Goldikova

pozzulirulz · i heard on espn radio that rachael will be named · 58 days ago

sidechoke13 · rachel 103 zenyatta 99 · 57 days ago

ThePixiePoet · 10 Reasons why Rachel should be Horse of the Year (by Brian Zipse) 1) Geography - In many years, where a horse raced does not matter, but when there is such an interesting race as this, it needs to be taken into consideration. We are after all, looking for our National Champion. Zenyatta raced all of her races in the friendly confines of Southern California, meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra raced in six different states and at seven different tracks during 2009. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 2) Beyer Ratings - Like them or not, they are the best tool in American racing to place a quantitative standard as to how well a horse performed in a certain race. Zenyatta’s Beyers from this year are 103, 104, 99, 97, and 112. Rachel Alexandra’s Beyers are 100, 103, 101, 108, 108, 111, 116, and 109. Her average Beyer rating in the last five races (all Grade 1’s) is 110.4, which is higher than every Beyer rating than Zenyatta has ever run until her last race. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 3) Grade 1’s - A sheer numbers comparison: Zenyatta won four Grade 1 races in 2009, while Rachel Alexandra won five Grade 1 races this year. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 4) Overcoming Adversity - While many races tactically set up well for the two heroines, there were three races that notably did not. Rachel Alexandra overcame a 13 post and a speed dual (something never done in my lifetime) to win an American classic, the Preakness, by one length. She overcame a rabbit, and a fresh wave of challengers every step of the way to beat older males and win the Woodward by a head over Macho Again. In the Clement Hirsch Stakes, Zenyatta was too far behind a dawdling early pace and still managed to get up and win by a head. Her head victory was over a horse named Anabaa’s Creation. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 5) Total Races - Both horses were undefeated and raced exclusively in stakes races, so I will side with the horse that ran eight times compared to the horse who only ran five times. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 6) Versatility - Rachel Alexandra raced on seven different dirt surfaces (every track is a little different) and raced equally well on both dry and wet surfaces throughout the year. Zenyatta only raced on fast Pro-Ride surfaces and was scratched out of the Louisville Distaff due to an earlier rain. By race time the track was listed as good. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 7) Margins of Victory - Rachel Alexandra’s average margin of victory in her eight races this year, all stakes wins, was more than 8 lengths, including a 6 length win over our soon to be champion 3-year-old colt, Summer Bird. In many of these victories, she was being eased up before the wire. Zenyatta’s average margin of victory in her five races, all stakes wins, was just over 1 ¼ lengths. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 8) Horses Beaten - While it is true that both fantastic horses have beaten many top horses, especially in the BC Classic, Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward, one has beaten far more stakes winners, graded stakes winners and Grade 1 winners than the other one this year. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 9) Aggressiveness of Campaign - Zenyatta gained leaps and bounds when she became the first female ever to win the BC Classic in 26 runnings, but combined with her four relatively easy races prior, she falls short of the campaign waged by Rachel Alexandra, who ran against the boys on three different occasions. She became the first female ever to win the Woodward, the first female winner in 85 years of the Preakness, and only the second filly ever to win the Haskell. Advantage : Rachel Alexandra 10) Quality Victories - Zenyatta has the biggest win of all, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but that one race does not trump all the prestigious victories that Rachel Alexandra racked up this year. The Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward are four of the most important races on the U.S. racing schedule. In elite races on the American landscape the sco · 108 days ago

Medlocke · ThePixiePoet, I don't know where you're getting that Rachel beat more Graded Stakes winners than Zenyatta. In one race Zenyatta beat 9 Graded Stakes winners, most multiple Graded Stakes winners. Rachel hasn't even raced that many Graded Stakes winners this year. That, and given that Bullsbay finished next to last in the B.C. Dirt Mile and 7th in the Clark Handicap, and Macho Again 4th in the JCGC and 9th in the Clark, kind of makes Rachel's Woodward victory over older male's look less than stellar wouldn't you say? The Woodward, as it turn's out, is only a win for Rachel in a race with a prestigious name, as it really turned out to be a soft field of older males. Zenyatta, beating the best from the U.S. and Europe in the Classic, beat a tougher field of males than Rachel ever has or ever will race in what's left of her racing career. And of the two, Zenyatta is the only one who's beaten male's at the Classic distance of 1-1/4. All that, and still remaining undefeated for her career. It will be a travesty if Zenyatta doesn't win HOY. · 108 days ago

Rossington · I take nothing away from Rachael Alexandra. She's a remarkable filly that's accomplished remarkable thing's that your average filly just doesn't get done against the boy's. But that said, this is how I break down the debate, and this is just my personal opinion, I speak for no one else but myself. While Rachael has looked amazing against males, Jesse Jackson is careful to pick races where only about 2 or 3 real tough contenders are in any one race she run's against males. Zenyatta dove right into the deep end of the pool. First time ever against males, first time ever at 1-1/4, defending her undefeated record, and against one of the most loaded with talent male field's assembled all year. She faced, she raced, and she won overcoming all of these obstacle's. I kind of feel like Rachael took the easy path at Saratoga this summer when she was working extremely well and had a choice to run against Summer Bird, Quality Road, Hold Me Back, and Kensei in the Travers and took the easier race in the Woodward facing very little other than Macho Again who is 20-6-6-0 lifetime, and Bullsbay. Or even moreover from a different point of view, if the Breeders Cup Classic would have been run back east on conventional dirt at Churchill Downs, Belmont, Monmouth, or Saratoga, take your pick, and you ask Jesse Jackson to race his filly against 8 Grade 1 winning, and most multiple Grade 1 winning males, plus Zenyatta would he have put her in the race doubtful. Even on dirt this field had more competition than Jackson is comfortable with in racing Rachael against males, imo. I think it would take her racing another 5 or 6 races to compete against every male that was in this race. Every one had R.A. already penciled in as HOY before the Classic because most of the people who cover horse racing gave Zenyatta little to no chance of winning the Classic. After the way she overcame the delay at the gate, broke on the wrong lead, and was last for a good bit of the race, then to explode in the stretch to go by Gio Ponti, which is not an easy task, not only did she win, she won impressively. IMO, if Zenyatta is denied HOY after her performance on Saturday, and Rachael as well was welcome to be in that starting gate, it will be absolutely CRIMINAL and will FOREVER be a DARK STAIN an the members of the thoroughbred racing industry who make the HOY decision. Remember, this is JMO. No one elses. · 126 days ago

ruby · This is an interesting debate, but I'm not sure why it is a close one. Rachel was exciting, but Zenyatta beat the best on Championship Day. End of Debate. · 125 days ago

arazi · I agree Justenuffhumor is a strong play in the Mile. He's proven over firm turf and although he could be off form, you'd feel silly not to forgive him for one bad race over soft turf and a slow pace. Another possibility is that Justenuff bounced. He ran a lifetime top in the Fourstardave, then ran back to it in the Bernard Baruch and then bounced big time at Keeneland. I haven't looked at the sheets yet, but those guys might say this guy has improved a ton since he started running in December and that it was inevitable he would bounce after the two big efforts. They would also say that he will need more time to come back. However, at 12-1, you have to use him strongly and take a shot it was the soft turf. What'sthescript running late for a piece is also a nice call... as former Miler's usually do better their second try... and he will be a fat price. · 135 days ago

Rossington · I don't think Justenuffhumor has enough to win the mile. I think, even though Goldikova is a very talented filly, Delegator is the horse to beat in the mile. My mile tri-fecta is Delegator, Gladiatorus, and Goldikova with Zacinto coming in 4th. jmo. · 135 days ago

invasor · Agree with Medlocke that Goldikova has a some tough Euro competition to contend with especially Delegator. While the US horses are just a cut below they are better than last year's US entrants · 139 days ago

Rossington · Goldikova is an excellent filly by anyone's standards. The way she exploded through the stretch in the 2008 Breeders Cup Mile was impressive. But Goldikova awaits a much tougher field in the 2009 Breeders Cup Mile than she faced a year ago. She may possibly, with a another big run get up into the money, but she'll have to beat Delegator, Gladiatorus, and Zacinto, all her fellow European countrymen to do so. I personally feel that Delegator is the horse to beat in this race. · 137 days ago

mdracing69 · Agree with invasor. Goldikova has gone from one of the most likely Cup winners to a possible vulnerable favorite. · 160 days ago

cigar · I hope they have another dream trip like last year. Inside trip, draft behind, clear run ... race over. · 160 days ago