Zenyatta "hatred" explained

An interview with myself.

Q: So you still think Rachel is a better horse than Zenyatta? Rachel was thoroughly exposed as the bum she is in when losing the New Orleans Ladies and La Troienne. Meanwhile, Zenyatta remains undefeated after winning the Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom and Vanity. Seeing that, how can you possibly believe Zenyatta wasn't unjustly denied the 2009 Horse of the Year title?

A: This isn't about being better or greater. I couldn't give a flip whether Rachel or Zenyatta is "better," however one defines that term. I still contend Rachel deserved Horse of the Year over Zenyatta. And I don't understand why people believe events that occurred in 2010 should have any bearing on awards given for performance in 2009. That would be like arguing Cigar didn't deserve his year-end honors because his form prior to 1995 was marginal.

Q: Okay, let's look at the facts. Who did Rachel Alexandra ever beat in 2009? Mine That Bird? Macho Again by a whisker? Are you kidding me?

A: You seem to forget a horse by the name of Summer Bird, the champion of his division whom she beat by a long ways in the Haskell.

Q: So what? Zenyatta beat him too.

A: Yes, but Rachel beat him by a larger margin on a surface we know he likes. Zenyatta's margin was smaller over a surface where she enjoyed a considerable home-course advantage over Summer Bird.

Q: I'll respond to that in a moment. Let's get back to Macho Again. Do you call the Woodward a "quality" win? The field was crap, it's not the race it used to be, and the Breeders' Cup Classic had a way better field. Are you blind not to see any of that?

A: Macho Again proved not to be so great. However, at the time of the Woodward, he was the best dirt-based older male in training. If the Eclipse Awards had been handed out on Labor Day, I would dare say he would have won over Gio Ponti.

And preferring Rachel over Zenyatta isn't really about endorsing the quality of the Woodward or the manner it was won over Zenyatta's Classic victory. What is really more important is the historical significance of the victory that trumps every other factor.

Q: Zenyatta's win was historic! No filly or mare had ever won the Breeders' Cup Classic.

A: True, but I found Rachel's win more historic. And this has nothing to do with the fact the Woodward is an older race than the Classic. Remember, this was a three-year-old filly beating older males over a distance of ground on dirt at scale weights! How many times have we seen that happen?

Q: Lots of times. There was.....um....er....

A: Twice since the Eisenhower administration had a sophomore filly champ beaten older males over a route of ground on dirt. Surfside in the Clark of 2000, and Misty Morn in the Gallant Fox of 1955. This was an extremely rare achievement

Q: But she was favored to do that. Those horses Rachel faced were bums!

A: If it's such an easy task, how come we don't see three-year-old fillies face older males over a route of ground on dirt more often?

Q: Hey, I'm asking the questions here! Isn't a win by a champion older female over older males going a route of ground on dirt or its nominal equivalent, like Zenyatta's, just as rare?

A: Not exactly. Personal Ensign, Lady's Secret, Relaxing, Glorious Song, Waya, Shuvee, Gamely, Old Hat, etc. all turned the trick. Others, like Cascapedia, came close.

Q: Let's go back to the Classic. Zenyatta beat the best field assembled all year! She beat them fair and square!

A: I'm glad you're not calling it one of the best Classic fields ever, like some people. It clearly was not that. Yes, it was a good field, a better field top to bottom than the Woodward, but to argue that she won fair and square is ridiculous.

Q: You're nuts! She beat the best European horse in training, the champion three-year-old, the Derby winner, the champion older male and turf male...that field was outstanding! She beat them all!

A: It's funny how Zenyatta's supporters rip Rachel for beating nothing, than pat their favorite on the back for having beaten some of the same horses, like Summer Bird and Mine That Bird.

Q: But what about Rip Van Winkle and Gio Ponti? They're a hell of a lot better than Macho Again!

A: They're certainly better at what they do best -- running on turf -- than Macho Again is at what he does best -- running on dirt. Which leads me to my main point. In Rip Van Winkle and Gio Ponti, as well as several others in the Classic field, Zenyatta beat horses that did not have anywhere near the experience she had of winning over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride. As far as I and a lot of other people are concerned, she had an enormous advantage over most of them going in. A lot of them had a built-in excuse for losing even before the gates sprung. As a "championship" event, it was very inconclusive.

Q: You're so full of it. Zenyatta was the Horse of the Year and you know it! I don't buy any of that crap. Let's move on to this year. Rachel has had three chances to face Zenyatta and ducked her every time. What do you say to that?

A: I say there is no way Rachel ever runs on a synthetic surface again, because it's not her preferred surface, which eliminates the Santa Margarita and Vanity from consideration as well as any other race in California. And after a mediocre try in the New Orleans Ladies, it was wise of her connections to forfeit the Apple Blossom to a more in-form Zenyatta. You'd think Zenyatta's folks would be happy that their mare earned a theoretical victory over Rachel by showing up and winning at Oaklawn.

Q: Rachel and her connections just didn't want to see their filly get pounded by Zenyatta because then that would have invalidated her Horse of the Year title...

A: Huh?

Q: ...but there was a little poetic justice when Rachel wound up losing her next race too. Zenyatta never loses! And she doesn't lose Listed races and Grade 2s like Rachel, she wins Grade 1s! She beats the best horses in the country, always! Why can't you just admit that simple fact?

A: Just because there's a "G1" next to a race name doesn't mean squat. It's the composition of the field that matters, not the labeling. Didn't you say something to that effect comparing the Classic and Woodward?

And this Rachel vs. Zenyatta hang-up has to stop. As far as I and other Rachel supporters are concerned, Zenyatta is in the drivers seat right now for this year. Rachel has become irrelevant, really, because Zenyatta is heavily favored to be divisional champion right now, and you can't be Horse of the Year without being divisional champion. Zenyatta's fans need to quit fighting yesterday's battles and concentrate on the here and now.

Q: You're just an East Coast partisian and you hate California-based horses. The whole racing world doesn't revolve around Belmont. Look, Zenyatta is undefeated! She's going to become the leading-money winning filly of all time, she carries weight, and she's won over your precious dirt, convincingly I might add. Her connections think she's even better on dirt. Can't you recognize greatness when it's staring you in the face?

A: I don't understand why being undefeated means so much, or why preserving that distinction is so damned important to you guys. I think it's getting in the way of testing Zenyatta against higher quality animals. The modern day record of perfection is held by mare who ran exclusively against New Mexico-breds. Is that such a meaningful record in that context? 99.9 percent of Thoroughbreds lose at some point. I'd rather she lose while being tested than see her win another Clement Hirsch Stakes.

As far as money, that's another statistic that has become less meaningful. Not only have earnings lists never been indexed for inflation, but does anyone seriously think the Curlin, the highest earning North American runner of all time, is the best male runner ever? There is no correlation between money earned and "greatness."

Yes, Zenyatta's carried a few more pounds that most recent champs. Good for her. But considering her upcoming schedule, she won't have to worry about carrying high imposts again.

And few articulate Zenyatta critics consider her a creature of synthetic. We watched the last two runnings of the Apple Blossom. We know what she's about. It just gets boring watching her face the same overmatched fillies and mares all the time. We want her talents to be taxed, just like Rachel's were last year.

Q: By "taxed" do you mean leave California? She doesn't have to do anything you say because she's already great and still perfect. Why can't you just enjoy her for what she is, what she's done and for what she'll do?

A: Because it bores me to tears! If you want her to stay in California, fine. At least have the decency to run in races like the Hollywood Gold Cup or Pacific Classic. Open up your horizons. She's already demonstrated she can beat males. Why not give either of those two races a try?

Q: It's a little late for the Gold Cup. And she really dislikes Del Mar, so the Pacific Classic isn't a good idea. You're just trying to get her beat! Her main goal is and always was the Classic. You guys just show up for the Classic, which is where championships are decided and should always be decided. It's the definitive race and the best field every year. Just make sure your pathetic Rachel is there so we can prove our superiority for real. And we're not scared of that loser Quality Road either. Zenyatta will turn him into Quality Roadkill.

A: The Classic, the definitive race? I seem to recall in 2008 the results were completely ignored by Eclipse voters because Curlin lost on a surface he'd never run on before.

Q: Just another example of East Coast bias. Zenyatta should have two Horse of the Year titles already. But you guys hate California horses. It doesn't matter. Zenyatta can run on dirt and SHE WILL win the Classic, which is the race that counts above all others. We're not going to beat her up the rest of the year because, frankly, nothing else matters but perfection and the Breeders' Cup Classic. That's why she's so great, the greatest of all time. She's been handled beautifully.

A: Happy to know that the relevancy of the Breeders' Cup Classic means more than winning championships early and decisively. Zenyatta could put everything to rest long before November if she goes East and wins the Whitney and/or Woodward. I'd like to see her try that and, as a Rachel fan, would be extremely pleased for Zenyatta and would gladly support her for Horse of the Year if she won.

Q: Listen, pal. Didn't you hear what I said? Two words: Perfection. Classic. Get your priorities straight! Why do you hate Zenyatta so much?

A: Whatever.