Ya Gotta Love Zenyatta

Over half a century ago when I first got interested in thoroughbred racing I saw the movie Bluegrass with Walter Brennan. In the movie there is a rivialry bretween two Kentucky families starting in the War Between the States. One family was for the North and one for the South. To make a long story short, in modern times (1938 when the movie was made) the Northern family, which had prospered, owes the Southern family, which was somewhat down and out, a big dept.
Walter Brennan's character gets to choose any two-year-old from the Northern Families stable to settle this debt. The best horse in the Northern Stable is Postman, but the old man picks a small colt because he has "the look of eagles". Of course the small colt ends up beating Postman in the Kentucky Derby. I was about 10 years old when I saw that movie and ever since I've been looking for the horse with "the look of eagles".

I first heard of Secretariat when he won the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga and one of the racing writers in describing the race said, "Secretariat came through the field like a Fox coming through a flock of chickens". When Secretariat came to Maryland later that year for the then important Laurel Futurity I had to go to the track to see this wonder horse. I had heard that Secretariat was a very beautiful horse but I didn't find him so. Powerful, yes, something like a locamotive but I thought his stable mate Angle Light was more "beautiful" What Secreatariat had was a physical presence. He made the other horse look puny, and he knew it. He walked around the paddock like a king surrounded by his courtiers. A king amongst a lesser group.

Fast forward 35 years and we have Zenyatta; a queen amongst her hand maidens. I don't know which I like more, watching Zenyatta prancing around the paddock or running down her opposition on the track. However, there is no question that Zenyatta thinks she is the queen of the mai and she shows it. I think she may have the look of eagles. She's a huge beautiful mare that almost dances her way to the post to the delight of all of the fans and the racing commentators as well.

I'm not sure that Zenyatta is the best horse in the country, and of course because our sport is no longer a sport, but more of a business, we'll never know. It's my personal belief that she could never run down Rachel Alexandra at a mile and an eighth or less. But, at a 1 1/4 miles with a strong pace she might have a chance. Who wouldn't like to see both of these wonderful mares in the Breeders Cup Classic. It would a race for the ages!

You can see the problem the sport (or should I call it an industry) has. Different types of surfaces that favor different horses. I think artificial surfaces are a serious problem if they lead to the problem we are witnessing this year. I don't blame Jess Jackson for not running Rachel Alexandra against the likes of Zenyatta over a surface that Zenyatta is known to like. He obviously thinks that the surface caused Curlin's defeat in last year's Breeders Cup Classic. The problem with thoroughbred racing is that it has no NFL, NBA, PGA type organization to coordinate what is going on. These different type of racing surfaces are extremely detrimental to the sport. It is the primary reason there will be no Zenyatta vs Rachel Alexandra showdown. That's what I call a real detriment to racing.

Actually, all sports have their problems but racing has more. I hate to say this but we are becoming a nation of cheats. For the life of me I can't figure out why Baseball, Football, Basketball, and yes Horse Racing tolerate cheating. Why not one strike and you're out? Why not a zero tolerance policy? Just about all horses race on Lasics, but how many are actually bleeders? How about Steroids brought into thoughbred racing from quarter horse trainers who end up in the hall of fame! Ever wonder why the modern thoroughbreds are so fragile?
I hate to say this but they are a joke compared to horses that raced 40 years ago. When was the last time you saw one of them carry 130 pounds?

There is an old saying, A great horse can beat good horses over a distance of ground carrying weight. The problem is they don't carry weight anymore. They don't even race past three years old. Look at a couple of recent horses of the year, Tiznow and Cigar. Tiznow won the Breeders Cup Classic twice but never carried more than 126 pounds. Cigar won 18 races in a row but only carried 130 pounds twice. Want to compare them to a real champion? Take Round Table with 66 starts 43 wins and carried 130 pounds or "more" 25 times and won 17 of those races. Or Forego 57 starts 34 wins carried 130 pounds or more 24 times and won 13. He beat Champion Honest Pleasure by a neck carrying 137 pounds over 1 1/4 miles giving Honest Pleasure 18 pounds. How About Kelso, 63 starts 39 wins carried 130 pounds or more 24 times won 12. Kelso carried 136 pounds twice and won both races. Even Dr. Fager was exceptional. He carried 130 pounds in 8 consecutive races and won 7. In the one he lost he was carrying 135 to Damascus' 130 and was contending with "the rabbit's". Then came Dr. Fager's final start carrying 139 pounds. He won by 6 lengths in 120 1/5 for 7 furlongs setting a track record that lasted for almost 40 years. That's greatness!

So where did things start to go wrong? In the 1970's. Believe it or not Secretariat never carried 130 pounds. Not once! Take the great John Henry compared to Kelso. Both were geldings and both had many starts, Kelso 63 and John Henry 83. The difference is that Kelso was asked to shoulder 130 pounds or more 24 times and John Henry only twice, neither of which he won.

What I'm trying to say is you can't have sports without Heros. I know there is considerably more money in breeding vis a vis racing. When a horse like Storm Cat has a $500,000 stud fee and can inpregnate 100 mares a year that's $50,000,000 a year in stud fees. In 10 years that is 500 million. No wonder.

That's why Jess Jackson is the man. First he allowed us to see Curlin as a four-year-old, and now next year Rachel Alexandra. Who could ask for more.