Zenyatta Has Earned Horse of the Year

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Left Bank

Wrong.Breeders Cup attendance and handle was up this year because it finally left California and came to a real,DIRT racetrack.Period.The 2 dollar bettors Zenyatta brought out did nothing for handle and most won't come to a racetrack again.

I doubt the ratings next year will be the same, we can judge attendance after next year as well.

My guess is they both suffer without her racing.

You could be right, because they are back to back at the same site it will provide real tangible evidence.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I doubt the ratings next year will be the same, we can judge attendance after next year as well.

My guess is they both suffer without her racing.

You could be right, because they are back to back at the same site it will provide real tangible evidence.

since this year was in line with other churchill years attendance-wise, i doubt next year will be any different.

[Princess Doreen]

If Maureen Down/NYT has anything to say about it -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/op...rssnyt&emc=rss

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Princess Doreen

If Maureen Down/NYT has anything to say about it -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/op...rssnyt&emc=rss

It's amazing really. How do these writers keep coming up with ways to make themselves look more stupid than the last writer to express their opinion about Zenyatta?

Among the many priceless gems in this latest attempt to get me to stick ice picks into my eyeballs...

"She came so close to beating the colt Blame that Ann Moss, crushed, said the mare could have won if she’d just stuck her tongue out."

[blackthroatedwind]

Not happy with Maureen Dowd. For someone as clever as her to write the kind of sh it that would appall her if written by another about something she understood is especially discouraging.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Not happy with Maureen Dowd. For someone as clever as her to write the kind of sh it that would appall her if written by another about something she understood is especially discouraging.

I told you man, the most amazing thing about Zenyatta is her ability to make people that otherwise seem normal, show themselves to be retarded.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I told you man, the most amazing thing about Zenyatta is her ability to make people that otherwise seem normal, show themselves to be retarded.

Absolutely. It's amazing.

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Not happy with Maureen Dowd. For someone as clever as her to write the kind of sh it that would appall her if written by another about something she understood is especially discouraging.

I disagree

Maureen Dowd is not clever
unless you count omitting words when quoting someone in order to change change intent or meaning. only one word comes to mind when I think of ...Dowd, dishonest.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by AeWingnut

I disagree

Maureen Dowd is not clever
unless you count omitting words when quoting someone in order to change change intent or meaning. only one word comes to mind when I think of ...Dowd, dishonest.

Let me guess....you're a staunch right winger.

Am I close?

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Danzig

since this year was in line with other churchill years attendance-wise, i doubt next year will be any different.

and the TV ratings?

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

and the TV ratings?

I need an honest answer here. If another horse is given the same kind of media push that Zenyatta got this year, do you think the ratings will be similar if not the same?

[RockHardTen1985]

What other horses deserves the push? She earned it, BRO.

[Dahoss]

That wasn't the question.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

I need an honest answer here. If another horse is given the same kind of media push that Zenyatta got this year, do you think the ratings will be similar if not the same?

If another horse does enough to generate them, yes. It would need to be a triple crown winner, but yea it could happen.

I just am dumbfounded by the discussion that she did not transcend the normal viewer ship of the sport, that somehow she has done little to advance the sport. I can find countless posts from around the net that would make it sound like there are just as many crazy people on both sides of the fence.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

If another horse does enough to generate them, yes. It would need to be a triple crown winner, but yea it could happen.

I just am dumbfounded by the discussion that she did not transcend the normal viewer ship of the sport, that somehow she has done little to advance the sport. I can find countless posts from around the net that would make it sound like there are just as many crazy people on both sides of the fence.

One could argue Goldikova has certainly done enough to generate the kind of buzz Zenyatta got this year. If she makes it back next year for the Mile I would hope she gets the kind of media attention she deserves.

You'll get no arguement from me that viewership was up this year because people were drawn in by Zenyatta. What I am saying is, if you give another horse the same kind of push, you will see similar results. Obviously it would have to be a special horse and there aren't many. But horse racing has dropped the ball a lot in terms of marketing.

Isn't it a bit premature to talk about how much she has advanced the sport? Advanced in what way? Because viewership was up for one race? How many of those people are going to watch again? Were any of those people educated about the sport? Were they taught about betting? That is what is going to advance the sport IMO. Not puff pieces full of hyperbole.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Isn't it a bit premature to talk about how much she has advanced the sport? Advanced in what way? Because viewership was up for one race? How many of those people are going to watch again? Were any of those people educated about the sport? Were they taught about betting? That is what is going to advance the sport IMO. Not puff pieces full of hyperbole.

A European horse who competes once a year here, at a specialized distance no less. Thats never going to draw viewers, even if it was like her 6th in a row.

I guess it could be premature, but the fact is that usually the only press racing gets is because of doping, cheating, breakdowns, etc. From that standpoint alone she has helped racings image.

Viewership was not only up for one race, it was the only race she was in this year that could be monitored because most were not on TV with ratings. I would say the races she was in outside the Cup were more heavily attended, not this year but last as well, compared to previous years. Getting people out to the track is a positive.

I dont know how many are going to watch again, surely some of them, thats a good thing right?

Hopefully they were not educated, this means you are drawing in new fans, I see this as a good thing. Maybe they were just at the starting stages and now understand more than they did, again this is a good thing.

Hopefully on the betting they were wagering on the days they went to the racing, hopefully this part of the sport drew there interest into the sport, the teaching part to me is a self indulging aspect of the game, you learn through experience.

There seems to be this advancement of an idea that star race horses cannot draw in new people to bet, I just disagree. I have explained to you that I was drawn in by Arazi, because of a Nightline puff piece as you say, and I have wagered at least a few hundred grand in my lifetime.

Now if you want to say the mechanics of the game won't keep these people, you know full and well I won't argue, its kinda turned me off to the game.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

and the TV ratings?

who knows? i can't see the future, can you? besides, didn't zenyatta run in the classic last year? what happened with the ratings?