Marquetry
1998---Awesome Again, Silver Charm, Swain, Victory Gallop, Skip Away, Touch Gold

This is not even getting to the fields in the 2000's when Tiznow went back-to-back.

There is no doubt that Zenyatta ran a terrific race and it will always be a "Classic" but let's keep things in perspective.

[rpncaine]

If in fact the synthetic's are going to be around for a while (and I hope not to long) and as the Steve's have said it is a distinct third surface, then why don't the powers that be use this year as start up a "Synthetic HOY" category? Dirt HOY, Turf HOY, Synthetic HOY. Wouldn't this be the perfect time to do that?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by rpncaine

If in fact the synthetic's are going to be around for a while (and I hope not to long) and as the Steve's have said it is a distinct third surface, then why don't the powers that be use this year as start up a "Synthetic HOY" category? Dirt HOY, Turf HOY, Synthetic HOY. Wouldn't this be the perfect time to do that?

Seems like an intelligent place to go.. I would guess that would be admitting that rubber is a third surface or "unconventional turf" That would mitigate the results of former "unconventional dirt or unconventional turf champions" G-d forbid the industry admit they made a mistake