Zenyatta Has Earned Horse of the Year

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

In my pillory-free zone, I'm not sure I would put any performance by a 3YO filly since Lady's Secret in that category, since they were primarily in races restricted to 3YOs. I also can't think of a performance by a 3YO filly against older males in the relevant time frame that is superior to Zenyatta's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Zenyatta's recent BC Classic try is right up there with Jolypha's '92 BC Classic effort and Island Fashion's '04 Big Cap.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Zenyatta's recent BC Classic try is right up there with Jolypha's '92 BC Classic effort and Island Fashion's '04 Big Cap.

Jolypha ran well in a pretty good edition of the BC Classic.

The 2004 Big Cap was a very weak edition of that race, after the top SoCal horses (Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro) skipped the race and went to Dubai for the World Cup. In a better edition of the race the following year (Rock Hard Ten, Congrats, Saint Liam), Island Fashion finished 9th at 21-1.

[Cannon Shell]

Serena's Songs 3rd in the 96 Islen to Smart Strike under Donna Barton. That might have been a better effort than her 2nd by a neck in the Whitney.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Serena's Songs 3rd in the 96 Islen to Smart Strike under Donna Barton. That might have been a better effort than her 2nd by a neck in the Whitney.

She ran great in the Whitney from an outside post, but nobody's going to confuse that edition, won by Mahogany Hall (in which Peaks and Valleys and L'Carriere were the two favorites), as one of the better Whitneys of recent times.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

She ran great in the Whitney from an outside post, but nobody's going to confuse that edition, won by Mahogany Hall (in which Peaks and Valleys and L'Carriere were the two favorites), as one of the better Whitneys of recent times.

LOL. True!

The thing is that the last few years the older horse division in this country has been so weak that fillies should take shots. Just as Lukas took shots with SS in relatively weak editions of the whitney and Islin. I couldn't blame trainers for passing up races against Cigar, Holy Bull. Skip Away, Formal Gold, etc.

[Cannon Shell]

The thing about Zenyatta is that so much of her body of work is against weak competition and this year in cases in less than impressive fashion. I keep hearing she is the best filly since (fill in the blank)....but IMO she isn't as good as Inside Information and probably would have lost many races to Azeri had they run against each other. Serena's Song's best beats Zenyatta's as well. Jewel Princess beat SS twice and needed 114 and 116 beyers to do so. Bayakoa's best was certainly good enough to beat Zenyatta's.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The thing about Zenyatta is that so much of her body of work is against weak competition and this year in cases in less than impressive fashion. I keep hearing she is the best filly since (fill in the blank)....but IMO she isn't as good as Inside Information and probably would have lost many races to Azeri had they run against each other. Serena's Song's best beats Zenyatta's as well. Jewel Princess beat SS twice and needed 114 and 116 beyers to do so. Bayakoa's best was certainly good enough to beat Zenyatta's.

hater

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Jolypha ran well in a pretty good edition of the BC Classic.

The 2004 Big Cap was a very weak edition of that race, after the top SoCal horses (Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro) skipped the race and went to Dubai for the World Cup. In a better edition of the race the following year (Rock Hard Ten, Congrats, Saint Liam), Island Fashion finished 9th at 21-1.

You mention Congrats but not Southern Image?

How objective.

I'm sure Island Fashion was in the same multiple grade 1 winning form in '05 as she was at the beginning of '04.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

You mention Congrats but not Southern Image?

How objective.

I'm sure Island Fashion was in the same multiple grade 1 winning form in '05 as she was at the beginning of '04.

Huh? Southern Image wasn't in the 2005 Big Cap.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Huh? Southern Image wasn't in the 2005 Big Cap.

I know. He won the '04 Big Cap with Island Fashion hounding him all the way to the wire.

I just found it interesting that you said the '04 edition was weak without mentioning him, yet saw fit to cite Congrats as a means of bolstering the quality of the '05 version.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I know. He won the '04 Big Cap with Island Fashion hounding him all the way to the wire.

I just found it interesting that you said the '04 edition was weak without mentioning him, yet saw fit to cite Congrats as a means of bolstering the quality of the '05 version.

I didn't list the runners of the 2004 Big Cap (Southern Image, Buddy Gil, Saint Buddy, Olmodavor, etc.) because the absentees were far better than who was there. She ran well, but I think it's a big stretch to suggest that Island Fashion's effort against that field was superior to Zenyatta's BC Classic.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

I didn't list the runners of the 2004 Big Cap (Southern Image, Buddy Gil, Saint Buddy, Olmodavor, etc.) because the absentees were far better than who was there. She ran well, but I think it's a big stretch to suggest that Island Fashion's effort against that field was superior to Zenyatta's BC Classic.

It's debatable whether or not Southern Image was inferior talent-wise than Pleasantly Perfect. Certainly less accomplished and short-lived, but much more versatile and probably faster if speed figures are any measure.