Breed her to BLAME, why not? BUT... I would love to see her and SUNDAY SILENCE
BOB46 - I hear you man, and I agree with your comments, but they fall short by you not mentioning that BLAME simply won on his home track, a track he loves, a track he trains on, and when not training there, he is still in Kentucky training at Keenland. I totally agree he won fair and square, but the fair part also gave him home court, and that ultimately was ACTUALLY THE DIFFERENCE, not your conclusion. He got thrashed a month ago in New York, and he has lost 3 of his 4 races, outside of churchill downs - did he win fair and square, yes, but on a neutral track - with all my heart, I know ZEN is the better overall horse. If they went on a 5 race campaing around the country, she would come out on top. i love your argument for BLAME, I love BLAME, I rooted all year for him, BUT NOW, look at it from ZEN'S POINT OF VIEW, and furthermore, don't forget, we are talking about a female horse, and second, she actually did run him down and pass him, it was just one stride after the wire. HE WINS ON HIS HOME TRACK, barely, this hardly makes him the overall better horse.
oh, and I forgot to mention. BLAME GOT THRASHED by HAYNESFIELD in Kentucky a month ago, to prove, he is not elite outside of kentucky - very good yes, but not elite.
At first I thought you had to give HoY to BLAME simply because he did get to the wire first, and it would avoid any controversy, but now I am not so sure after thinking it through. Hear me out! Isn't it interesting that we easily forget that ZENYATTA is a female. When is the last time you seen a female so huge, with so much personality, so much heart, and with 19 straight wins, but I digress. Anyways, Let's take a look at Blame, he won a G3 to start the year, then he ran in all G1's the rest of the year, and wins the classic going 4 for 5 this year - of course give him the HoY right? Well not so fast, BLAME, whom I would agree is the top male dirt horse in the world now, really isn't at his best AWAY FROM CHURCHILL DOWNS (3 of his 4 losses are outside of chuchill), so think about it, he beat ZENYATTA on his home track, not a neutral track. I keep hearing people like Pletcher say, "well in the end you have to go by what's done on the track," but Todd, ONE TRACK? That's it, just one. Are you telling me, after that race, after Zenyatta ran him down after having a bad trip, after she passed him one stride past the finish line, and after she travelled across the country to face him on his home track, that BLAME is the better horse. FOLKS, THINK LIKE A HANDICAPPER. Forget odds, forget how much money you would make on betting. If they were both 5-1 and racing on a neutral track, do you honestly think ZEN wouldn't beat BLAME, remember, the form doesn't lie - he is not elite once he steps outside of churchill. I can honestly say now that awarding it to BLAME is only circumstantial, BUT OVERALL, I REALLY DO FEEL THAT ZEN IS THE BETTER HORSE. It's not like she couldn't pass him, she just started way to slow, had way to much to make up, and needed 5 more feet.... SHE ACTUALLY DID PASS HIM. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THAT ZENYATTA IS FEMALE YOU ALL, STOP ACTING LIKE SHE IS MALE - WE will never ever see a female like this again! simply MAJESTIC, I'm thankful what she did for racing. and by the way, I rooted for BLAME all year long and I knew he would be the one because of the home court, but I really do feel zen is better overall
Zen is the better overall horse, no doubt about it, but you have to give to Blame just because of his wining streak this year and that he beat Zen. If you give it to him people will say, "well he did beat zen." but if you give it to her it creates a lot of controversy. 3 of his 4 losses came outside of Kentucky, and many of his wins were G2, G3, we know that. He won on his home track and loves it there, so it's no doubt he was going to run his best race. Outside of kentucky, Zen beats him every time, but you still have to give him the HoY. Zen doesn't need HoY - she is who she is, one of the greatest of all time, and the greatest female of all time - the award at this point means nothing to me. She was a once in a life time horse. she is calm on the back stretch, then gets all excitted when she is going to race. She digs and dances, she is huge, she comes from way off the pace - we will never see anything like that ever again when you add up her entire personality, and 19 wins in a row (13 G1's) are you serious - WOW! WE WERE LUCKY TO SEE HER
They had no choice - if you bring him back for a 4 year old campaign he will be exposed for what he is, a horse that runs his best at Churchill Downs, and is very beatable away from it (3 of his 4 losses outside of Kentucky). By retiring him now you can sell him as a horse that can produce you a kentucky derby winner. If he would have kept running, I guarantee you, they would have chose to run Zenyatta again, and any time he left Kentucky to race, they would have entered her too. Blame is an awesome horse, probably the second best dirt horse America has to throw out there right now. But let's not forget, he got thrashed by a far lesser horse (haynesfield) in New York, most of his wins were G2, G3, and he lost to Regal Ransom outside of the state too ( a horse Zenyatta beat). That race Saturday was his to lose. I don't mean to seem like I am dissin Blame, he won fair and square - but he would definitely be exposed if they ran him as a 4 year old outside of kentucky, thus bringing his value down
Reflecting on the greatest female horse to ever live: I won't lie, I still haven't gotten over the race, and I probably won't for a long time, heck I cried. We will never EVER, see a female do what she did, have so much personality, love the attention, and be as competitive as she is. I have been involved directly in horse racing my entire life, and I have never witnessed a horse like this. She is so calm on the back stretch, even during training, but the second she walks into the paddock, she starts dancing, doing her little steps, and digging into the ground. She puffs up her chest and puts those ears up. HOW CAN YOU NOT RESPECT AND LOVE THAT ABOUT HER - No other horse has shown this much love for racing and competition, no horse has ever had so much FUN personality. ZENYATTA, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH, I'M CRYING NOW JUST RIGHTING THIS.... we love you girl.....THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DID FOR US, THE MOSS'S, MIKE SMITH, AND MR. & J.S. YOu are undoubtedly the greatest female to ever live, and easily one of the greatest of all time.
Give Blame HoY because he beat ZEN, but it does not mean he is better. ZEN IS THE BEST HORSE hands down and wins on any other track (HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE FOR BLAME).
A bad trip, sluggish start, cramped heading home - and still ran down a horse who was on his home track, and had clear sail. REMEMBER FOLKS, 3 of Blames 4 losses came outside of this track - There is no way he beats her on any other track
CUGEL THE CLEVER -thank you, THANK YOU SO MUCH, for being a man and admitting you were wrong about zen. I have so much respect for you! PLEZ2k10 - I'm not sure why you feel the need to stand up for BLAME's quality of races, NOONE, said he was a cinderalla story, or even hinted to that OR called him lucky. BLAME IS the best male horse in the world PERIOD, but ZENYATTA IS BETTER OVERALL. if they ran this race anywhere but Kentucky, ZEN wins, especially if she had a more clean trip. she proved today she is among the greatest of all times, by shattering a talented field and missing out by a head at the wire - AND SHE EVEN PASSED HIM ON HER NEXT STRIDE AND GALLOPED OUT PAST HIM. he won on his home track - IT PROVES NOTHING!