Roger Stein on Beyer on Zenyatta

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I actually tip my cap to Zenyatta for her BC Classic race - even though the speed figure was horrible and the pace collapse benefited closers and all that - knowing Smith wouldn't let her lose contact with the field, I doubted she could sustain her run for as long as she did. I even really thought she might stop.

I'd love to see how she runs next time after a race like that. I'm not a big bounce guy - but those are the type of tough races that can lead to form declines in the near term. She looked like an extremely tired horse after the race. After those California wins - she'd come back looking not tired in the least.

For a horse who was getting used to loafing early and sprinting late in all of her races - having to run very hard for the final 8 furlongs while getting that dirt in her eyes and nose couldn't have been any fun.