Blame

2010 Horse of the Year: Zenyatta

November 10, 2010 By Ryan Patterson 9 Comments

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Never before have I felt so conflicted about who should win Horse of the Year. Regular visitors of this site may recall that in 2009 I went with Rachel Alexandra. In my eyes, and in the eyes of the voters, her resume was far more impressive than Zenyatta’s.

However, I have a new outlook on things this year.

Zenyatta did what no other horse has done by winning 19 races in a row. If not for a poor trip in the Breeders Cup Classic, she would have retired undefeated and we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Fans from all across the nation ventured to racetracks in order to catch a glimpse of the towering mare.

Handle soared at Churchill Downs in horse betting on the Breeders Cup. This was without a doubt because of the interest in the daughter of Street Cry. I had friends with absolutely no interest in racing talking to me about Zenyatta, and asking questions about racing in general. This is the kind of boost that racing has been desperately seeking for years.

Let’s not forget the buzz surrounding “Rachel Alexandra vs Zenyatta” early in the year. Although it never happened, it had everyone talking. That includes major news outlets that otherwise wouldn’t be covering thoroughbred horse racing.

Did Zenyatta beat much on the track this year? The answer is unequivocally no. This is easily explained though. She was scaring everyone away. Would YOU want to run against an unbeaten mare that beat the boys in the biggest race of the year in 2009? I don’t think so. In my eyes, you can’t hold the fact that she didn’t beat much against her.

The “other” horse in this argument is Blame. The son of Arch improved with every start in 2010. Everyone doubted him as he was second choice behind Battle Plan in the Foster Handicap, Quality Road in the Whitney Handicap, and Zenyatta in the Classic. Despite being the underdog, he won all three of those races.

Trainer Al Stall is one of my favorites and one of the best in the business. The same goes for jockey Garrett Gomez. I feel bad for not picking Blame, but I truly feel Zenyatta deserves it. He is more deserving than Zenyatta was last year. Sadly, someone must lose out.

When I go to my class reunion in 20 years nobody is going to remember a horse called Blame. Sad, but true. Quite a few will remember the mare Zenyatta who embodied “Girl Power” like no other horse, OR person could.

The Mosses went out on a limb by keeping her in training. This award is the perfect way to thank them for being great owners and doing what is good for the sport. It would set an example for future owners who may think of retiring a superstar prematurely. Perhaps they will think back to Jerry and Ann Moss and follow in ther footsteps.

She deserves it, and this is coming from a big time fan of Rachel Alexandra and longtime doubter turned believer. Zenyatta should be Horse of the Year.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: blame, horse of the year, Zenyatta

Quality Road and Blame set to begin careers at stud

November 9, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

This isn’t really news, because we all knew it was coming. However, Quality Road, and Blame are two of my favorite horses so I decided it was worth a mention. Both have been retired to stud duty. The duo will leave a gap as wide as the grand canyon in the older horse division.

Quality Road is headed to Lanes End Farm to begin his career as a stallion after a last place finish in the Breeders Cup Classic. Last place isn’t a word that is usually mentioned in the same sentence as this colt’s name.

Throughout his career he won races such as the Florida Derby, Fountain of Youth Stakes, Amsterdam Stakes, Woodward, Metropolitan Mile, and Donn Handicap. His reserves of speed were among the best I’ve ever seen.

Quality Road also put in bang up efforts to be third in the Travers Stakes, and second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

My greatest memory of Quality Road will be his triumph in the MET Mile. After watching several different horses try to run him into the crowd, I stared in awe as he crossed the wire first seemingly unscathed. I asked myself, could anyone beat Quality Road? I believe that there isn’t a horse who could touch him in a race going a mile. Anything futher though is where he began to falter. While he could win races routing based on his raw talent, it was clear he was best up to a mile. I suspect he will have a huge impact at stud.

I haven’t been following Blame’s career as long as ol’ Quality Road’s, but he is just as impressive. I knew he would be something else after watching him smash a strong field in the Clark Handicap near the end of his three-year-old campaign. At the age of four he galloped down the highly regarded Battle Plan in the Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. He followed that win up by nailing Quality Road at the wire in the Whitney.

His most impressive triumph came when he played the Onion to Zenyatta’s Secretariat by holding her off in the Breeders Cup Classic. The son of Arch will make an excellent addition to Claiborne Farm’s stallion list and should continue to add to their resurgence in the shed just as he did on the track.

What are your favorite memories of Blame and Quality Road? Leave a comment and be heard!

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: blame, quality road

Zenyatta: 19 for 20

November 7, 2010 By Ryan Patterson 3 Comments

I had a hard time choosing a title for this article. How do you describe what happened in the Breeders Cup Classic last night? It’s not easy.

Even though I had Lookin at Lucky and Blame on my tickets, I felt a weird feeling as Zenyatta ranged up. My heart wanted her to run past Blame even though my money wasn’t on her. Never before have I felt so conflicted about a horse race.

I’ve always given Zenyatta a hard time and been a big doubter of hers. Of course I knew she was a magnificent racehorse. She didn’t win 19 races in a row for no reason. I just always doubted that she was one of the greatest ever. After her courageous run to just miss yesterday I can say without any doubt she is the best female horse to ever step on the track. She would give some of those top boys a run for their money too!

I’d like to thank John Sheriffs, Jerry Moss, Ann Moss, and Mike Smith for keeping Zenyatta around in 2010. They didn’t have to do that, but they did it for US. They did it for the horse racing industry. We all owe them a huge debt. It’s been a pleasure to watch them campaign Zenyatta the past three years.

We as fans of horse racing are so blessed. In the past few years we have been able to witness some of the finest horses to race in decades. Not just Zenyatta, but Rachel Alexandra, Curlin, Smarty Jones, and Rags to Riches to name a few. I love them all and I look forward to seeing more of the great ones in the future.

Perhaps as Zenyatta’s star shined for the final time, we witnessed the next beast in Uncle Mo. It’s to early to say, but anything is possible. Hey, he is undefeated; for now.

Zenyatta showed us that nothing in life is perfect. In a way that makes her even better than before in my eyes.

Feel free to discuss this post by leaving a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing News Tagged With: ann moss, blame, breeders cup classic, jerry moss, john sheriffs, mike smith, Zenyatta

2010 Breeders Cup Classic Preview

October 21, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Some call it the biggest race in the world, or perhaps the most important. The winner is more often than not named Horse of the Year. The race is the Breeders Cup Classic, and the stakes are clearly high. I covered the race extensively for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association last year. My top pick, Quality Road, was scratched at the gate. It feels like just yesterday this race ran, but much has happened since then. Let’s examine the race!

The $5,000,000 event returns to Churchill Downs and natural dirt this year. Defending champion Zenyatta will be a definitive favorite. The undefeated mare is 19 for 19 on her career with wins in the Santa Margarita, Apple Blossom, Vanity, Clement L. Hirsch, and Lady’s Secret this year. It’s clear that she hasn’t defeated much outside of the mare St.

Trinians this year, but the same could have been said in 2009. Trainer John Sheriffs says she is as good or better now than when she won in 2009. Jockey Mike Smith feels the same way.

Zenyatta’s closing kick is among the best in the history of thoroughbred racing, and you can bank on her mowing horses down in the stretch. She isn’t a lock though. This will be the best field she has ever faced by far. This will also be her first time running over the track. Weather can always be a factor too. Zenyatta has never competed on a wet track.

In my eyes, she will have to out kick Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky, and Foster Handicap winner Blame. That won’t be done easily. Obviously, her chances are big, but just like in 2009, I’m not willing to concede this thing to her. That doesn’t mean I’m foolish enough to leave her off my tickets though! I’ve always been a bit of a doubter about Zenyatta, but if she can win this race I’ll finally agree that she is one of the best to ever step on the track.

The second choice in this race will be Al Stall and Claiborne Farm’s Blame. The son of Arch is a wonderful animal. I remember having dinner after a day at Keeneland earlier this year where I chatted with his exercise rider. He said he would be Horse of the Year before Blame had even ran a race. If he is able to win this race then the exercise rider will be right.

Blame is ridden by Garrett Gomez. The journeyman jockey has ice in his veins and will make sure this guy gets an excellent ride. Blame’s closing style should do him well here. He has proved in the past he can make up ground if the pace is slow. That shouldn’t be the case here. He’s a bit of a grinder. It looked as if he was dead in the water late in the Whitney against Quality Road, but he was able to dig deep and get past him.

Despite all the great things he has done this year, Blame lost his last race in the Jockey Club Gold Cup when Haynesfield wired the field. That doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t want my horse peaking in his prep race. I believe Blame is ready to run the race of his life at Churchill Downs on November 6. That doesn’t mean he will be my top pick though. I’m going to wait for the PPs and watch the news closely before I make that decision. However, he is definitely on the short list!

The third choice in the Breeders Cup Classic betting will be Preakness Stakes, and Haskell Invitational winner Lookin At Lucky. The three-year-old is one of the most tenacious animals alive. He just keeps on coming no matter what the circumstances are. He may not win, but Lucky is going to run his heart out trying. You can bank on that. The Martin Garcia piloted son of Smart Strike has one thing going for him that no one else does. That is Bob Baffert.

The silver haired Hall of Fame member is the best trainer in the world. To you that may be an opinion, but to me it is a fact. I’ll take Bob Baffert with a talented colt over just about anyone else in most cases. His charge can get the distance and he loves the surface. He’s also quick enough to get to the leaders before Zenyatta or Blame. If he strikes the lead, will be passed? To the best of my knowledge, Lookin At Lucky has never been passed after he has struck the lead. That may not matter, because many things that have never happened before happen all the time. Especially in the Breeders Cup!

My top pick from 2009, Quality Road, never got to strut his stuff as he was scratched at the gate. I probably won’t go with him again this year. I just don’t believe the son of Elusive Quality can go the 10 furlongs distance. He is extremely classy, and if this race were a little shorter he would be very, very, tough. Who can forget his win in the Metropolitan Mile this year? It’s not out of the question for him to get a piece, but to me he likely isn’t a win candidate this time around.

Other candidates for the Breeders Cup Classic are First Dude, Fly Down, Espoir City, Haynesfield, Paddy O’ Prado, Musket Man, Crown of Thorns, Gitano Hernando, and Morning Line. The chances of a horse other than Zenyatta, Blame, Lookin at Lucky, or Quality Road winning the Classic are minute, but anything can happen as Wild Again proved in the first running of the race at huge odds.

Who do you like in the Breeders Cup Classic?

Filed Under: Horse Handicapping, Horse Racing News Tagged With: al stall, blame, Bob Baffert, breeders cup classic, corwn of thorns, first dude, fly down, garrett gomez, gitano hernando, haynesfield, john sheriffs, Lookin at Lucky, martin garcia, mike smith, morning line, musket man, paddy o' prado, quality road, Zenyatta

GoGo at fault for Blame’s loss? Give me a break….

October 4, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

I’ve had my fair share of bad rides. There are times when a jockey has refused to take a clear rail, and instead went wide and ended up falling just short. Sure, I complained. However, you will never hear me complain about a jockey when he clearly does nothing wrong. That is why I’m confused as to why Jerry Bossert of NY Daily News wants to pin the blame on Garrett Gomez for Blame’s failure to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Anyone with half a brain knew that Haynesfield going wire to wire in the Jockey Club Gold Cup was a distinct possibility. I noted this in my writeup of the race. I believed the colt wasn’t classy enough to carry his speed and it would be Rail Trip getting first jump who would win the race. I was wrong. Rail Trip faded and Haynesfield got stronger as the race got longer. Kind of odd since he is a son of Speightstown, right?

The fractions for the race were :24 3/5, 48 3/5, and then 1:13 1/5. GoGo had his charge a little closer than normal, but in the end Blame is a closer. There is nothing Gomez can do about that. He inched closer as the race went on, but in the end he fell victim to a soft pace. Would you blame Mike Smith for not having Zenyatta close enough? Of course not. That’s just the way the mare runs.

I also saw plenty of criticism for Johnny Velazquez when he lost the Whitney on Quality Road. Johnny V went to the lead and set a slow pace, but in the end Blame was able to gun him down. How can we blame him for taking a speed horse to the lead and slowing things down? He did his job perfectly, and Quality Road got beat by a better horse that day.

I’m sure Jerry Bossert is a wonderful fellow, but I don’t understand how he could blame Gomez for this one. Do you?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: blame, garrett gomez, jockey club gold cup, johnny velazquez, whitney handicap

Haynesfield upsets in Jockey Club Gold Cup to top exciting weekend!

October 3, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Well, I knew he was lone speed, but I didn’t think Haynesfield was classy enough to take them all the way in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. How wrong I was! The son of Speightstown proved his pedigree wrong and got stronger as the race got longer to register his first Grade 1 victory. Blame, the 3-5 favorite, finished well back in second. Travers runner up Fly Down was third.

Trainer Steve Asmussen is considering the Breeders Cup Classic for Haynesfield. Unless he freaks in that race he has almost no chance at all to win. I’ve always liked the horse, but he is a cut below the best in the nation. His freakish performance was the result of a lack of pace and a short field. I’d like to see him in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile. It is likely he would be in with a big shot to win that race.

I’m glad that Blame lost. He’s been my Breeders Cup Classic horse for a long time. All that his loss in the Jockey Club will do is ripen his price for the Classic. I’m every bit as confident in him as I was before he ran second. The son of Arch will be peaking in November and charging late with an enormous shot to win the $5 million race.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup wasn’t the only big race this weekend.

The Cotillion saw Havre de Grace finally get the better of Blind Luck, although narrowly. The rivalry between the three-year-old fillies is shaping up as the best in the nation. It is likely both will make their next start in the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic. They will meet Life At Ten there. She won the Beldame on Saturday against a decent, but small field. The Ladies Classic looks to be one of the best betting races of the Breeders Cup.

Giralamo got the best of Riley Tucker to beat what was a very weak group in the Vosburgh. It’s always tough to say this far in advance, but I have a hard time seeing him run big in the Breeders Cup Sprint. I could be wrong, because just as the Vosburgh was a weak group, so could be the Sprint. Anything can happen. He’s a nice horse, but I just wonder why he didn’t beat Riley Tucker by more. I’ve never thought much of Riley Tucker.

In your mind, what was the highlight of the racing this weekend? Are you excited for the Breeders Cup? Leave a comment and discuss!

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: blame, blind luck, breeders cup classic, breeders cup ladies classic, breeders cup sprint, cotillion, giralamo, havre de grace, haynesfield, jockey club gold cup, vosburgh

Blame goes from hunter to hunted in Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 30, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

While the race isn’t as strong as it has been in recent memory, the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be fun to watch. It is a race with serious Breeders Cup Classic implications.

The favorite is Foster Handicap, and Whitney Handicap winner Blame. The Al Stall trainee is riding a five race win streak. His most recent win came in the Whitney Handicap where he blasted past the heavily favored Quality Road who had set a dawdling pace. Regular visitors of this website know that I was on his bandwagon a very long time ago. I said in June that he would likely be my Breeders Cup Classic horse.

Despite his great form, Blame could have some trouble here. It will be his first time going 10 furlongs, and this race appears to be severely lacking in the pace department. Can he gun down lone speed going a little further? It certainly wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not willing to just concede the race to him for those two reason.

West coast shipper and Jay Em Ess owned Rail Trip will get plenty of support at the windows. He took the Hollywood Gold Cup in 2009. That race is contested at today’s distance of 10 furlongs. This race will be the first start for the son of Jump Start in the barn of Richard Dutrow. His works are impressive, and he is handling the track well.

One of the biggest things going against him, for me, is Cornelio Velasquez. He’s off to a fast start at the Belmont meet, but he’s been pretty dreadful over the past year or two. Hopefully he can return to his winning ways of the past. Dutrow really moves horses up. He’s got Rail Trip training beautifully. This gelding has the perfect running style to win this thing. If something happens to Haynesfield, he could probably wing it on the front end and take them all the way. Rail Trip wouldn’t shock.

I’m a big fan of Pick 4′s. They provide good value and, the payoffs are excellent. The key to cashing a nice Pick 4 is finding value. I think the value horse in this race is definitely Fly Down. The three-year-old proved he can go the distance. The son of Mineshaft finished 2nd by a dirty nose in the Travers last out. He would’ve certainly won with a cleaner trip. Pace could be a problem for this one as well, but he’s closed into slow paces in the past. I’m not wild about jockey Jose Lezcano lately, but I would be afraid not to have this guy on my ticket.

The only speed horse in the race is Haynesfield. He failed to make the lead after breaking through the gate last out in the Whitney, but you can expect to see him on the front end this time. 10 furlongs is probably out of this colt’s range. Look for him to back up big time in the stretch. He’s still a nice colt going 8 or 9 furlongs and I expect the connections to turn him back in his next race

Hold Me Back, Mythical Power, Dry Martini, and Tranquil Manner round out the field. This is a three horse race in my mind. Fly Down, Blame, and Rail Trip are those horses. Blame is clearly the best horse, but the best horse doesn’t always win. I’m going to make Rail Trip my top selections. He hasn’t raced in several months, but that doesn’t bother me. He’s going to get first run at Haynesfield, and hopefully he can kick clear. I’ll use all three on my Pick 4 ticket, and play a secondary ticket with him singled. Who do you like? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Filed Under: Horse Handicapping, Horse Racing News Tagged With: blame, Breeders Cup, breeders cup classic, dry martini, fly down, hold me back, jockey club gold cup, mythical power, rail trip, tranquil manner

Saratoga and Del Mar are BACK!

July 20, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

The two greatest things about summer for racing fans are the meets at Del Mar and Saratoga. Combined with Keeneland, these three boutique meets are arguably the best in thoroughbred racing. The horses are of the highest quality, the crowds are great, and the betting pays dividends when you’re right.

I would probably visit Del Mar over Saratoga if given the choice. The track sits right on the Pacific Ocean and the beach is stunningly beautiful. There are few things in the world that I like more than horse racing and beaches. Saratoga is no slouch though. The track has tons of historical value as it has been around since 1863.

Some of the races we can look forward to at Saratoga are the Whitney Handicap, Jim Dandy Stakes, Traver Stakes, Woodward Stakes, and Alabama Stakes among many more.

All of those races were very memorable in 2009. The Travers saw Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird romp over Quality Road. We got to see Careless Jewel destroy her foes in the Alabama. Who can forget Rachel Alexandra digging in and holding on to beat older males in the Woodward? That performance will be hard for any horse to top this year.

We can expect to see Rachel Alexandra, Blame, and Quality Road race at the Saratoga meet this year. Rachel Alexandra will race Saturday at Monmouth Park in the Lady’s Secret, but her next start is likely to be in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga. Blame and Quality Road will meet in the Whitney Handicap next weekend. The victor of that matchup will be solidified as the top older male in the country.

Del Mar will feature the San Diego Handicap, Pacific Classic, Del Mar Futurity, Del Mar Oaks, and Eddie Read Stakes. Last year we got to see Richard’s Kid take the Pacific Classic at a big price for trainer Bob Baffert. The master trainer also took the Del Mar Futurity with future Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky. The biggest attraction for this meet will be the undefeated mare Zenyatta who is likely to compete in the Clement Hirsch Handicap.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: blame, Bob Baffert, del mar, horse racing picks, Lookin at Lucky, quality road, rachel alexandra, saratoga, Zenyatta

Zenyatta early favorite to repeat in Breeders Cup Classic

June 17, 2010 By Ryan Patterson Leave a Comment

Zenyatta is favored to repeat in the Breeders Cup Classic according to an unscientific poll conducted by Gradedstakes.com. The daughter of Street Cry received 35% of the 140 votes. She recently improved her record to 17 wins from 17 starts while recording a narrow victory that may have been easier than it looked over the British mare St Trinians in the Vanity Handicap. She is being tentatively pointed to the Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar for her next start.

Checking in second with 23.57% of the vote is Nick Zito’s Kentucky Derby runner up Ice Box. He was last seen finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes. Zito said that the hot weather may have caused the son of Pulpit to perform poorly. The deep closer needs a fast pace to chase and if they burn it up in the Breeders Cup Classic he would be a serious threat. His next start hasn’t been determined.

Quality Road recorded the third highest amount of votes with 17.85% of all ballots. The son of Elusive Quality out of a Strawberry Road mare set brutal fractions and held on to win the Metropolitan Mile in a time of 1:33.11 seconds during his last race. Trainer Todd Pletcher likes to race him fresh and will wait for August 7 and the Whitney Handicap for his next start. I’d like to see him race more. His time in the Met Mile may have been even faster if he wasn’t running off the shelf. Despite that, its very hard to complain about a Grade 1 win under any circumstances. I just think Quality Road is immensely talented and capable of even more. The 10 furlongs distance of the Breeders Cup Classic will be the biggest question for him in November.

The fourth place finisher in the poll was Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky who garnered 10.7% of all votes. Bob Baffert is currently pointing him towards a start in the Haskell Invitational and then the Travers Stakes. ‘Lucky has a strong group of older horses to compete with this year, but he always bring his “A” game. The son of Smart Strike could be in the mix for the Breeders Cup Classic.

The fifth place finisher was the choice “Other” with 5.71%. This could include horses like Rachel Alexandra who recently got back on track with a powerful 10+ length win in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. Another horse not listed that could have an impact in the Breeders Cup Classic is Belmont Stakes runner up Fly Down. It looks like he is only now finding his best run. Another possibility is Musket Man although I think he is much more likely to compete in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.

Little to no confidence is being placed in Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver who got just 2.8% of all votes. I think he deserves more consideration. You have to remember that the Breeders Cup Classic will be contested at Churchill Downs. Super Saver loves the track. He also has the benefit of Calvin Borel aka the King of Churchill Downs. Don’t count Super Saver out based solely on his poor Preakness performance.

Checking in tied for 7th are Rail Trip and Blame. Both are very tough older horses. Blame was most recently seen easily taking the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. He loves the track and that will play to his benefit in November. Trainer Albert Stall has always been high on the horse. I think if he continues to improve he will be the one to beat in the Breeders Cup Classic. If I had to take one horse today to win the ‘Classic it would be Blame.

Rail Trip is also a nice runner. He took the Hollywood Gold Cup last year and is trying to repeat this year. He scored an easy win in the Californian last out with new rider Rafael Bejarano. Will he handle the dirt? That is his biggest obstacle. He missed last years Breeders Cup Classic due to injury.

Who is your early pick in Breeders Cup Classic later this year? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing Information Tagged With: blame, breeders cup classic, ice box, Lookin at Lucky, quality road, rail trip, Zenyatta