NEWS
Readers choose Zenyatta as Best of ’09
Posted: Monday, December 21, 2009 7:17 PM
ZENYATTA
Benoit & Associates photo
by Ed DeRosa
In celebrating the “Best of 2009,” readers of THOROUGHBRED TIMES gravitated toward the improbable as much as they did the automatic.
The two sensational female racehorses Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta completed undefeated seasons, and it was the latter performer who earned the lion’s share of accolades from readers in the third annual “Best of” voting, including best horse, best race in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) (video), best owner (Jerry and Ann Moss), best trainer (John Shirreffs), and most ambitious placement by facing males in the Classic.
The survey continued to gain in popularity as 3,797 online votes were cast for the 20 different categories, an increase of nearly 24% from the 3,065 votes cast in 2008. Votes were received from 29 countries, up from 28 last year, with 8.4% of the votes coming from outside the U.S. At least one vote came from 40 states, along with votes from Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As easy as it was for racing fans to take a victory by either Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta for granted since they went a combined 13-for-13 this season, it was seemingly just as improbable to picture Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner’s circle at odds of 50.60-to-1, but there he was on May 2 at Churchill Downs flanked by trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. on crutches with a smiling Calvin Borel on his back (video).
Borel had as much to do with Mine That Bird’s victory as any other single variable thanks to a rail-skimming ride that also included several moves to the outside between horses. Readers voted Borel best jockey and recognized the Derby as the best ride by a jockey all year.
Readers represented Louisville well on the “Best of 2009” poll. In addition to Borel’s Derby ride, Churchill Downs also received recognition for its night racing and its racing analyst Jill Byrne, and readers selected the Louisville Courier-Journal as their favorite general interest daily newspaper that covers Thoroughbred racing.
To view the voting for all of the “Best of” categories, click here.
Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times
