8/7 (DMR): Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1)

[Smooth Operator]

Just another step toward doing what she was born to do … run ten long panels at The Downs…

[miraja2]

The only possible good that could remotely come from RA and Zenyatta beating up on the fields of cows they've faced recently is that perhaps their win streaks and/or dominant victories would build interest for their eventual meeting against each other.
Unfortunately for that theory, neither of them wins in that dominant of a fashion this year....and there proably won't be a meeting anyway.
The Haskell last week and the Whitney this week are infinitely more interesting than anything the supposed superstars in the sport this year attempt. They both bore me.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Alan07

9th (6:15) Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1)

1 1/16 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $300,000

1 Princess Taylor (GB) Espinoza V 119 L
2 Made for Magic Berrio O A 121 L
3 Spring Style (IRE) Valenzuela P A 119 L
4 Dance to My Tune Flores D R 119 L
5 Zenyatta Smith M E 123 L
6 Rinterval (IRE) Bejarano R 119 L

Lets meet this star studded cast for another almost typical Zenyatta Grade 1 ....

#1 is Princess Taylor - she is currently on a 17 race losing streak and has never finished 1st or 2nd in eight career starts on synthetic. Winless since the year 2008, she does get a 4lbs weight break from Zenyatta

#2 is Made For Magic - she was claimed for $16,000 out of a race where she tanked in at Golden Gate less than one year. Since that time, she's risen to be a Grade 2 winner in Southern Cal. Less than 2 months ago she was beaten 21 lengths by Rachel Alexandra despite getting 7lbs in weight - she will only get 2lbs from Zenyatta. Omar Berrio will ride again.

#3 is Spring Style - She is 0-for-4 lifetime in stakes tries .. her last start was a 7th place finish at 11/1 odds in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar less than two weeks ago. Back on short rest - and getting 4lbs from Zenyatta.

#4 is Dance To My Tune - She is a loser of 19 straight races - her last win coming in the year 2007. She was last seen running 7th in a field of 7 in the $62,000 Desert Stormer Stakes at Hollywood on June 12th. Will try and rebound off that last place here.

#5 is Zenyatta - She needs no introduction the world over ... even though she leaves California about as often as I leave Erie. Mike Smith has the call in her quest to go 18 for 18 over this star studded cast.

#6 is Rinterval - She has crossed the wire first just once in her last 20 career starts - however she has two wins in her last 20 starts. One coming at Turfway Park in a 50K stakes race, the other when she was smoked at Presque Isle Downs by Happy Wac ... however Happy Wac failed the post race drug test .. and was 3rd in a 5k N2L claiming race a few months later. Rinterval is in sharp form - she was 2nd in the Gr 3 Chicago Handicap at 33/1 odds last out behind Informed Decision.

[GPK]

Too bad Kickn N Screamin is retired. She coulda gave this group a run.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by GPK

Too bad Kickn N Screamin is retired. She coulda gave this group a run.

Priceless!

[Handicappy]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Lets meet this star studded cast for another almost typical Zenyatta Grade 1 ....

#1 is Princess Taylor - she is currently on a 17 race losing streak and has never finished 1st or 2nd in eight career starts on synthetic. Winless since the year 2008, she does get a 4lbs weight break from Zenyatta

#2 is Made For Magic - she was claimed for $16,000 out of a race where she tanked in at Golden Gate less than one year. Since that time, she's risen to be a Grade 2 winner in Southern Cal. Less than 2 months ago she was beaten 21 lengths by Rachel Alexandra despite getting 7lbs in weight - she will only get 2lbs from Zenyatta. Omar Berrio will ride again.

#3 is Spring Style - She is 0-for-4 lifetime in stakes tries .. her last start was a 7th place finish at 11/1 odds in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar less than two weeks ago. Back on short rest - and getting 4lbs from Zenyatta.

#4 is Dance To My Tune - She is a loser of 19 straight races - her last win coming in the year 2007. She was last seen running 7th in a field of 7 in the $62,000 Desert Stormer Stakes at Hollywood on June 12th. Will try and rebound off that last place here.

#5 is Zenyatta - She needs no introduction the world over ... even though she leaves California about as often as I leave Erie. Mike Smith has the call in her quest to go 18 for 18 over this star studded cast.

#6 is Rinterval - She has crossed the wire first just once in her last 20 career starts - however she has two wins in her last 20 starts. One coming at Turfway Park in a 50K stakes race, the other when she was smoked at Presque Isle Downs by Happy Wac ... however Happy Wac failed the post race drug test .. and was 3rd in a 5k N2L claiming race a few months later. Rinterval is in sharp form - she was 2nd in the Gr 3 Chicago Handicap at 33/1 odds last out behind Informed Decision.

You have researched this well. You've confirmed she is running against less than a steller cast. But every time Zenyatta runs it always seems to go in this direction. Now folks are comparing Zenyatta with Pepper's Pride. Soon there will be the typical shots at the connections. Blah blah blah. There are even lunatics on the blog that state that Zenyatta is "not much". If I've learned one thing on this blog it is that there are always people who just have to shoot down a horse no matter what. I am saddened that Zenyatta didn't ship out here. I still hope she may before the Breeder's Cup. I would love to see her face Rachel. But that isn't Zenyatta's fault. Zenyatta shipped to Oaklawn and Rachel backed out.
But surely someone ... ANYONE here ...... can appreciate how incredible it is for a closer to consistently do as she has for this long. And if you don't, go see her in a race. Even this one that everyone is degrading. I saw her in the Ladies Classic 1 1/2 years ago. She runs with a power and a dominance that is striking.
No knock on Rachel. She had a year for the history books last year. I will enjoy watching her here. It just isn't the same.

[ateamstupid]

Message board.

[slotdirt]

Nobody's comparing her to Pepper's Pride. However, Pepper's Pride would tower above this field.

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by Handicappy

You have researched this well. You've confirmed she is running against less than a steller cast. But every time Zenyatta runs it always seems to go in this direction. Now folks are comparing Zenyatta with Pepper's Pride. Soon there will be the typical shots at the connections. Blah blah blah. There are even lunatics on the blog that state that Zenyatta is "not much". If I've learned one thing on this blog it is that there are always people who just have to shoot down a horse no matter what. I am saddened that Zenyatta didn't ship out here. I still hope she may before the Breeder's Cup. I would love to see her face Rachel. But that isn't Zenyatta's fault. Zenyatta shipped to Oaklawn and Rachel backed out.
But surely someone ... ANYONE here ...... can appreciate how incredible it is for a closer to consistently do as she has for this long. And if you don't, go see her in a race. Even this one that everyone is degrading. I saw her in the Ladies Classic 1 1/2 years ago. She runs with a power and a dominance that is striking.
No knock on Rachel. She had a year for the history books last year. I will enjoy watching her here. It just isn't the same.

Closer on synthetics or grass isn't the same as dirt. I keep saying she is the greatest synth runner in the 5 year history of synthetic tracks in America, but any objective person can see that many of her races are a joke.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

Closer on synthetics or grass isn't the same as dirt. I keep saying she is the greatest synth runner in the 5 year history of synthetic tracks in America, but any objective person can see that many of her races are a joke.

But she dances before her races. Old ladies, little kids, and even some grown men blow kisses at her in the paddock. 100 people showed up at Hot Springs International Airport when she arrived there in April. That has to count for something. She is a fan favorite, and the Mosses have done all they can to expose her to as many fans as possible.*

*At least those who happen to be SoCal.

[geeker2]

Tears are optional....

http://www.dmtc.com/racinginfo/pr/in...17handsofpower

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

But she dances before her races. Old ladies, little kids, and even some grown men blow kisses at her in the paddock. 100 people showed up at Hot Springs International Airport when she arrived there in April. That has to count for something. She is a fan favorite, and the Mosses have done all they can to expose her to as many fans as possible.*

*At least those who happen to be SoCal.

That's part of the point. The Mosses haven't tried to expose her to anyone outside of her loyal Californians. Its great for the crowd at Delmar Saturday, and its another wasted pointless effort for the sport. She could be so much more by entertaining fans around the country, but they refuse to take any chances with her perfect record. Would anyone outside of the old ladies in the paddock really rather see her face this bunch instead of having a showdown with Quality Road or Blame...I know, still banking on that one race in a few months. Meanwhile the good horses around the country are facing each other.

[rlesquib]

Whats the name of that horse that beat Rachel earlier this year and later smoked by Zenyatta ???

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by rlesquib

Whats the name of that horse that beat Rachel earlier this year and later smoked by Zenyatta ???

What's that have to do with your incorrect statement about Zenyatta running in races with no conditions?

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by rlesquib

Whats the name of that horse that beat Rachel earlier this year and later smoked by Zenyatta ???

Did we forget that the same horse came back to get smoked by Rachel?

[slotdirt]

Find me the horses that Zenyatta beat by 19.25 lengths that have since come back to win GI races on dirt. I can think of at least two from Rachel's Mother Goose last summer.

[NTamm1215]

You know, TVG had a trivia question the other night and the answer was a little surprising to me.

It was, how many different horses has Zenyatta beaten in her 17 wins (this was the night before the Hirsch)?

I didn't have the time nor inclination to sit down and add it up but figuring the Classic was 12 alone the number had to be somewhere around 125 or so.

The answer: 85

NT

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

You know, TVG had a trivia question the other night and the answer was a little surprising to me.

It was, how many different horses has Zenyatta beaten in her 17 wins (this was the night before the Hirsch)?

I didn't have the time nor inclination to sit down and add it up but figuring the Classic was 12 alone the number had to be somewhere around 125 or so.

The answer: 85

NT

According to most she has only beaten one horse,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SLOW.

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Find me the horses that Zenyatta beat by 19.25 lengths that have since come back to win GI races on dirt. I can think of at least two from Rachel's Mother Goose last summer.

It probably has no meaning whatsoever to anything, but Ginger Punch had a 7 race string where she won the BC Distaff, Sunshine Millions Distaff, Louisville Stakes, Ogden Phipps, Go For Wand, and Personal Ensign. Her one loss in that skein was by 8 lengths to Zenyatta on dirt. So she won a grade 2 and 3 grade 1s in succession after that 8 length loss to Zenyatta. But for a very lucky photo in the Personal Ensign by Ginger Punch, two horses Zenyatta beat by over 8 lengths in the Apple Blossom would have come back to win G1 races on dirt in the same year actually, but alas, ginger punch got the photo over Lemon Drop Mom.

Time and margins, time and margins. I'm pretty sure 6 horses in the Goodwood ran faster than Zenyatta did in the Lady's Secret on the same day last year. Somehow on BC day all those slow times Zenyatta ran last year didn't translate. These threads are unusual to say the least. It is what it is. They chose to duplicate what they did last year after stating they wouldn't. I have no idea why. But at some point we simply have to accept life as it is. Oh well. They chose a one race campaign last year and it worked (other than not getting HOY). They are choosing the same thing this year. I have no clue why they can't even contest the Hollywood Gold Cup...she certainly could have beaten Awesome Gem and Rail Trip like rented mules in that race, but they just don't want to push it. It's just part of the pure joy that the BC has created in the sport. One race catch all this year is all it is, and that is what the Zenyatta connections chose to do. 10 to 20 race campaigns by star horses will never happen again...ever.