wow,,,never much cared for horse racing until I stumbled onto one of her wins,,,,,now I have watched Zenyatta's races and videos for the last 6 years,,,incredible Queen she was.
I've watched and re-watched this race a good hundred times in the past eleven years and still get goosebumps and tears. She lost her foal this year (2021), but will always be the Queen of all thoroughbreds. Long live the QUEEN!!!
This horse was very great! She had to be losing 5-10 lengths running so wide. What a wonderful horse. I love watching her run! I watch these videos, over and over. One of the best of all time!
I believe Zenyatta's greatest performance even though she lost was the 2010 Classic. She had very little experience on dirt, always ran and trained on synthetic, broke late with dirt stinging her in the face and almost pulled up. She was 18 lengths behind on the backstretch and completely out of the picture. I was watching that race and thought she was too far at that point even though she is a late runner. I kept thinking Mike needed to urge her closer to the pack but he just kept her lagging back too far. Her final stretch run was greater than anything I have ever seen. She was still last at the turn for home and trapped behind other horses and yet somehow made her way to the outside, now having to cover more ground than Blame, and still ran him down short of a nose and passed him just after the finish line. She had a terrible trip and still almost won while Blame had the inside track and an easy trip. You tell me who was the better horse that day. Sometimes the best horse doesnt win. The circumstances of the ride dictate the final winner. Mike Smith's ride down the backstretch is what kept her from winning that race. He knows it and he cried because he knew he had the best horse and failed to make the right decisions.
I agree with everything you said. She was much farther back the year she lost, and I think it was a better field. Mike Smith is an awesome jockey, but Zenyatta definately wins that race if she starts her run earlier. That being said, its the toughest ride any jockey can have to be on a deep closer. When you pull the trigger, and how you weave through traffic is really difficult. One wrong choice and youre shut off and have no shot. Zenyatta even without the repeat the next year in the Classic is one of the greatest of all time, but man, if she wins that race, going undefeated for a career, she has an argument to be on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest of all time, regardless of sex. I think Secretariat is the best ever, but Zenyatta is up there. I would have loved to have seen her race Rachel, because she was every bit as good as Zenyatta was, hardly ever got a bad trip with her speed, and could hold it until the finish line.
@@chocolatetownforever7537 You are so right about the jockey having to know when to pull the trigger. You can never tell what obstacles the horse will encounter on that final stretch. If Quality Road had not stalled in front of her that would have been the difference in her catching Blame. Mike misjudged and made his move too late to account for something like that. He knew she had the best final stretch run of any horse in that race but Quality Road kept her from winning, not Blame. Kind of funny as it was Quality Road that acted up and got Zenyatta spooked at the 09 Classic as well and had a bit of a time getting her in the gate and she had a slow start in that race as well. QR was a bad luck horse.
@@lehcaraz1 You want to know something? Im almost ashamed to admit this, but my buddy and I were at the local track that day, betting on the Breeders Cup. When the Classic came up, we wanted a lil value, so we both bet Blame, because he was solid and 5-1 if I remember correctly. The race gets to midstretch, and EVERYONE in the room is going crazy for Zenyatta, because shes coming, and coming hard. They get to the wire, and Blame hangs on by a nose hair. We both stand up, yell "Yesssssss", and pump our fists. I swear to you when I looked around, there were atleast 75 people looking at us with disgust like we had just killed the Easter Bunny. Looking back now, I wish she got up and we lost our money, because Zenyatta ran such an amazing race that day, and deserved to finish out her career undefeated. Im sure youve watched Mike Smiths post race press conference. I urge you to watch it one more time, because its such a beautiful moment. Even years later when I see it, I still shed a few tears because he was such a stand up guy that day, and he really loved Zenyatta. Im not sure Ive ever seen that deep of a reaction from a jockey for any horse they rode.
Sometimes you learn as much about a horse in a loss as you do in a win, and for me that was the case in Zenyatta's run in the 2010 BC Classic. Just like in 2009 she broke very late, but unlike 2009 she spent over half of the Classic at Churchill Downs spinning her wheels on the conventional dirt main track. While the winner Blame, and taking nothing from his performance, was sitting in the box seat with the run of the race the entire way on his home racetrack where he was never beaten, and she still managed to power home with enough thunder that one more stride would've beaten Blame that day, IMO. What I learned about Zenyatta that day was that people that doubted her ability and talent were foolish and most of all that she was nothing but pure heart.
She was just a dream... and she gave me a great friend I met online Kari... who is gone now. But I carry Zenyatta’s name on my key ring and Kari allowed me to meet her in 2010 at her last race. Great memories I’ll never, ever forget❤️🙏😍🐎🐎🐎🐎
I swear Zenyatta heard the last big roar of the crowd as she came to the outside and she just exploaded with more speed...what a horse I will never forget her...I have watched this video many times and just noticed her final huge spurt of speed when the crowd roared she listened ....Love you Zenyatta you never cease to amaze me girl......
The owners and trainer took care of this magnificent horse with love. They did not give in to pressure to run her before she was ready, remember she did not start running until late in the 3 year old season. I wish trainers and owners were this caring.
Zenyatta , spectacular is the word I pick to describe the wonder this beautiful 4legged miracle commands everytime she is on the track ,taking her own sweet time coming out knowing full well exactly what she can do and looking at the guys with their boyish macho ego in full display and she is about to put those boys in their place . Watching her shift gears ,first dropping gears to gain speed a d then shifting into her cruising pace which the boys can only dream of .
Mike Smith clicked with this "Michael Jordan" of a horse he rode cool and collected and let her do her thing, zenyatta is an amazing super star. I remember watching that race on pins and needles and cheering so loud when she made her move.....
Thanks for the excellent post. Great quality. Also love the regular race video. It is much better than the bounce around to different shots version that NBC gives.
Never heard a crowd that loud outside of the Triple Crown races, and maybe even not then. What a champion. To spot males that kind of ground and blow them away in the stretch like that? You dont see fillies do that in races that big. She was magnificent.
One of the Greats ? I have been in Horse Racing Professionally since 1971. At distances of more than a mile and 1/8th shes the greatest female I ever saw period. Yea Better than Ruffian at a mile and 1/4 or a mile and a half.
You know something I'm glad you appreciate zenyatta's she was something else and you know what I think she would have beat Secretariat hands-down she had
Since I've read that book by Laura Hillenbrandt and seen this movie about Seabiscuit I adore this horse. Zenyatta is the second horse I think is running just for her own purpose and enjoyment. Such a great personality, absolutely love this queen of the turf! If there was a competition between the greatest racing horses of all time she would be right there in my book. PS: I still think that Seabiscuit would beat them all because of his sheer determination to win, even the great Man o' War - but it would be a real fight against Secretariat at this day at Belmont... Just my personal opinion 😉
This win in the Breeders Cup Classic was mind blowing and it was spectacular. This mare is as perfect as a horse can be. But I can not help comparing her to Ruffian. Seeing a race between thoes 2 great race horses would have been awe inspiring race.
The greatest. Should have won the 2010 classic too. Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Racing will never be the same. These two fillies whipped all the boys.
Hi I'm Michele that met your Mom in Louisville to see Zenyatta in her last race. I lost your connections because my computer got the worst bug possible and I had to pull it. I talk about Kari constantly, and Zenyatta. I carry her tag on my key ring and even though it's looking old my memories are fresh. I simply loved your Mother and Barry and hope all's well with you. Her and Zenyatta will live in my life forever. Michele
Zenyatta, regardless of where she would rank among all-time racehorses, at least gave us something to come together on for an extended period. Something the country really hadn't seen since you-know-who in '73. Anyone notice the poster on the wall behind Mike Smith in the first minute?.... a foreshadowing of the end of her run?.... Garrett Gomez
To suggest the 2009 BC Classic Zenyatta won had less substance than the 2010 BC Classic because she lost to Blame is nonsense. Forget anything other than G1 races won by the 11 horses opposing her in this race. Zenyatta collectively beat 9 G1 winners totaling 28 G1 wins between them in this BC Classic. Gio Ponti: 7 G1's, Twice Over: 4 G1's, Einstein: 4 G1's, Summer Bird: 3 G1's, Rip Van Winkle: 3 G1's, Richard's Kid: 3 G1's, Colonel John: 2 G1's, Awesome Gem: 1 G1, Mine That Bird: 1 G1.
I would put her among the greats. Along with Afleet Alex. Along with Secretariat. Along with all the greats. But, Zenyatta is undoubtedly the most incredible Mare that could actually compete with Secretariat. Show her someone in front of her and she's going to chase them down. Male or Female. A BEAST!
Even though she was beaten at least you didn't get beaten by a filly bur you got to think if that finish line was a couple more feet away she would have one it
Now that I looked at it for the zillionth time Mike played that well.he knew they were Expecting her to go on outside so he fooled Them and split it. Zen went right along with it Until she got into her position. Well run!
You are absolutely correct. Quality Road, who was NEVER a 1 1/4 mile horse, impeded Zenyatta and she had to alter course. Enough to make a difference. For those who want to question this, I'll pull up a Sports Illustrated article that confirms that Quality Road stopped in front of Zen. Just ask me, I'll post it.
Landmnlady THANK YOU! I have NO idea why a steward's inquiry wasn't called for at the time. The race should have at least been called a tie. Maybe in 30 or 40 years someone will look at the race again and change the result like the Maryland Racing Commission (finally) did in 2012 when they officially gave Secretariat the track record (1:53) for the Preakness in 1973. Better late than never!
@@debraenderle4737 Absolutely will not happen. Not the same thing at all as the change in Secretariat's time. There was no inquiry in 2010 because Mike Smith, along with Sheriffs and the Mosses, know the rules. I checked with friends, a married couple who raced a small string of TBs for about 15 years, and they verified what I immediately thought when I read your comment: inquiries and DQs involve ONLY the impeded horse and the horse which committed the interference. It doesn't matter how close the finish or how egregious the interference/foul, the stewards are NEVER going to penalize an innocent horse -- in this case, by making Blame share first place and its purse, much less declaring Zenyatta actual winner -- for an incident which did not involve him. If Quality Road had finished ahead of Zenyatta, the stewards could have placed QR behind Z, even taken him off the board entirely. But since Quality Road finished off the board, nothing can be done to penalize him/change his finish. (Though sometimes the jockey gets docked a fine or suspended for interference.) But if you're interfered with by a horse who's off the board, well, tough luck. As the racehorse-owning husband said: *that's racing.* If Blame had interfered with her, it would be an entirely different story. Though DQs are handed out sparingly in G1 races. Ever look at the stretch run of the 1980 Preakness with Codex and the great filly Genuine Risk?
This RACE was a complete RIG job…. They made it as dramatic as they could. All the male horses were pulled right before halfway to complete the comeback
