2007 Moments of the Year= + vs. -

[kenwoodallpromos]

Rags' historical Belmont Stakes duly won Moment of the Year; and there were many other exceptional ones all packed into 1 year.
There were also some very notable negative moments- I am thiniing mostly about downturns in live handles, selling of real estate, big mistakes in building and track construction, and coming to a head of electronic wagering problems of several types.
my biggest question in light of the results of the official Moment(s) of the Year is: will Thoroughbred Racing find a way to sell the positive aspects of its racing product to the public better?

[OTM Al]

Best I saw was Evening Attire winning a graded stakes race at age 9.

[Grits]

Best I saw was Evening Attire winning a graded stakes race at age 9.

And, he runs again, in his first race this year as a ten year old, this Saturday at Aqueduct. Ramon Dominquez will ride.

An extraordinary racehorse, he is!!!

Much good luck goes with Attire always.

[onefast99]

Rags' historical Belmont Stakes duly won Moment of the Year; and there were many other exceptional ones all packed into 1 year.
There were also some very notable negative moments- I am thiniing mostly about downturns in live handles, selling of real estate, big mistakes in building and track construction, and coming to a head of electronic wagering problems of several types.
my biggest question in light of the results of the official Moment(s) of the Year is: will Thoroughbred Racing find a way to sell the positive aspects of its racing product to the public better?
Rags winning the Belmont is your top moment in horseracing for 2007? I hope you are kidding, didnt anyone ever tell you the boys dont like passing the girls down the lane!!! Rags was the freshest horse in the field everyone else just went thru a grueling grind just to get to the Belmont. Not my top pick not even in my top 10. Street Sense from last to first in the Kentucky Derby is by far the top moment in 2007. The runner up was Curlin charging home on a muddy track at the Breeders Cup 10-27-07. Lets all vote on this one.:faint:

[Shenanigans]

Rags winning the Belmont is your top moment in horseracing for 2007? I hope you are kidding, didnt anyone ever tell you the boys dont like passing the girls down the lane!!! Rags was the freshest horse in the field everyone else just went thru a grueling grind just to get to the Belmont. Not my top pick not even in my top 10. Street Sense from last to first in the Kentucky Derby is by far the top moment in 2007. The runner up was Curlin charging home on a muddy track at the Breeders Cup 10-27-07. Lets all vote on this one.:faint:


Please, Curlin was along side the filly not behind her.:rolleyes:

[onefast99]

Please, Curlin was along side the filly not behind her.:rolleyes:
Just watched the race again and yep Curlin didnt want to pass her. I wont take anything away from her win vs the fellas at Belmont, but the race call was better then the race!

[Shenanigans]

Just watched the race again and yep Curlin didnt want to pass her. I wont take anything away from her win vs the fellas at Belmont, but the race call was better then the race!

Didn't you just write in one post above that "everyone else just went through a grueling grind just to get into the Belmont"??? Isn't Curlin in that category???? Him not passing her has nothing to do with him being a colt and her a filly.:rolleyes:

[cnollfan]

Rags winning the Belmont is your top moment in horseracing for 2007? I hope you are kidding, didnt anyone ever tell you the boys dont like passing the girls down the lane!!! Rags was the freshest horse in the field everyone else just went thru a grueling grind just to get to the Belmont. Not my top pick not even in my top 10. Street Sense from last to first in the Kentucky Derby is by far the top moment in 2007. The runner up was Curlin charging home on a muddy track at the Breeders Cup 10-27-07. Lets all vote on this one.:faint:

I have nothing against Rags, but I agree that Street Sense winning the Derby was hands-down the racing moment of the year (other than Maryfield getting up by a nose for Elvis Trujillo at Saratoga, a personal favorite). I would put Curlin's BC 2nd as well.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Rags winning the Belmont is your top moment in horseracing for 2007? I hope you are kidding, didnt anyone ever tell you the boys dont like passing the girls down the lane!!! Rags was the freshest horse in the field everyone else just went thru a grueling grind just to get to the Belmont. Not my top pick not even in my top 10. Street Sense from last to first in the Kentucky Derby is by far the top moment in 2007. The runner up was Curlin charging home on a muddy track at the Breeders Cup 10-27-07. ""Lets all vote on this one."":faint:
Today's news was voting is already over and RTR won by a wide margin. Personally I think it was not the best race but neither was Barbaro being euthanized or John Henry dying- the award is for the moment, the the best race. I did not bother to vote because I knew RTR would win without my help.
The point of my post actually was that in many great moments and some of those resulting from great races, the racing industry again failed to take advantage of many natural postive angles from these stories to put racing in front of the public; so what the public hears is the worst moments in racing.
RTR's victory should have been as popularized as the results of the King-Ruggles tennis match, or the current Clinton-Obama race. Juvie champ SS winning the KY Derby should have been publicized just as much in the regular sports anf new media.

Each year racing needs more and more another Triple Crown Champ for a story even racing cannot ignore after 1 week!!LOL!!

[jma]

Today's news was voting is already over and RTR won by a wide margin. Personally I think it was not the best race but neither was Barbaro being euthanized or John Henry dying- the award is for the moment, the the best race. I did not bother to vote because I knew RTR would win without my help.
The point of my post actually was that in many great moments and some of those resulting from great races, the racing industry again failed to take advantage of many natural postive angles from these stories to put racing in front of the public; so what the public hears is the worst moments in racing.
RTR's victory should have been as popularized as the results of the King-Ruggles tennis match, or the current Clinton-Obama race. Juvie champ SS winning the KY Derby should have been publicized just as much in the regular sports anf new media.

Each year racing needs more and more another Triple Crown Champ for a story even racing cannot ignore after 1 week!!LOL!!

Ken, the story did get a lot of coverage when it happened, at least FOR RACING. It's a fragmented media market, and being the lead story in the sports world for a night was the best you were going to get. It's not as if you could cover it day after day afterwards with profiles and interviews. Also, it was pointless to hype it afterwards because Rags to Riches didn't face the boys again. She hardly even raced. What were you going to hype, Rags to Riches sitting in a field? There was no rematch to promote.

The other things you mentioned earlier like "betting handle declining" and "poor real estate choices" aren't "moments". Honestly, while racing screws up a lot of things, hyping a nonexistent rematch was impossible.

[Burls]

Street Sense from last to first in the Kentucky Derby is by far the top moment in 2007. The runner up was Curlin charging home on a muddy track at the Breeders Cup 10-27-07. Lets all vote on this one.:faint:

A slight disagreement here.
Curlin's finishing charge at the Breeders's Cup - tying the track record - had to be THE moment of the year, rightly making Curlin THE horse of the year.
Curlin CRUSHED the field in that race; and no one had any excuses.

[Grits]

The tennis match you're speaking of Kenwood was Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

I felt very much that Rags' win of the Belmont was worthy of "moment of the year." The fact that she was a fresh horse was of little note as horses in other Triple Crown races in recent years too, have skipped prior races. Its not unusual any more. We're pretty accustomed to this now.

Giving credit where credit's due easily comes to mind here.

One has to acknowledge the fact that this is only the second filly in the history of this 1 1/2 race race to win it. And the first in over 100 years. These two facts alone speak volumes.

It was a fine moment for Thoroughbred Racing. It was fine too sitting on the finish line watching it.


Today's news was voting is already over and RTR won by a wide margin. Personally I think it was not the best race but neither was Barbaro being euthanized or John Henry dying- the award is for the moment, the the best race. I did not bother to vote because I knew RTR would win without my help.
The point of my post actually was that in many great moments and some of those resulting from great races, the racing industry again failed to take advantage of many natural postive angles from these stories to put racing in front of the public; so what the public hears is the worst moments in racing.
RTR's victory should have been as popularized as the results of the King-Ruggles tennis match, or the current Clinton-Obama race. Juvie champ SS winning the KY Derby should have been publicized just as much in the regular sports anf new media.

Each year racing needs more and more another Triple Crown Champ for a story even racing cannot ignore after 1 week!!LOL!!

[kenwoodallpromos]

Well, I remembered the FEMALE'S NAME!!!!
No rematch? yes, and her trainer set the record for wins in a season. No story afterward? then why is there controversy on this as to whether she faced tired opponents or would have won a rematch? There can always be off-shoot stories, like the whole thing of the TC horse ownership. But you are right- even stories about the female that finished close in the Indy 550, the Williams sisters, the stories of females playing in the PGA tournaments, only have limited life in the media- but the media keeps covering stories of success ion the female side- which is what this is. And they cover stories of "babies" who succeed later, like SS, like Heisman winners, like Tiger Woods.
If they are convinced they are good stories.

[onefast99]

A slight disagreement here.
Curlin's finishing charge at the Breeders's Cup - tying the track record - had to be THE moment of the year, rightly making Curlin THE horse of the year.
Curlin CRUSHED the field in that race; and no one had any excuses.
Horse of the year yes moment of the year in my view is still Street sense who couldnt handle the Monmouth surface. Rags winning the Belmont was nothing compared to Street Sense passing 18 horses to win from last the 2007 Kentucky Derby, problem was that it happened the first week of May and everyone seems to forget about it unless he won the Preakness also! I'm sure everyone has their moment but lets keep the decreased handles and attendance and the other negativity out of this one thread as it has nothing to do with the "moment of the year".

[jma]

Well, I remembered the FEMALE'S NAME!!!!
No rematch? yes, and her trainer set the record for wins in a season. No story afterward? then why is there controversy on this as to whether she faced tired opponents or would have won a rematch? There can always be off-shoot stories, like the whole thing of the TC horse ownership. But you are right- even stories about the female that finished close in the Indy 550, the Williams sisters, the stories of females playing in the PGA tournaments, only have limited life in the media- but the media keeps covering stories of success ion the female side- which is what this is. And they cover stories of "babies" who succeed later, like SS, like Heisman winners, like Tiger Woods.
If they are convinced they are good stories.

Ken, there wasn't a rematch. That's WHY there's "controversy" among the five racing fans who care over whether she'd have won a rematch with Curlin. But if there isn't a race, you can't push the media to cover it, can you? The examples you give---Danica Patrick and the Williams sisters compete regularly, so there's something to cover. The horses didn't face each other again.

[rastajenk]

Not only that, Rags didn't race much, or at all (I forget) against anything after that race. How can you keep pumping her story when she's kept in the barn..."Leading off today's sports news: Rags to Riches didn't race again today." Doesn't work that way.

But I agree with the Belmont being the year's Moment. Big wins are nice, but they have to be Secretarian to be a big Moment, and there's only been one of those. Tight finishes trump easy wins.

[Spectacular Sid]

Just watched the race again and yep Curlin didnt want to pass her.

I am so impressed at the level of intellect here. You must be a superior handicapper to know what a horse is thinking, and whether or not it wanted to pass another horse. Can you tell what a horse is thinking before a race? That must really help in deciding which horse to bet.

[onefast99]

I am so impressed at the level of intellect here. You must be a superior handicapper to know what a horse is thinking, and whether or not it wanted to pass another horse. Can you tell what a horse is thinking before a race? That must really help in deciding which horse to bet.
42 posts later and you still have added nothing to most threads I have seen you on. Avatar is gone and so is the Mr Nice Guy I thought you were. The line I used was "the boys dont like passing the girls" it was meant to be funny nothing more nothing less. And as for picking horses how about you get in one of the contests and lets see how you stack up, they are a lot of fun and can be found under the "selections" section. I have to go talk to the horses see ya later Sid.

[Spectacular Sid]

A slight disagreement here.
Curlin CRUSHED the field in that race; and no one had any excuses.

Not unless you consider a racetrack that absorbed several inches of rain in the previous 48 hours an excuse.

What made Curlin so impressive that day was the fact he was able to overcome a bad racetrack and not have to use it as an excuse. But I think others did have the excuse of a racetrack they could not handle.

The other problem with the BC Classic being moment of the year was that unfortunate incident of dangling leg and a soon to be dead George Washington that played out in front of everyone as Curlin came back to be unsaddled. It reminded me of Julie Krone's breakthrough win in the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair, when she became the first (and only) female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. No one could really celebrate the moment as Prairie Bayou was being put to death on the backstretch.

Rags to Riches beating a dead-game Curlin and being the first filly winner of the Belmont in 102 years was a good choice in my opinion.