Zenyatta: Slayer of Scoundrels

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by prudery

The only intrigue in seeing her in the Met Mile is Quality Road .

She has not run under 8.5 furlongs since her maiden win at 6.5 furlongs first out .

Perhaps a longer race against QR would do--after all, he is one of two horses considered real opposition .

Now put Rachel in there and it gets interesting --in the Met Mile that is ..

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

ehh, flat mile for a horse her size I think would be very difficult if there was a quality miler, say at a flat mile she could never catch a really good horse without a total meltdown.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

ehh, flat mile for a horse her size I think would be very difficult if there was a quality miler, say at a flat mile she could never catch a really good horse without a total meltdown.

She would be up against it for sure, but the pace of a top quality mile would in general be rather quick, so a meltdown (and I don't think it needs to be a "total" meltdown, either) wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

Horses of her size, such as Unbridled, Rock Hard Ten, and Forego (there are others--and most of those I mentioned had similar running styles to Zenyatta) were certainly capable at 7f, so extrapolating to a mile is probably not too presumptive.

[prudery]

Size has nothing to do with it--it is handiness and distance .

Roseben, a champion sprinter of the early 1900s was even bigger than she, a fraction under 18 hands ...

Baffert's recent sprining horse--can't remember the name--was almost as big as she is ..

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by prudery

Size has nothing to do with it--it is handiness and distance .

Roseben, a champion sprinter of the early 1900s was even bigger than she, a fraction under 18 hands ...

Baffert's recent sprining horse--can't remember the name--was almost as big as she is ..

Midnight Lute

[prudery]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Midnight Lute

Thank you--that is the one .

[prudery]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

I agree a flat mile is within her scope, but probably will not happen .

The suggested Met Mile scenario is intriguing though ...