NEWS
Zenyatta’s Classic ignites Horse of the Year debate
Posted: Sunday, November 08, 2009 4:52 PM
ZENYATTA WINS THE BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC (G1)
PhotosByZ.com
by Mike Curry
Let the Horse of the Year debate begin.
Saturday was a day to savor a brilliant performance by Zenyatta, who defeated 11 males with her explosive finishing speed to win a thrilling edition of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) (video). Less than 24 hours later, the wave of opinions began to mount as to which gifted female—unbeaten Zenyatta or three-year-old classic winner Rachel Alexandra—deserves to bring home the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.
Immediately after the Classic, Zenyatta’s trainer, John Shirreffs, was content to tell reporters that the decision was out of his hands. But Sunday, he gave a more candid opinion in a telephone interview with reporters.
“How can you not say she's Horse of the Year, Horse of the Decade for that matter,” Shirreffs said. “For me, she's the horse of a lifetime.”
Unbeaten in 14 career starts, the strapping five-year-old Street Cry (Ire) mare has put together impressive credentials with four Grade 1 wins this season, capped by her scintillating last-to-first Classic score in her first race against males. Zenyatta also defeated the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) winner, stablemate Life Is Sweet., three times this season, most recently in the Lady's Secret Stakes (G1) on October 10 (video).
“She's overcome so many things,” Shirreffs said. “It doesn't matter what she runs on; she can run on anything. The fact that she's been able to win with her racing style—coming from that far back, off any sort of pace scenario. They'll go a half in :49 and she'll come home in :22. She is devastating.”
Shirreffs made a point to acknowledge Rachel Alexandra’s powerful credentials leading up to and after the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
She defeated males three times, including a classic win in the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1) and a testing win against older horses in the Woodward Stakes (G1) (video). Her résumé also includes a six-length romp over Belmont (G1), Shadwell Travers (G1), and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) Stakes winner Summer Bird in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) (video) and record-setting victories in the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) among eight wins in as many races.
Shirreffs was asked if he would be satisfied with co-Horse of the Year.
“That would be fine with me,” he said.
Certainly, both talented females have compiled credentials worthy of Horse of the Year. In most years, both would probably be a shoo-in for the year’s top award.
But 2009 was no ordinary year, and those two extraordinary horses never got the opportunity to settle the debate on the track.
“That was a disappointment,” Shirreffs said. “What a great afternoon that would have been. That would have been one for the ages, too. With our different racing programs, it really wasn't able to happen.
“We were here; we chose to run in the Breeders' Cup Classic. We could have avoided the colts, but we didn't. I just hope everybody appreciates who Zenyatta is. She put on such a show yesterday, from the time she walked into the paddock, on the racetrack, and then down the stretch.”
Both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra dazzled fans this season and set up what is sure to be one of the most compelling debates surrounding the Horse of the Year award in history.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
