Posted on 11/10/2009 10:14:16 AM PST by jpsb
Zenyatta and the 2009 Breeders Cup Classic
“Zenyatta is over rated”, “Zenyatta never beat a quality horse”, “Zenyatta doesn't have the speed to win”, “Zenyatta peaked last year” and “Zenyatta is all hype”. Perhaps most insulting of all “Zenyatta is racing in the Classic so her lose there will not be as damning as her certain lost to Careless Jewel or Music Note in the Lady's Classic”. It is a good thing horses don't read news papers or blogs. Perhaps she did and that's the reason she did not want to go into the gate at the Breeders Cup Classic.
None of the smart people gave Zenyatta a chance. She was the peoples choice and the handicappers rubbed their hands in glee anticipating a nice profit betting against Zenyatta.
Things started going south for the nay sayers Friday in the Lady's Classic, Life is Sweet trice beaten by her stable mate Zenyatta won a convincing Zenyatta like victory. Maybe some of those “same old second rate fillies” weren't so second rate after all?
In the Breeds Cup Classic Zenyatta was asked to do things she's never done before. She was facing males for the first time and not just ordinary males either but the best males of all ages in training. And she was running 10 furlongs for the first time.
Zenyatta wanted no part of this race. She refused to enter the gate and had to be forced in. When the bell when off she didn't break and her jockey Mike Smith had to kick her into gear.
Mike Smith later said he thought to himself “Oh no girl, not today”
She came out on the wrong lead and appeared to be looking for an exit. Mike had to yank her head twice and remind her she had a race to run.
Zenyatta just gave everyone a 5 length head start.
Trevor Dinman, the race track announcer calls “Zenyatta is dead last, Zenyatta is dead last early”
Things were not looking good going into the first turn. “Zenyatta is dead last, Zenyatta is last, gotta be giving them a 10 or 11 lengths start”
On the backstretch with a ½ mile to go, “Now here's Zenyatta a good 10 or 11 lengths off the leaders”
Tens of thousands of Zenyatta fans fell silent.
It looked hopeless for Zenyatta against this assembled field of the world's finest horses. Doubts of her greatness, after all the pundits said she can't win, must have surely entered their heads.
Mike Smith maintained his cool and Zenyatta finally remembered she is a race horse and there is a race going on. But she has a lot of work to do.
In what seemed like an instant on the first half of the last turn, Zenyatta when from trailing the pack to in the thick of it. Mike Smith did a masterful job of making up ground for Zenyatta.
What follows will be talked about as long as there is horse racing in the Western World. Zenyatta class and determination to win coupled with Mike Smiths skill as a jockey will be legend. With tens of thousands of screaming fans Zenyatta passed four horse on the inside then hooked to the outside, trading ground for a clear path to the wire. She dug deep found another gear and ran past Colonel John, Summers Bird, Twice Over and Gio Ponti. Just like she's run past every horse that has ever been in front of her.
Well done Tean Zenyatta!
shameless self promoting bump. lol
She’s gorgeous. Big, BIG pony! (I used to work at a racetrack. Loved my ponies.)
It was quite a performance.
thanks I’ve watched that over and over in amazement.
I was extremely impressed on Saturday. Before that day, I thought for sure that Rachel Alexandra has the Eclipse Award for “Horse Of The Year” wrapped up. Now- I’m not so sure.
yeah, it is a shame one has to lose, they both deserve it.
I've been following Zenyatta through most of her season last year and all of this one. I don't think there is another horse currently racing who could challenge her going 1 1/8 mi. or more. I don't believe she was tested Sat. anymore than she has been previously.
I think her greater test was Clement Hirst, when Mike Smith fell asleep at the wheel, lol, she had to run the LAST 1/4 mile in 22.5 to win, last 1/8 in 11 flat, Wow. And Mike Smith said she was accelerating at the finish! I looked for a Breeders Cup Live thread, I was kinda surprised were wasn’t one. These days seems like only the 3yo TC races get much press. Hopefully Zenyatta win at the Classic changes that. Shame she is retiring, her fans are going to miss her.
I know I will. I LOVE the fillies, the quirkier the better, and have always done better with them than with colts. I agree with you about the Clement Hirsch being a better test of her than Sat., but I think she was not tested there either.
No interest in TB racing beyond the Triple Crown: Very true, and I'm afraid there is even less in those races each year. PITA and the conditioning of the public to view racing as evil, cruel, etc., has been well sold even to many members of the racing establishment. Racing has been dying for a long time. Just a matter of how long before it's buried IMO. Having participated in better days, I'm not sorry to be retired from racing and breeding, and am hoping I'll not be around to witness the demise.
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