Posted on 11/06/2010 5:19:05 PM PDT by Holen1
Zenyatta's history-making winning streak ends by a nose to Blame in a thrilling $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) (VIDEO) under the lights at Churchill Downs Nov. 6. Blame is a homebred son of Arch for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.
“To be filled with anticipation and see it come through is a feeling can’t describe,” said Seth Hancock, president of Claiborne Farm, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
With the Classic, Blame won his third grade I race of the year. Earlier he won the Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap, and he finished second in the grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup. Blame will now be retired to stud at Claiborne with a lifetime record of nine wins in 13 starts, six of the wins in graded stakes.
The final time was 2:02.28.
More to come...
(Excerpt) Read more at bloodhorse.com ...
She is quite special. Hope they get the right cross.
“She’s a terrific horse — maybe the greatest filly/mare of all time.”
Hard to argue. Shame we didn’t get to see the match-up with RA.
I’m not but I’m not betting the farm on any horse I pick either. Only throw-away money (of which I have none). I don’t think I picked a winner in any race today.
I was there at Belmont to see Secretariat but this horse is more lovable if that’s a word for a horse.
And of course, there was Barbaro’s courage after his injury.
We’ve seen some amazing horses over the years.
Recorded it, watching them put them in the gate right now.
Not on a bet.
Exactly.
Jockey failure.
He waited just a sencond or two too long “turn her loose.”
Beautiful horse.
You got to see Secretariat’s Belmont run in person? You’re very fortunate. I watched in on TV when I was a kid of 9, and was all caught up in it like most Americans.
His 2:24 mile and a half record on dirt will never be broken, imo.
All this “if Zenyatta wins the BC she’ll be greater than Secretariat” nonsense this week was completely ridiculous, but that’s what happens when people get all hyped up. Heard the same stuff about Big Brown a couple years ago before his loss in the Belmont loss too.
In 50 years folks will still be comparing the best horse of the hour to Secretariat.
I made a very token smattering of super bets yesterday,
added one today, watched two of the races at OTB in Nanuet, then went back home to watch the last two.
I didn’t believe Zenyatta was a shoo-in, by any means, but I thought she might find a way to do it. I’m disappointed that she and Mike Smith didn’t. It’s her trademark to hang back and close, as everyone knows, but when I saw the first
half of the race and HOW FAR back she was at her farthest , I turned to my wife and said “uh, oh!”. I seem to remember last years BC Classic her being about 13 lengths back at the most, this time it seemed much longer, especially from the skycam. I was surprised again she made up as much ground as she did, but most of the DRF handicappers picked Blame over her. Never saw Blame run, so I had no visceral feeling about him, which I need IN ADDITION to the past performances. I expected by sentimental favorite Musket Man to do better but he finished 7th out of 12th.
The thing that galled me almost as much as Z’s losing was that idiot commentator HAVING to talk to Mike SMith via
headphone, SO CLOSE to that start, approaching the gate, and THEN as if that weren’t bad enough, jumping on him again
a bare few minutes AFTER the race to question him about what happened. Can’t these A-holes LEAVE THE JOCKEYS ALONE and show them SOME RESPECT??
Not only is Belmont the longest race, it is the only one of the three that forbids Lasix.
Unless a trainer decides to forego Lasix in all the races it’s very difficult to withdraw that drug for a race of Belmont’s length.
Secretariat was a big powerful horse who ran like the wind.
Zenyatta has a playful personality that makes for falling in ‘love’ with a horse.
Getting to seem as tho all the ESPN announcers are jackasses.
The questions were beyond stupid and that jerk with the mutton hat..........ugh.
Click the Breeder’s Cup Classic video for race (third from left.)
http://search.espn.go.com/breeders-cup/
The speed just absolutely collapsed between the 6 furlong and 1 mile mark, with the 4th quarter being run in an amazingly slow 26 and change. (In the Dirt Mile, the second place finisher ran fractions of 44 and change and 1:09 and change and ended up beaten only a head). The pace in the Classic didn't seem suicidal, but the 4 horses in the lead group that Zenyatta trailed by about 15-20 lengths ended up finishing 8, 10, 11 and 12.
With all the hype she was bound to lose.
Zenyatta is a beautiful horse, and gives a real show. I was rooting for her.
By the way, the other day just for fun I looked up her pedigree and she is a descendent of Princequillo, the horse reputed to have given Secretariat his stamina. I checked it especially to see if they had common heritage, because she reminds me of him. So big, so strong, out of the mold.
With you. She almost caught him, she’s a real heavy duty closer - a lot of horse there. The jockey waited too long. A shame. But like a previous poster noted, the great thing is to see her retire sound.
I still remember poor Eight Bells breaking her legs on the track.
Mike tried to hustle her up closer but she wasn’t interested until the stretch.
Great race, a shame it ends this way, but there is a very slight possibility of her remaining in training.
Tiznow is perfect for her. Her dam is 4x5 to Hoist The Flag and 4x5 to Hail To Reason. Her sire has only one 5x6 cross to Native Dancer. She is 5x5 to Nashua and 5x6 to Hyperion.
Zenyatta has no Seattle Slew, Northern Dancer or Man O’ War, very rare now.
Tiznow is 4x4 to Northern Dancer and his damsire is a son of Seattle Slew.
It’s eight generations back to Man O’ War, the best American horse ever, and Tiznow is one of the best sires now. The Matchem line is better than it’s since the 1930s.
She’s a giant at 17.1 hands but he’s strong and tall at 16.3 hands.
Both have fierce determination.
Imagine, a sire who is the only horse or mare that has won two Breeders’ Cap Classics bred to the only mare to win the Classic and was only a head from away from winning twice.
One caveat: Her owner, Jerry Moss, won the 2005 Kentucky Derby. Moss would like to see Giacomo have a chance to sire
a superstar.
It's not the "announcers." It's the producers. Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss both know the game and its people very well. (I've heard both of them speak sans producers.)
ML/NJ
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