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.




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!



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