Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Breeders Cup Friday/Saturday
Options
Comments
-
-
-
Zenyatta falls to Blame in incredible Classic
By Racing Post staff 10:48PM 6 NOV 2010
Report: USA, Saturday
Breeders' Cup Classic (Grade 1) 1m2f, 3yo+
ZENYATTA came within a whisker of making history under the famous spires of Churchill Downs, laying down one of the most incredible runs in Breeders' Cup history to make up roughly 20 lengths but ultimately fail to get the better of Blame by the tiniest of margins.
Zenyatta's legions of fans were left chewing their fingernails as jockey Mike Smith allowed the field to steal 15 lengths on his mount within the opening furlong.
Running down the back straight the amazing mare, who had gone 19 races undefeated before this race, was over 20 lengths behind the leaders.
She had not passed a single horse as they swung into the final turn but with thefield bunching and Zenyatta suddenly looming, memories of last year's Classic at Santa Anita and her dramatic late lunge began swirling about the grandstand.
Smith opted not to navigate the crowded field and steered out towards the stands' side, where Zenyatta finally got going and swept past one rival after another.
It came down to a desperate drive to the winning line. Blame, out in front, and Zenyatta, eating up the yards with a ferocious appetite. But the post came too soon for Zenyatta and her fans. Blame held out, Zenyatta's unbeaten record was in tatters, but the worldwide audience that gathered to watch this remarkable mare were left with the memory of one of the all-time great Breeders' Cup races.
More to follow...
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/breeders-cup-zenyatta-just-fails-to-catch-blame-in-classic/786633/top/
0 -
i had to laugh at the winning jockey trying to get the crowd going
after his win.
Nobody wanted to know and i guess they'll
all Blame smith now for that debacle
not sure if that was showboating or what...
maybe he thought she was still going to get
there and he fairly beat the bejaysus out of
her in the home straight0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
Everyone keeps saying "that's racing" and all that bollocks.
That's not racing, that is pure stupidity from a stupid man who think he's on some sort of jet aeroplane. I feel sorry for the horse, she could of won that by a country mile with a proper ride. Who holds a horse 10 t0 15 lengths behind the second last horse, then tries to go up the rail like some sort of daredevil biker when she clearly needed to go on the outside to get a run, which he later does after costing himself a few lengths. What in the hell was he at?
I didn't even have a penny on her, so I'm not talking through my pocket. I'm just amazed at the stupidity of people at times, absolutely amazed.0 -
-
Everyone keeps saying "that's racing" and all that bollocks.
That's not racing, that is pure stupidity from a stupid man who think he's on some sort of jet aeroplane. I feel sorry for the horse, she could of won that by a country mile with a proper ride. Who holds a horse 10 t0 15 lengths behind the second last horse, then tries to go up the rail like some sort of daredevil biker when she clearly needed to go on the outside to get a run, which he later does after costing himself a few lengths. What in the hell was he at?
I didn't even have a penny on her, so I'm not talking through my pocket. I'm just amazed at the stupidity of people at times, absolutely amazed.
the clown certainly rode the horse like she was a jet plane thinking
she couldn't possibly get beat and im very bitter having got 7/2 on
her last sunday with pp even though i still made a small profit on it.
It was very painful to watch0 -
Advertisement
-
-
Everyone keeps saying "that's racing" and all that bollocks.
That's not racing, that is pure stupidity from a stupid man who think he's on some sort of jet aeroplane. I feel sorry for the horse, she could of won that by a country mile with a proper ride. Who holds a horse 10 t0 15 lengths behind the second last horse, then tries to go up the rail like some sort of daredevil biker when she clearly needed to go on the outside to get a run, which he later does after costing himself a few lengths. What in the hell was he at?
I didn't even have a penny on her, so I'm not talking through my pocket. I'm just amazed at the stupidity of people at times, absolutely amazed.
Couldn't agree more and if I didn't know any better, I would have said Spencer was on that.
However, in UK and Irish racing, you have an excuse for a run like that and can put it all down to holding the horse up and the horse really wanting ground with more cut and the other usual bollox we regularly hear.
However, in the states, thankfully - you can't get away with that.
They train horses to run at very specific times and the jockey knows precisely what time he should be hitting at each furlong pole - that run was a disgrace.
You could call it showboating, but sure he knows that to clock a time anywhere close to the track standard, he needs to be just off the pace, unless the field are going to fast that is, which they clearly weren't.
As X said, you have to feel for the horse and the owners, she clearly had the optimal preparation.
Be interesting to hear why he thought holding the horse that far off the pace was acceptable - only reason I can think of that would make sense, is that he thought the opposition were nothing special.
But, even that excuse falls flat when you see that five furlongs out, horses up front that went fast are now finding more and so the button surely needed to be pressed - yet he just sat motionless, until he came off the last bend that is.
He'll get slaughtered by the racing hacks over there, no doubt about it.0 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
*But if theres a good pace then theres less of a need to be up close to the pace like you said he should have been.
*I know you never said that, I'm saying it because its relevant to where you should sit in relation to the pace - or rather where you can get away with sitting.
*From where he was out the back I imagine it was hard to know the pace. If he was riding the pace sure but he was out the back trying to get his horse moving. Or at least wondering why she wasn't.
*My missing the point is in direct response to your comment about him beong "up with the pace". That means on the pace. Zenyatta has never (to my knowledge) been anywhere near the pace in any of her races. Shes hold up. i.e. off the pace not up with it.
*My buying has nothing to do with it. I said "From reports,". I'm simply arguing a point. Whats nonesense about "Wall of horses". that wall of horses were the four that I meantioned in my other post that finished in the back three. Including Quality Road which Smith mentions.
*They will dissect it, just like we are right now. And its dissection will never end.
Sorry, I miss read that part of your post
But still, if she started her race tonight like she did last years she would have won. I think it was lost at the beginning. Smith didn't shake her up early enough andthen decided to change his goggles at the top of the stretch.
This will rage on forever so I'm quiting for now!0 -
But if theres a good pace then theres less of a need to be up close to the pace like you said he should have been.
There is a difference between sitting off the the pace and holding a horse up so much that your are 40 lengths off the front runner who is going at pace suitable for the distance.From where he was out the back I imagine it was hard to know the pace.
Nutly, seriously - the guy is a pro, jockeys with his experience can tell if horses have gone off to fast or are going to slow.If he was riding the pace sure but he was out the back trying to get his horse moving. Or at least wondering why she wasn't.
I don't mean to be disrespectful to you, but after that comment, I really think you should watch the start of the race again.
He was NOT "out the back trying to get his horse moving".
You are talking as if the horse broke badly, or got stuck in the stalls.
He had a FANTASTIC break, watch her leave the stalls - he CLEARLY makes a DECISION to RESTRAIN the horse and let the field get a twenty length head start.Shes hold up. i.e. off the pace not up with it.
Of course she is a hold-up horse, but there is a limit on what you give a hold up horse to do.
You can't just break well and then slow the horse to walking pace and let the field get so far away like that, that's is unacceptable when you are running in a Breeders Cup Classic.
In effect, he might as well have been stuck in the stalls for two or three seconds - as what he did by restraining him, had the exact same effect, he gave the field at least three seconds - which is 15 lengths or thereabouts.Whats nonesense about "Wall of horses".
What's nonsense about that is, that there was no wall of horses - not any that required him to restrain the horse to the degree that he did anyway.
He spoke as if it were an 'either or or' situation' - it wasn't.
It really is laughable for him to say he sat that far back as if he didn't - he would have had to have gone wide and stayed there, it's just not the case at all.
If you disagree, cool - that's just how I'm calling it is all
0 -
Pete, I'm arguing the case. I don't believe everything I've written. You know what being the devils advocate is don't you? The only way to truely find the truth is to question your own beliefs and thats what I'm trying to do here. Its the best way to extract opinions from other people and gladly I'm getting plenty of yours. Its good for racing!
If you think about it, she had every chance and was in front 50 yards after the line. He did have the switch her out sharply just before the straight when Quality Road fell back on him. If you think about it, that cost him the race too. He did shake her up in the back stretch and she was in an ideal place to challenge at the top of the home stretch.
We don't know the horse, maybe he knows theres no point in shaking her up early. I would still like to have seen him try! When I said "trying to get his horse moving" I don't mean shaking her up. He could have been giving her a squeeze. I've already said he wasn't pushing her or shaking her. When she made her challenge she was no further off the winner this year than she was last year.
I couldn't see if he took a pull on her. I think she does that automatically and did it too much this time. But Smith should have trried to change her mind earlier. He didn't0 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Et15M6wsPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyO3tuwRAIc
Advertisement