Zenyatta: Slayer of Scoundrels

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 2Hot4TV

I would like to see her at Belmont with QR in a one turn mile and that long run to the wire.

I'm glad you mentioned this.

If I had a say in the matter the Met Mile would be the one race I would like to see Zenyatta run in this year.

My guess, before the BC anyways, is the best we'll get is the Delaware Handicap.

I'm guessing for the rest of the year:

Milady
Stephen Foster or Fleur De Lis
Hollywood Gold Cup or Delaware Handicap
Lady's Secret
Breeder's Cup

[prudery]

The only intrigue in seeing her in the Met Mile is Quality Road .

She has not run under 8.5 furlongs since her maiden win at 6.5 furlongs first out .

Perhaps a longer race against QR would do--after all, he is one of two horses considered real opposition .

Now put Rachel in there and it gets interesting --in the Met Mile that is ..

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by prudery

The only intrigue in seeing her in the Met Mile is Quality Road .

She has not run under 8.5 furlongs since her maiden win at 6.5 furlongs first out .

Perhaps a longer race against QR would do--after all, he is one of two horses considered real opposition .

Now put Rachel in there and it gets interesting --in the Met Mile that is ..

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

ehh, flat mile for a horse her size I think would be very difficult if there was a quality miler, say at a flat mile she could never catch a really good horse without a total meltdown.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

ehh, flat mile for a horse her size I think would be very difficult if there was a quality miler, say at a flat mile she could never catch a really good horse without a total meltdown.

She would be up against it for sure, but the pace of a top quality mile would in general be rather quick, so a meltdown (and I don't think it needs to be a "total" meltdown, either) wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

Horses of her size, such as Unbridled, Rock Hard Ten, and Forego (there are others--and most of those I mentioned had similar running styles to Zenyatta) were certainly capable at 7f, so extrapolating to a mile is probably not too presumptive.

[prudery]

Size has nothing to do with it--it is handiness and distance .

Roseben, a champion sprinter of the early 1900s was even bigger than she, a fraction under 18 hands ...

Baffert's recent sprining horse--can't remember the name--was almost as big as she is ..

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by prudery

Size has nothing to do with it--it is handiness and distance .

Roseben, a champion sprinter of the early 1900s was even bigger than she, a fraction under 18 hands ...

Baffert's recent sprining horse--can't remember the name--was almost as big as she is ..

Midnight Lute

[prudery]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

A flat mile would presumably contain both sprint types and route types, so she could "accomplish" a lot by winning this one race. I think she's capable of handling a flat mile.

The distance would also favor Quality Road IMO were he to show up, and in that respect would be a major challenge for Zenyatta.

I agree a flat mile is within her scope, but probably will not happen .

The suggested Met Mile scenario is intriguing though ...

[zippyneedsawin]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I'm glad you mentioned this.

If I had a say in the matter the Met Mile would be the one race I would like to see Zenyatta run in this year.

My guess, before the BC anyways, is the best we'll get is the Delaware Handicap.

I'm guessing for the rest of the year:

Milady
Stephen Foster or Fleur De Lis
Hollywood Gold Cup or Delaware Handicap
Lady's Secret
Breeder's Cup

I'd be shocked.. and happy.. to see Z face males again before the BC... but I doubt it.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I'm glad you mentioned this.

If I had a say in the matter the Met Mile would be the one race I would like to see Zenyatta run in this year.

My guess, before the BC anyways, is the best we'll get is the Delaware Handicap.

I'm guessing for the rest of the year:

Milady
Stephen Foster or Fleur De Lis
Hollywood Gold Cup or Delaware Handicap
Lady's Secret
Breeder's Cup

I think one thing is certain and Del Mar is just not a real option, she slips around on that track and with the short stretch its need the best place for her, so I can see something in the midwest or late Belmont if they had a race she could run in. Saratoga is not happening either.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I think one thing is certain and Del Mar is just not a real option, she slips around on that track and with the short stretch its need the best place for her, so I can see something in the midwest or late Belmont if they had a race she could run in. Saratoga is not happening either.

I agree. No chance at Del Mar. Shirreffs doesn't seem to want any of his horses running on the main track there. That's why I presume they'd take the opportunity to "freshen" her up during August/September rather than running out of town.

Personally, I wouldn't fault them for not wanting to ship more than 3 or 4 (including the BC) times in a single year.

That's why the "showcasing" idea put forth by Moss is a bit unrealistic. I thought the best chance to do that would have been for Shirreffs to keep a string at Belmont the second half of the year, with Zenyatta obviously based there.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I'm glad you mentioned this.

If I had a say in the matter the Met Mile would be the one race I would like to see Zenyatta run in this year.

My guess, before the BC anyways, is the best we'll get is the Delaware Handicap.

I'm guessing for the rest of the year:

Milady
Stephen Foster or Fleur De Lis
Hollywood Gold Cup or Delaware Handicap
Lady's Secret
Breeder's Cup

If Moss had guts, he would announce now that the Foster is on their schedule. I doubt she leaves SoCal again this year until the Classic. They are too worried about "perfection" to test her against males on real dirt.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

If Moss had guts, he would announce now that the Foster is on their schedule. I doubt she leaves SoCal again this year until the Classic. They are too worried about "perfection" to test her against males on real dirt.

I think she'll head to CD for a start in either race mentioned, if not because Rachel Alexandra is in one of those, then to get a race over the track prior to the BC.

It kills a lot of birds with one stone.

I think the Delaware Handicap is a slam dunk race (in terms of playing to her strengths--not that she'll definitely go there) and would be about as East Coast as she will get.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I'm glad you mentioned this.

If I had a say in the matter the Met Mile would be the one race I would like to see Zenyatta run in this year.

My guess, before the BC anyways, is the best we'll get is the Delaware Handicap.

I'm guessing for the rest of the year:

Milady
Stephen Foster or Fleur De Lis
Hollywood Gold Cup or Delaware Handicap
Lady's Secret
Breeder's Cup

I just think that Zenyatta's running style against the best on Belmonts one turn mile would be the great race to watch as she rolls down that long stretch and the others with no place to hide, only to run faster than the preditor.