Performance of the Weekend?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

You didn't say sucks. I did. I'm probably a little overprotective of the queen. Sorry.

She's the greatest female synthetic horse of all-time as far as I'm concerned.

Better than even Nashoba's Key, St. Trinians, Informed Decision, Ventura etc.

She's probably the best North American based synthetic horse ever male or female as well.

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

She's the greatest female synthetic horse of all-time as far as I'm concerned.

Better than even Nashoba's Key, St. Trinians, Informed Decision, Ventura etc.

She's probably the best North American based synthetic horse ever male or female as well.

She would have been a Superstar in any era on any surfaces. Her races at Oaklawn were also dominant.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

She would have been a Superstar in any era on any surfaces. Her races at Oaklawn were also dominant.

I wasn't at all impressed with her Apple Blossom win this year. Her '08 AB win was solid - but nothing really special. She gets another chance to prove what kind of dirt horse she is in the Breeders Cup to those who doubt her greatness on that surface.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I wasn't at all impressed with her Apple Blossom win this year. Her '08 AB win was solid - but nothing really special. She gets another chance to prove what kind of dirt horse she is in the Breeders Cup to those who doubt her greatness on that surface.

Whats kinda sad is the predicament that her owners have put her in, if she loses many are going say "see I told you so", yet in reality its not all that easy for 6 year olds to win the Classic, its only happened a handful of times.

This could have been avoided quite easily.

She probably still jogs but you never know in horse racing.

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Whats kinda sad is the predicament that her owners have put her in, if she loses many are going say "see I told you so", yet in reality its not all that easy for 6 year olds to win the Classic, its only happened a handful of times.

This could have been avoided quite easily.

She probably still jogs but you never know in horse racing.

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

[hockey2315]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

Hedging?

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

Yeah, just a couple minor differences between Zenyatta and the horses you mentioned:

Cigar's BCC at 6 was his 8th race of the year, all against major league competition...and it was the 33rd race of his career. I'm not sure if the horses he faced in his last BCC would compete with this year's version though.

Pleasantly Perfect's campaign at age 6 began in February, included a Dubai trip(beating Medaglia d'Oro), and also the Pacific Classic. He also faced Roses in May(the following Dubai Classic winner) and Ghostzapper in the Classic.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by cakes44

Yeah, just a couple minor differences between Zenyatta and the horses you mentioned:

Cigar's BCC at 6 was his 8th race of the year, all against major league competition...and it was the 33rd race of his career. I'm not sure if the horses he faced in his last BCC would compete with this year's version though.

Pleasantly Perfect's campaign at age 6 began in February, included a Dubai trip(beating Medaglia d'Oro), and also the Pacific Classic. He also faced Roses in May(the following Dubai Classic winner) and Ghostzapper in the Classic.

Cigar had a very tough four wide trip on a gold rail in the Woodbine BC against a field that would crush this year's BC Classic crew. Louis Quatorze would be odds on in this Classic.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

Horses to run in the BC at 6 (or higher) since 2000:
Awesome Gem 2009 52-1 7th
Student Council 2008 44-1 11th
Perfect Drift 2006 34-1 8th
Perfect Drift 2005 15-1 3rd
Pleasantly Perfect 2004 5/2 3rd
Azeri 2004 15-1 5th
Bowmans Band 2004 62-1 11th
A Fleets Dancer 2001 146-1 11th

See something in common here? All but Pleasantly Perfect in '04 were 15-1 or higher, and really most were much higher. Any horse that was good enough to compete in the BC that was intact was gone to stud before the age of 6 in 99.9% of cases (PP in '04 a notable exception.) Age isn't the factor that will get Zenyatta beat if she loses... it's the lack of shipping and/or quality competition on her lesser surface.

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by philcski

Horses to run in the BC at 6 (or higher) since 2000:
Awesome Gem 2009 52-1 7th
Student Council 2008 44-1 11th
Perfect Drift 2006 34-1 8th
Perfect Drift 2005 15-1 3rd
Pleasantly Perfect 2004 5/2 3rd
Azeri 2004 15-1 5th
Bowmans Band 2004 62-1 11th
A Fleets Dancer 2001 146-1 11th

See something in common here? All but Pleasantly Perfect in '04 were 15-1 or higher, and really most were much higher. Any horse that was good enough to compete in the BC that was intact was gone to stud before the age of 6 in 99.9% of cases (PP in '04 a notable exception.) Age isn't the factor that will get Zenyatta beat if she loses... it's the lack of shipping and/or quality competition on her lesser surface.

A more taxing campaign might've emptied the tank too much.

I think John has her right where he wants her.


By the way, think you meant 'superior' surface…

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Actually it has never happened.

Cigar and Pleasantly Perfect couldn't do it … and there were probably other decent 6yos along the way which have tried.

Gives you some idea of what Z is up against here...

Yes they secretly add 15 pounds to the saddle of 6 year olds to try to encourage owners to retire horses early. It is the Breeders Cup after all.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Whats kinda sad is the predicament that her owners have put her in, if she loses many are going say "see I told you so", yet in reality its not all that easy for 6 year olds to win the Classic, its only happened a handful of times.

This could have been avoided quite easily.

She probably still jogs but you never know in horse racing.

For some, perhaps she will get the credit she deserves if she wins. But let's also be realistic, it won't matter. I doubt a 120 beyer, secretariat like margin would suffice the detractors, it will probably be passed off as that she got the perfect trip, set up, the competition was mediocre, others had rougher trips....ect... You know excuses and you know the drill...My advice to you, is it doesn't matter what others think, don't waste your time. If they don't she's a great horse by now, why would anyone in their right mind think this will change after the BC?

Originally Posted by CSC

For some, perhaps she will get the credit she deserves if she wins. But let's also be realistic, it won't matter. I doubt a 120 beyer, secretariat like margin would suffice the detractors, it will probably be passed off as that she got the perfect trip, set up, the competition was mediocre, others had rougher trips....ect... You know excuses and you know the drill...My advice to you, is it doesn't matter what others think, don't waste your time. If they don't she's a great horse by now, why would anyone in their right mind think this will change after the BC?

Sharp post

[Dahoss]

I thought the performance of the weekend was by Larry Collmus on ESPN.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Whats kinda sad is the predicament that her owners have put her in, if she loses many are going say "see I told you so", yet in reality its not all that easy for 6 year olds to win the Classic, its only happened a handful of times.

This could have been avoided quite easily.

She probably still jogs but you never know in horse racing.

Are you seriously offering up her age as an excuse as to why she will lose?

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Are you seriously offering up her age as an excuse as to why she will lose?

You lose... you lose, it happens.

I know I dont walk and breath around horses like you do but you can take this as a fact and it aint no guess, she is not quite as good as last year. I suspect its the age, maybe its the feed, who the **** knows.

I still say she jogs if all she has to beat is what ran last weekend, I have seen little that has impressed me this season.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

You lose... you lose, it happens.

I know I dont walk and breath around horses like you do but you can take this as a fact and it aint no guess, she is not quite as good as last year. I suspect its the age, maybe its the feed, who the **** knows.

I still say she jogs if all she has to beat is what ran last weekend, I have seen little that has impressed me this season.

While she may not be as good as she was last year (who can tell?), being 6 as opposed to 5 or 7 shouldnt really matter. And i don't know what your version of jogged is but she is going to have to be a whole lot better than she was last weekend to win the Classic.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

She would have been a Superstar in any era on any surfaces. Her races at Oaklawn were also dominant.

Was the obviously enhanced crowd noise really necessary? It made it hard to hear you, even though it was obviously fishy to say the least. There was a time when it was suddenly gone too, like you clicked a button or something.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Was the obviously enhanced crowd noise really necessary? It made it hard to hear you, even though it was obviously fishy to say the least. There was a time when it was suddenly gone too, like you clicked a button or something.

If you've done Saturday's card at Hawthorne yet - What did you get for pace and final for the Hawthorne Gold Cup?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

If you've done Saturday's card at Hawthorne yet - What did you get for pace and final for the Hawthorne Gold Cup?

I haven't, I'll let you know tomorrow.