HOY

[Horseplayersbet.com]

I have to say that Rachel Alexandra is no slam dunk anymore.

[lamboguy]

with all due respect, RACHEL ALEXANDRA should be a slam dunk for horse of the year. she had a tough campagn and shined every single moment of it. i really wonder what it takes for you guys to look at the glass being half full instead of half empty. we have a horse that won all her prep races this year, she onthe kentucky oaks, she won the preakness stakes, she won the haskell and then she did the impossible she won the woodward. she is such a layup to win its pretty comical to listen to people that doubt the credibility of this horse.


no doubt ZENYATTA is great and also had great accomplishments. some of you people went out on the limb and knocked the reasons why i thought she was a cinch to win he breeders cup. now the same people that doubted ZENYATTA are now coming out of the woodworks and telling me that she was that great and deserves horse of the year. great horse yes, synthetic specialist like no other yes, horse of the year NO. horse of the year belongs to RACHEL.

[Overlay]

Maybe this would be a year for co-HOY's. (Or is that possible with the way the voting system is set up?)

[DJofSD]

Z came to play while RA did not.

'Nuff said.

[ghostyapper]

It should be a close race. I can't understand why anyone is saying it shouldn't be or that it's no debate.

Both horses accomplished major things this year. They are both deserving.

[Bobzilla]

Originally Posted by Overlay

Maybe this would be a year for co-HOY's. (Or is that possible with the way the voting system is set up?)

I was thinking along the same lines, wondering if voters could be provided with a "both" option, as it would appear with the current system a very deserving horse is going to be denied this honor. But then I started to think that a "both" option would set a bad precedent as it might minimize the value of the honor and may also be abused in subsequent years. No easy answer on this one and I understand most of the arguments from both sides.

[Fingal]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Z came to play while RA did not.

'Nuff said.

As Trevor said it- " This is UNBELIVABLE !!! "

The Breeder's Cup was set up to crown champions, not reward those like JJ that played a prevent defense.

[Grits]

Originally Posted by Overlay

Maybe this would be a year for co-HOY's. (Or is that possible with the way the voting system is set up?)

A friend noted from Wikapedia:

Official voting for Horse of the Year honors did not begin until 1936 when the American Daily Racing Form (DRF) began choosing a Horse of the Year. In 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA) inaugurated its own Horse of the Year award. These voting procedures meant there were co-champions in 1949, 1952, 1957, 1965, and 1970.

[FantasticDan]

Originally Posted by Fingal

As Trevor said it- " This is UNBELIVABLE !!! "

The Breeder's Cup was set up to crown champions, not reward those like JJ that played a prevent defense.

Winning eight races (3 vs. males) on seven different tracks over the course of a campaign is prevent defense?

Zenyatta stayed in CA all year on her speciality surface that 3/4 horses can't handle and won five races, only one vs. males.

It's not close.

[46zilzal]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Z came to play while RA did not.

'Nuff said.

exactly right. ONE dared to be tested to the LIMIT, the other watched.

[Marshall Bennett]

How could a filly slam dunk all competition including the classic , be 14 for 14 , and not take the award hands down ? HOY is a slam dunk as well .

[Moyers Pond]

Rachel need to win the 10f Jockey Club Gold Cup for me, and then I would have maybe bought the no synthetic excuse.

Her owner didn't want to risk losing and risking HOY. But Zenyatta did something he thought she wouldn't do.

It really is a slam dunk. Zenyatta is HOY. She is undefeated this year and won the biggest race in the world. Pretty simple.

Rachel has next year, although I don't think she can win the 10f Classic on dirt or synthetic. She is not a 10f horse.

[LottaKash]

I gave the nod to RA over Z, simply because she beat a much more diverse group of horses in much more diverse places this year....As for Z, she proved her prowess alright, still, we probably will never know if she is just a monster "horse for course" (or surface) or if she could or couldn't beat any others on any other surface or place other than in Cali on her "surface".... One race doesn't make it imo..

They both "won" a spot in my memory bank of great ones.... A "Good Season" for fan interest this year...Enjoyed all the hype and such...

best,

[ezrabrooks]

Originally Posted by FantasticDan

Winning eight races (3 vs. males) on seven different tracks over the course of a campaign is prevent defense?

Zenyatta stayed in CA all year on her speciality surface that 3/4 horses can't handle and won five races, only one vs. males.

It's not close.

She ran in one unrestricted race..got eight pounds, and was life or death to beat Macho Again... Zenyatta did the same, but won the biggest race of the year..

[FantasticDan]

Damn, I keep forgetting that Macho Again, the 4yo with over 1.8M in earnings and G1/G2 wins and handful of G1/G2 placings, is basically just a decent allowance horse. My mistake.