TVG Zenyatta Montage - All 19 Wins
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- TVG looks at all 19 of Zenyatta's career wins, from Maiden Special Weight to her historic triumph in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, and her record equalling 19th win.
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The fact that she lost by half a head to Blame in the 2010 BCC after all the traffic she struggled through from so far back is testament to her ability and her heart. Mike Smith blamed himself for the loss and I think he's right. There may have been a bit too much over-confidence on his part or anxiety over the possibility of losing her last race, that he miscalculated. Hearts were broken when she lost, but the love for her has never faded.
I noticed this too though. Watch her later races and it seems that she was losing a little bit of that speed. Not much but a little. Maybe if it was earlier in her career she would have beaten him but she just didn't have quite enough.
Either that or Smith started her a little too late. I don't know, she is still one the greats no matter what though.
stonewall01 That may be true. I also think she would have won but for two things: Quality Road stalled in front her at the head of the turn and she lost at least two strides. And, too, Mike didn't switch to right-handed whipping right away when he was in the clear. She always seemed to really get after it when he was whipping right-handed. Mike did say, too, that the horses were in two groups and in the backstretch, he couldn't really tell how far ahead the other horses were until he was moving past the first group at the head of the stretch. He said he was shocked to see how far ahead they were. I blame part of that on the "prime-time" race when all they had was track-lighting. I think he panicked a little at that point and that's why he was slow to go to right-handed whipping. All she needed was one more stride so when you think of it overall and with all of that factored in, she did an outstanding job. So many things that went wrong: too far back because the dirt in her face was bothering her so Mike kept her back until he absolutely had to send her; getting stalled by Quality Road; not seeing the distance of the lead horses; and not switching to right-handed whipping. Frankly, it's amazing she lost by so little. mho
+Kalar Walters - I think Smith who is in control brought her in a few seconds too late, he even blames himself.
No one is to BLAME...well, the winner is.
She didn't lose mike Smith lose the race that was a terrible ride
"If you dont have goosebumps right now you dont like horse racing"
you bet, tears?
I was just getting ready to type that. LOL!
@@Anthony-rs5jf mmmm9m9okmkkom.k
One of the Greats. I have it, Secretariat, Zenyatta, Man of War.
"how do you describe perfection? why try? let's just watch her run!"
#14 and #19 always send shivers down my spine. So did the one she lost. That was, ironically, her best performance of her career.
I love how the guy calling #17 just loses it....whooooooo Zenyatta yeees!
@Kostly Yes, I watched it! I've watched it at least 20 times, plus the extras posted on CBSNews.com that have more interview time with John S and Mike Smith and the Mosses. I watch as much as I can find. She is so magnificent, so gentle, so smart,, so beastly when it is race day. Such a ham! I love how she stops to pose at critical moments. Of course she knows what's what. She is the greatest athlete in so many ways and none of the personal hang ups/ addictions/flaw that other superstars have
Zenyatta vs Secretariat in a Match race in heaven!
this is still unbelievable!!! i love you zenyatta!!!
I thought I would never see a horse the equal of Secretariat. She did it all....a filly no less. She is truly a gift from the racing gods. Now she is passing on her genes, lets hope just one of herfoals will have as much talent and desire to win,!
Secretariat that’s a bit of a stretch but she is amazing and so much fun to watch race and the dancing before the race is just the best! Love her to death!
Was looking for a comment about secretariat haha best comment ever!
Was binge watching secretariat's race and his daughter lady's secret then stumbled with zenyatta's racing videos... Amazing horse...
OMG I was holding my breath every second of this..especially when she starts to speed up!!! Amazing! makes me want to ride a horse!! lol! Beautiful!
8:05...1 of the best race calls in History in my opinion...
"And St. Trinnians comes calling for the lead"
"Is she Horse of the Year, Mike?"
"She's Horse of the Decade, believe me."
--Mike Smith
@@lawalsh9505
...a remark which reveals ignorance
@@karaamundson3964 it was the ride I've seen in my like!!! I've seen a few bad rides in my time. Been involved in some of them 😅
The Best Horse in the history of horse racing. Secretariat wont win.
PURE PERFECTION........ PURE POWER...... PURE ZENYATTA
she is the best filly ever to race
No the best filly ever to race is kicsem undefeated in 54 starts in 5 country's against the best
Yup saw em all since 1971 and at 1 mile and 1/4th vs Ruffian my money would be on Zenyatta every time.
at a mile and 1/8th it would be edge Ruffian at the longer distance its Zenyatta hands down.
@savage...go back to sleep ....she raced in that Hot Bed of throughbred racing Eastern Europe
85% of the horse she beat were probably part time plow horses on a farm
yea right...remember Mr Frisky ? 17 in a row in puerto rico....when he came to the states and faced grade 1 stakes winners you needed a telescope to find him
As much as I love Zenyatta, I think if Enable pulls off another ARC/BC double, she'll be the best.
Zenyatta was amazing-she knew what she was doing and did it with ease.
She sure made it look easy, like she was just playing with the other horses, letting them feel like they had a chance and then she say nope and takes that leap forward and that’s all she wrote chalk up another win!
Greatest horse I ever seen race. Always ready to thrill us fans!
I enjoyed every single second watching this soul!! Thats Life
i've been in racing 40 years shes the greatest female i ever saw and that includes Ruffian
The greatest female I ever saw run was Landaluce, followed by Ruffian, and for the first two races of her life, Secrettame (dam of Elusive Quality who gave us Smarty Jones). Personal Ensign, All Along, Relaxing (dam of Easy Goer), were also good, but I've still never seen anything like Landaluce.
Goose bumps and tears every time. Every single time. What heart! What passion! I will never tire of watching her devour the field.
Wow... what a brilliant montage!!
Thanks for doing this... will be stuck on my favs' for a long long time.... happy retirement you superstar
@ldoyen82 wow I cryed too hah, she is soo beast!
Z just made it look so easy! As if she didn’t want to humiliate the other horses, let them think that have a chance and then she takes a couple leaps forward and she’s a length or two in front at the end, what a terrific horse!! Long live the queen!!!
After trying to relate to American woman for 57 years I never thought I'd fall in love with another female until Zenyatta😏😏😏
if you dont have goosebumps right now you don't like horseracing!!!!!!!!!!
I started to watch her live when she won her 7th race!! omg to think that was 12 races ago! Perfection all the way!!!
Man, if only Secretariat were alive. Them two would make the best foal ever.
They bred Genuine Risk twice to Secretariat and got a stillborn and a miscarriage.
@@raygordonteacheschess5501 That would be on the dam, not Secretariat. Having said that, Secretariat's colts weren't what they might have been, but his broodmares were outstanding.
So far Z’s broodmare career has been unsuccessful though her last filly seems promising
I still almost poop my pants when I see the finish of that Clement Hirsch...what a great race! She was a sight to behold...
Pretty horse but i like you more...😜
Its just incredible to see how easy Zenyatta was going in most of these races. Look at her ears, when they are that prickly, a horse is not going anywhere near as hard as they can, nor are they tired.
Absolutely incredible horse.
when they retired her i cried because i loved watching her dance onto the field and just fly by everyone. im only 19 so i never got to see Secretariat,Ruffian, Affirmed or any of the other greats, and i so wanted to see a racehorse that was once in a lifetime. I did and her name is ZENYATTA!! even though she lost her last race it was amazing to watch. my heart never beated to fast as it did watching her race that evening. :') i hope her foal is just as amazing!!
Thank you for this compilation of Zenyatta's races! Each one is still a thriller even though I know the outcome.
I love it when they say "if she is good enough" HAHAHA just too much, still can't watch the replay of the 2010 Breeders Cup when she ran out of room to run. She is still the best in my eyes and can't wait to see her kids!!
No, she ran at the best two tracks in North America (Santa Anita and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club)
"You better take a look at Zenyatta! (from her maiden win). Now that was a prophetic call.
I call her "The Heart Attack Horse"...Always behind...5 wide..4 wide...Whatever, Zenyatta runs them down and passes them for the Win. In my lifetime, The Greatest Racing Mare Of All Time...Zenyatta!
You would have liked Ruffian and check out Zs half sister Winx
If you do look up Ruffian don’t watch the match race, it’s race number 11 for her, you really don’t want to see that! Trust me if you love horses!
Wow, St Trinians ....AMAZING
Greatest horse of all time. Her will to win is too much for any field.. Say what you want about Secretariat. Say what you want about Frankel, or Black Caviar.. But the horse in this video will not back down to anyone. The only reason she took the loss to Blame was because she had a jockey trying to make her do more than she could handle but to lose by a nose from that type of race only adds more to her story. 19-1, I'll take Zenyatta over your favorite horse everyday of the week.
@TheKcat1999 That race, is a close third to the two BCCs she ran in. The first BCC her and Mike were just amazing in that last move to the outside to get clear for the wire. The second BCC, it's amazing she was there at the wire at all! This Lady's SEcret was just amazing! Especially considering what Switch is doing to competition these days. Switch is a str8 up BEAST! Just like Zenyatta.
Rachel was at her best at 3. It would've been a better race then. Not really as much in her 4yo season though. But I've always said no matter if the 2 raced on dirt, synthetics, turf, or on asphalt across a Wall-Mart parking lot? Rachel wouldn't have withstood the late closing onslaught of Zenyatta, period. Rachel was at peak level in that 09' Woodward as a 3yo and she barely held off the late closing Macho Again. His closing kick wasn't anything close to what Zenyatta would've brought to bare.
I'm really glad someone put this video together because it gives me quite a thrill to look back on these clips of Zenyatta's races. During the time she raced she was so good for this sport and proved she belonged at the highest level against the boys just as much as the girls. I sure do miss seeing this big mare roll up on the outside of fields and just run right by them like she did. That's the great thing about the internet, though. You'll always be able to see Zenyatta race anytime!!
love her love her love her LOVE HER :)
Your starting to show your ignorance about Zenyatta now...
Watch the 2008 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park where Zenyatta destroys the 2007 Breeders Cups Distaff champion (Ginger Punch) in a legitimate Grade I on dirt.
Anymore questions you need answers too?
I think I watch this everyday. It's absolutely thrilling. She is not only the best racehorse of all time, but one of the best and most important athletes of our time. She single-handedly is keeping horseracing afloat right now. Can't wait for Saturday.
That beautiful mare is the most competitive athlete alive today. There is a moment that is quite visible when she sees that final horse and she just explodes. Absolutely amazing and a joy to watch.
8:26 "IT'S ZENYATTAAAAA YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" sounded like the handicapped guy from Family Guy.
I think ruffian, rachel alexanderia, and zenyatta are the greatest racehorses of all times out of the fillies and I think every bit as good as secretariat
I honestly and truely believe with all my heart that Zenyatta is a recreation of Ruffian so Ruffian can live the full life she deserved.
I watch this montage at least once a year. She is the reason why I got into this sport. I seen some amazing horses over my young time in American pharaoh Aarogate justify but their will simply never be another horse like Zenyatta.
good luck today Zenyatta..you're in pretty tough...win or lose you are the one of the greatest of all time!!!
UNBELIEBABLE…she reminds me (more than anything over the past 10 years) why we love sports so much!
8 people don't know "poetry in motion".
zenyatta is another great horse , she is amazing
Wow, totally amazing, I thought Personal Ensign was the best but Zenyatta .... I don't know what to say except Holy Shit. LOL
"Got her ass handed to her", Grey? Don't think so. Blame barely won by a nose.
Same here...can't watch the 2010. Breaks my heart. My heart aches for Mike Smith. He was devastated and took all the responsibility. Maybe he was a little too over-confident? One more stride is all Z needed...just one more stride. :\ She's still the greatest filly ever! mho
Perfect day for the Queen!
This is royalty among horses. Damn she was special.
i'm still a huge fan of mine that bird...calvin borel is a favorite of mine...but i think zenyatta still will muster out the win in the classic
Zenyatta. And. Eddie. Delhouse.
La Mejor yegua Del Mundo
La Campeónísima ZENYATTA
Su Majestad
La Reyna 🥇🐎🏆
I have seen many great champion's before but to win 19 races coming from last in almost all of them is not a easy feat for any horse and that's what maker her so special.Even secretariat did lose in races so she losing one race by a nose doesn't suddenly makes her un special.I salute her and she know's herself that she is a superstar.
She didn't know how to run a bad race. NEVER failed to deliver an exciting race. Always giving a LOT of weight and carrying it like it had no effect on her. Such a sound horse, greatest personality and she runs a helluva race. EVERY. TIME. OUT. All heart and it's MASSIVE! Can't wait to see her foal running around.
Zenyatta
(April 1, 2004 - )
* Sire: Street Cry
* Grandsire: Machaivellian
* Dam: Vertigineux
* Damsire: Kris S
* Sex: Mare
* Breeder: Maverick Productions, Limited
* Owners: Jerry & Ann Moss
* Trainer: John Shirreffs
* Jockeys: David Flores (3 for 3)
Mike Smith (16 for 17)
* 20 Starts
* 19 Wins
* 1 Second
* $ 7,304,580 earned (Current $ 8,810,569)
* 2008, 2009 & 2010 American Champion Older Female Horse
* 2010 United States Horse of the Year
* 2010 Secretariat Vox Populi Award
* Inducted to The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016
* Zenyatta Stakes since 2010
* 2008 & 2009 NTRA "Moment of the Year"
* Lifesize statue at Santa Anita Park since 2012
* Greetings from Venezuela
Zenyatta
(1ro de Abril, 2004 - )
* Padre: Street Cry
* Abuelo paterno: Machaivellian
* Madre: Vertigineux
* Abuelo materno: Kris S
* Sexo: Yegua
* Criador: Maverick Productions, Limited
* Propietarios: Jerry & Ann Moss
* Entrenador: John Shirreffs
* Jinetes: David Flores (De 3-3)
Mike Smith (De 17-16)
* 20 Salidas
* 19 Primeros
* 1 Segundo
* $ 7,304,580 producidos ($ 8,810,659 actuales)
* Yegua Campeona Madura en Estados Unidos 2008, 2009 & 2010
* Caballo del Año en Estados Unidos 2010 United States
* Premio Secretariat Vox Populi 2010
* Exaltada al Museo Nacional de las Carreras y Salón de la Fama en 2016
* Clásico Zenyatta desde 2010
* "Mometo del Año" NTRA 2008 & 2009
* Estatua en tamaño natural en Santa Anita Park desde 2012
* Saludos desde Venezuela
I saw her tactic before but it was like a punch in the face in the '09 Breeders Cup. That is when Zenyatta got to the outside...it....is.....over!!!
You can even tell that the announcer knows it. As soon as she got to the outside his voice when from excited anticipation to an explosion.
She Should Have Been Disqualified In Race 6 Of Her Career,Dirty Business,All Money.
@Thehorse3201 well, in a good way i suppose, she is a mum now :)
What an amazing horse. I’m so glad her story isn’t tragic..
I do feel there is some tragedy in her breeding story though. Her very promising filly Z Princess died as a yearling in a paddock accident and she lost a colt one day after birth due to meconium, and then aborted an almost full term foal a couple of years ago. She just delivered a chestnut filly by Candy Ride last month who looks promising. Beautiful conformation. Big filly with deep chest and long legs. Neither of her first two colts were runners and both are now being trained for jumping and dressage. She has another filly that just went to training with Shireffs at Hollywood Park but has not raced yet.
El mejor Ejemplar de la historia que ha dado el hipismo
That is one of the more athletic accomplishments ever! Horse...human..doesn't matter. Fun to watch!
Thank you for good moments jockeys sport and Good Luck Mike Smith with Zenyatta, USA
Agreed, 110%. I love Zenyatta, huge fan. There's no doubt she had an amazing ability to come from way off the pace and go really wide doing it and still win her races. It might fair to say she ranks as one of the best filly/mares ever. But best horse ever, not even close. When you start comparing her to the likes of Man O' War, Secretariat, Citation, Kelso, Dr Fager, etc...Or to European horses like Sea Bird II, Brigadier Gerard, Mill Reef, Nijinsky, etc...
Mike Smith's arrogance on this horse finally caught up to him in the 2010 Breeders Cup, but he was incredibly lucky that it didn't happen in the 2009 Clement Hirsch.
She had a great stretch run, but in all honesty, who did she really beat? Majority of time she ran against her own sex, in the same races, year after year. But the Moss's are great at that, trying to run their horses only in races they think they are sure to win. And to then go on and claim what champions they are.
I'm sure a lot of people will think I'm an asshole for making this comment. But I'm not that impressed with what Rapid Redux has done. Simply because, imagine if Zenyatta, and or Citation and Cigar's connections just decided one day to keep all 3 of them in the same low level allowance class, beating up on the same level of horses over and over without ever stepping up in grade? I'd say all 3 of them could've won a good 40 to 50 races without defeat at the level that Rapid Redux is racing. TJMO.
Zenyatta's personality, and the way she interacted with her fans had almost as much to do with what made her so great as her natural ability, IMO. What she accomplished is probably on a higher plain because she was a filly/mare and not a colt. But whether she was male or female really doesn't matter in my eyes. Because for either sex, she's had an incredible career!! Definitely one of the greatest American thoroughbreds of all time!! JMO.
Zenyatta was the "Silky Sullivan" of our era of racing!! Not since the days of Silky Sullivan in the mid-1950's have I ever seen another horse, male or female, able to come from behind and make up so much ground to win at the graded stakes level the way she did. Silky Sullivan made up 27 length's to win the Golden Gate Futurity in 1957, and he made up 28 length's to win the Santa Anita Derby in 1958.
I dearly love looking back on the body of work that Zenyatta accomplished in her career. No knock at Ruffian whatsoever, because I'm old enough that I got to see the fireball race in my lifetime. But what other American filly or mare ever faced 22 of the world's best colt's on synthetics and conventional dirt and beat 21 of them? Falling by mere inches to only one. Certainly not Rachel Alexandra, or Ruffian.
@Venckman, Couldn't agree more. I think Zenyatta started the race spinning her wheels a bit, and she wasn't really used to all of the dirt blow back in her face either. I think both of those factors had a lot to do with why she was so far back early in the race. I think it was more her own doing than Smith's. I think Smith knew she needed to be closer to the pace. But it just took him 2 or 3f to get Zenyatta to cooperate with the plan. JMO.
@queenluciaa, I don't need a Silky Sullivan video to know that that closing kick was good enough to beat every filly and mare she ever faced. And it was good enough to beat 21 out of 22 of the very best colt's racing anywhere in the world. The only one it wasn't good enough to beat had dominated every other G1 winning colt he'd ever faced at Churchill Downs. But he was only able to beat Zenyatta by 6 inches. That's hardly dominating. Especially on his home track.
Zenyatta deserved HOY at least once in her career. She faced a host of class fillies and mares. Ginger Punch, Life is Sweet, St Trinians, Switch, Music Note, and Lethal Heat to name a few. She raced 22 of the very best colt's in the world in two B.C. Classic's as well. Even if Zenyatta had faced males more than twice? I truly believe she would've remained just as dominant in her division as Goldikova has been in hers. Her closing onslaught was truly a gift from the racing God's!! JMO.
The greatest American race-mare ever, and one of the greatest American thoroughbred's ever, male or female, bar none. Unheard of for a deep closer to finish her career beaten only one time by 6 inches. In the toughest conventional dirt field assembled all year on the planet. Beaten by a horse in Blame who had dominated every field he'd ever faced at Churchill Downs. Zenyatta lost nothing in defeat in the 2010 B.C. Classic. If anything, she solidified her greatness by never quitting. JMO.
@classactzWaY
She was great, no doubt about that. But why do fans always have to make such outrageous claims like 'best horse ever'?! You just lose all credibility with a comment like that and look nothing more than a rabid fanboy...
@moviesforrandy if you become a fan of her page on facebook you'll be able to read her diary entries, which are updated daily. she's doing extremely well and loves Kentucky, and her owners, trainer, and jockey visit her all the time :)
im impressed but some races she barley won i mean i watch tvg all the time and im 11 if secretariat raced zenyatta big red would win by a an amazing victory she may have stanima but she would be no match for big red
I personally think they should have went ahead and added Zenyatta's second classic to this clip. Because there was certainly nothing for her to be ashamed of that day in that loss by inches to Blame!! JMO.
Any minute now Queen Z will be having her second foal, God love her she has given me life in my darkest of moments. I am facing cancer surgery and I know I will be thinking of her as they put me out, I got to meet her through Animals Rock 4 Love, Kari. She invited me to her 20th race in Ky., so I did get to see her, since then we lost Kari from cancer, so unusual that I am now in her shoes, Michele.
The greatest Classic distance (1 1/4 miles) horses we have ever seen are: "Spectacular Bid" and "Secretariat"
I have no hesitation in stating the following:
Spectacular Bid would have no problems beating Secretariat more often at a 1 1/4 miles, than the other way around. In fact, I place "The Bid" second to only "Man O' War on the list of "All-time greatest horses to ever run in the last century".
Zenyatta is the greatest filly/mare to ever set foot on a North American racetrack.
Zenyatta would have no problem beating Citation or Kelso. She could carry weight and she would beat both the Triple Crown winner and the 5-time Horse of the Year (...and she would have no problems doing it, carrying 138lbs...if she had to) The other three you mention (Man O' War, Secretariat and Dr. Fager), she would have a tougher time with.
Your fighting an uphill battle there, son.
Can you name a filly or mare that has finished a head away from winning two 5 million dollar Breeders Cup Classics in the 27 year history of the event?
In fact, I'm still waiting for a filly or mare to just finish second in the race (...let alone win it).
BTW: Why did Rachel Alexandra duck Zenyatta in the 5 million dollar Apple Blossom? I mean she was the 2009 HOY, right? Why would a HOY duck 5 million dollars?
Answer: We all know why...
No she wasn't. She benefited from coming along when fake crap was mandated in CA and was able to hide there. As soon as she faced a legitimate Grade 1 field on dirt, she lost. End of story. Had she raced exclusively on dirt she would've had a 75-80% batting average. She was not the greatest US filly. Far from it. That honor belongs to Personal Ensign who went undefeated on dirt. Something Zenyatta couldn't do.
Hey "Shit for Brains",
Zenyatta:
$7,304,580
13 Grade I victories
Broke the world record with 8 consecutive Grade/Group I wins.
Track records: 1
Stakes records: 2
Zenyatta broke the All-time Breeders Cup earnings record (previously held by American Horse of the Year and 2-time Breeders Cup Classic champion "Tiznow"). Top five Breeders Cup earners are as follows: Zenyatta: $4,680,000, Tiznow: $4,560,400, Goldikova (IRE): $3,508,200, Conduit (IRE): $3,240,000 and Curlin: $2,955,000.
Pffft...you like trolling huh? Go look at the overhead of that race...ten more meters and she's flying by Blame, too. Blame was gassed. Anyone saying "she never passed him in the gallop out" are idiots because they fail to note that Mike Smith pulled her up just after the wire. Here's a piece of a call about your Blame, "and Ramon Dominguez is like a STATUE in the stirrups. Haynesfield has CRUSHED his rivals."
When Z in the '09 Breeder's, as Trevor D. put it, "hooked to the outside" and just blew the field away ... Jesus Christ! (and I'm an atheist!) ... did you ever see such a move??
Mike Smith gave up so much ground and yet he not only held Z in but he probably had two or three gears he didn't even use yet!
If you had a *dream* of a beautiful horse running beautiful races, it couldn't be as gorgeous as watching Z run. WOW!
As for her "loss" in her final race. SHUT UP! SHE'S PERFECT!
but that kid jason blewitt (come on now) he's no handicapper don't have a clue he does alright job in other areas but having him give out his selections is an absolute joke! he picks nothing but chalk and on rare occassion when he picks a decent price horse you can't find the horse with search lights! i know he got his job at NYRA because he has family working there i'm a professional handicapper and i'm telling you it's a joke! and i don't appreciate what NYRA did to me on there vids !
she was great no question but not the best female thoroughbred of all time that honor goes to the one and only RUFFIAN! SECRETARIART was the best male thoroughbred of all time even better then MAN O WAR TVG- matt is good handicapper mr.b. good handicapper (fellow horse dengenie) the kid gino not bad has some ability but the rest at tvg forget about it! dead wood! they need to clean house except for the top 3 i mentioned same joke at the NYRA andy serling good handicapper eric donavan as well
@MrDraven37 She beat the better females around and she would have beaten the better males twice had Smith realized he had close to a 7 year old mare under him while asking her to do something that was un-do-able for a horse a bit past her prime. And remember she ran all of her races exactly the same way. And in each race the opposition tried the same tactic-slow it way, way down and try to beat her to the wire. Her closing speed was without peer.
@MsSophia97 That was the genius of how she ran. If you look closely, she is not being asked to run. It came instinctively. She ran as hard as she needed to while leaving plenty in reserve. She possessed the longest stride of any horse in the history of the sport. A foot and a half longer than Secretariat's. When you consider that she weighed close to 1300 lbs, she truly was poetry in motion. A true example of working smarter as opposed to harder.
@GBeret83 He's raced the way he is because that is where he belongs, talent wise. This is not a stakes horse by any stretch of the imagination. It's a good trainer who knows where his horse can be competitive and where it can't be. The other horses you have mentioned also ran at the levels they belonged for the same reasons. I love the Rapid Redux story, because he's a stone cold racehorse, an iron horse that seems like a throwback to the old days. Long may he run, and continue to win.
They sent the best filly, probably top 5 in the world now, in the Lady's Secret against Zenyatta, in Switch. Beside the second BCC Zen ran in, this Lady's Secret should have showed all the doubters how WRONG they were about Zenyatta. Switch was FLYING to the wire. Zenyatta ran her down. In the second BCC, she just, simply, had too much to do, but, again, showed you what her heart was about. HUGE! Huge runs in EVERY race she was nearly beat in. HUGE!!!
The most amazing aspect of Zenyatta's record is the fact that I can't find a time where her odds were less than even money (in other words 'odds-on').
If a horse like that existed in Australia, bookies would have her at $1.20 return for a $1 stake. Can anyone explain how punters were still able to get odds of between $2.20 and $3 (for $1) about her even when she was at the peak of her powers and racing in such small fields? I would be a rich man if I was in the US betting on her.
@queenluciaa
Hi Queen, by what facts do you base your statement 'synthetic tracks pretty much ALWAYS favors the closers'?
I'm curious because the synthetic tracks here in Australia have a reputation for favouring leaders. In fact, at the last race meet I attended with a synthetic track, seven of the eight winners were either on or near the speed. There was only one swooper.
Cheers.