How many top-flight deep closers …
 

have even won half their career starts?


Even the Z haters have to admit that this 16-race win streak is remarkable.


1. (tie) Citation, Cigar, Zenyatta


Let the countdown to June 13 commence



If she can separate herself from those two hall-of-famers, we will party at HP 'like it's 1999". :cool:

It is remarkable, but less so on synthetic where coming from the clouds is far easier...but I agree. It is a feat.

Open it up to surfaces other than dirt, and there are quite a few. Either way, it is a remarkable streak.

Cigar faced open company. This streak will do nothing but mislead the public as to how good she is.

Will you be wearing your purple leather pants?

It is remarkable.

But don't get too ahead of yourself. When she "separates" herself from those HOF runners, it will be no more than the separation between numbers.

Seeing 17-16 in a row is not going to make anyone all of the sudden think that she's actually "separated" herself from Cigar in any meaningful way, because she'd need to get herself somewhere close to him first. What he did, where he traveled, and who he beat during his run makes Zenyatta's streak look almost downright pitiful.

Holy Bull broke down, but who exactly was great that Cigar beat?

Sorry, I wore mine in 1979!

a better question might be who beat better horses. the answer is obvious.

in general most horses of 2010 suck in comparison to 1993-94, at least in the male division where they are carted off after 6 starts.

and Cigar was a really nice horse, great horse..........he could not warm up the likes if Citation, Spectacular Bid.

so cigar beat better?

i agree. neither could zenyatta. or rachel alexandra.

of course

Cigar was a presser/stalker, I cant remember him too far back in any of his races.

Good point. True Deep closers are very rare in dirt racing so there are very few top flight horses to compare her to. Victory Gallop comes to mind as a horse who fired nearly every time.

Zenyatta's first Apple Blossom win was very impressive but she hasn't faced top horses on dirt frequently enough to really make a fair comparison to any dirt closer. Synthetic tracks have probably given her an edge but her durability and trainer's conditioning shouldn't be taken for granted in a remarkable career.

Cigar's best career race was his last one. Parked wide the entire away on a golden rail, and his class puts him in the mix right at mid-stretch. No, he wasn't trying to pass Citation, but to be so wide, after a year and a career like that, and to still have a shot down the stretch is pretty cool.

Yes, the countdown. Because if anything warrants a countdown, it's Zenyatta in her playpen beating the same five plugs she's beaten a dozen times already to get one win closer to Peppers Pride.

St Trinians could beat her