Maybe This Is Why We Shouldn't Be On T.V.

I'm writing my newest blog just minutes after day one of Breeders' Cup 27. 

I just finished watching the ever present Unrivaled Belle turn in an electrifying performance to win the Ladies Classic.  The BC Ladies Classic run under the lights for the first time, had Unrivaled Belle withstanding a customary furious onslaught by Blind Luck to win, and put a comma on the two day Breeders' Cup program. 

This two day BC program has substantial meaning for a sport that for all too long, has been unable to get out of it's own way when it comes to self promoting, and public impressions.  Something that had all the makings of rectifying itself this time around.

Everything seemed to be in place. 

Riding the cresting wave of it's transcending super-star Zenyatta's profile on 60 Minutes, the one American mainstay of the television landscape, racing finally was receiving the kind of  GOOD publicity that rarely comes to a sport starving for popularity. 

Day one should have been a starting point to something really special.  The "appetizer", just to wet people's appetites, building momentum for the new ambassador of racing to "strut" her stuff in the BC Classic. 

Everything was in place.  Nothing could damage the path racing was on.  To the untrained eye, it may have looked as if there was actually a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  Unfortunately, the train never stops on this track.

Before the first Breeders' Cup race went official, ESPN was televising a full fledged WWE event with the usually gentlemanly jockeys Calvin Borel, and Javier Castellano shouting, shoving and wrestling with each other in the winner's circle.  Borel taking Castellano to task for crossing over into his horse, and another's path, narrowly avoiding a catastrophe much worse than a few bruised faces, and egos.

Admittedly, having the knowledge of the sport, and knowing the competitiveness of the jocks, I was quite amused at the display of emotion.  Even from the patriarchal borel.

Still, not a good way to portray the sport on it's biggest days.

Perhaps the only thing worse for public display would be an incident with the welfare of one of the horses.  Something for the clamoring minority that can't wait to discredit the sport on the grounds of animal cruelty, or dirty, behind the scenes compromising of the betting public.  Surely we would avoid that anomaly this year of all years.......right?

Well, the final race of the day, the Ladies Classic brought us something that surprised, and outraged even me.  One of the sports ever diminishing, deeply rooted fan base.

During ESPN's telecast, ex-jockey Jerry Bailey had a "post parade" interview with John Velazquez aboard second wagering choice Life At Ten.  John was asked how his horse was "warming up" for the race.  To that, John's response was less than encouraging.  Saying his horse was not warming up very well, and she was having a hard time "getting into it".  All indications were that something seemed "off" with Life At Ten.  This was broadcast to the public for everyone to hear. 

A later interview with trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed that according to Pletcher, "she wasn't the same in the saddling area".  She was very quiet and listless.  Now I don't claim to be a vet, but I can assure you, if two of the top people in the sport question the readiness of their horse, something needs to be done to protect the horse, the public, and public perception.

There is absolutely  NO WAY that horse should have run! 

At the very least, it's a terrible way to portray a sport that's constantly trying to rise above critiques about the lack of diligence given to the horses' well being.  Not to mention the real possibility of something catastrophically happening to the horse.  Still another reason, regardless of the perception, in this instance, there absolutely was a responsibility to the betting public to protect them.  Something that inexcusably was disregarded. 

To John Velazquez's credit, he never persevered with Life At Ten.  Right out of the gate, it was clear she was not going to run today, and he never asked her to.  A result not surprising to anyone who listened to the pre-race interviews.

Someone needs to be held responsible for this debacle.  Should John V. have been more persuasive with the vet, and asked him to scratch her?  To my knowledge, there was only a cursory look at the horse, if at all.  It's unclear how much information was truely shared with all the parties involved.  Even the broadcast had conflicting stories as to what the stewards, the vet, and the rider had said to each other.

This whole incident goes to the core of the sport's most detrimental issues. 

Did the magnitude of the race have anything to do with it?  How about the irony of Todd Pletcher having his charge Quality Road being scratched at the gate in last year's BC Classic?

Luckily, Life At Ten appeared unharmed, and should be able to rebound from whatever seems to be bothering her.  Unfortunately, the decency, and integrity of the sport I love continues to damage it's own reputation every chance it gets.  That's something that never seems to change. 

Regardless of how "unbelievable" Zenyatta's run in the Classic is this year, this time I'm afraid she's been given too much to do.  She's finally met an opponent she can't beat.  Her sport itself! 

20 And Done, Means No. 1

We are now just two weeks shy from one the most significant races in American racing history.  November 6th's Breeders' Cup Classic will mark the final run in the still unblemished racing career of the legendary Zenyatta. 

Already the winner of nineteen races in as many starts, Big Z will be looking to win her third consecutive Breeders' Cup race by adding her second BC Classic to her lofty resume.  In doing so, she will solidify her standing as the best horse in racing history.

The fact that so much of Zenyatta's legacy lies on one race, is quite astounding, if not a little unfair. 

As last year's Horse Of The Year farce proved, Zenyatta is still trying to validate her greatness to the "non-believers" in the racing world.  Those made up primarily of east coast lobbyists who refuse to acknowledge the significance of her accomplishments.  

Constantly trumping up negative arguments that are usually based on insignificant, if not untruthful details, their disapproval can range from when she runs, where she runs, and even what she runs on. 

Don't get me wrong, by nature, horse racing is a subjective sport.  Without it, where would it be?  Our whole parimutuel system is based on the theory of "my horse will beat yours".  Knowing that, I'm quite certain half of my readers will disagree with my assertion of Zenyatta being the greatest ever.  You know what they say about opinions.........well here's mine.

To me, the two hardest things in racing are to watch a female rider ride a horse I've wagered on, and the other is trying to compare horses from different eras.  The former, is something I'll never be comfortable with.  The latter, I'll take a stab at.

The first thing I like to focus on when comparing horses from different eras, is were they easily the best of their generation? 

If Zenyatta wins the BC, she will have won the richest, and most prestigious "Handicap" race in North America, two years straight.  The quality, and depth of this year's running, (Lookin At Lucky, Blame, Quality Road, and others) should easily make this one of the top five Classics ever run.  This, along with the longstanding dominance she's had over her division, puts her at the top of her generation.

The next thing would be the longevity, and stature of her career.  Has she been at the top of her division over a long period of time?  A winner of twelve grade 1, and four grade 2 races against her division, she has won the highly prestigious Apple Blossom Stakes twice, and the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic once.  Two of the biggest races on the racing calendar for distaffers. 

The final, and most definitive accomplishment would be Big Z's impeccable resume itself.  Twenty races without a loss!  No horse has ever been able to finish a career with as many wins in as many races.  All but two being grade 2 or better.

The fact that no horse has been able to win as many races in a career without losing should not be taken lightly.  Even the likes of Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Man O' War, and Citation, names that continually come to the forefront of a "greatest" discussion, lost multiple races.  To get a horse to run at graded stakes level for eighteen straight, and not get beat, is mind boggling.  That's the intangible that solidifies my opinion on Zenyatta.

Unfortunately, without a win in this year's Classic, she will go out as a great female race horse, but not one of the greatest ever.  Detractors will continually make their favorite, erroneous argument that "she can't run on a "conventional" dirt surface".  Even though, two of her most dominant races have come on the Oaklawn "conventional" surface during her Apple Blossom triumphs.  A FACT they refuse to be bothered with.

My argument is based on a win by Zenyatta on the first Saturday in November.  Even with a loss I think she's done enough to be considered one of the best.  Unfortunately, I suspect there's more than a few people that need to be "convinced" by another win before they allow themselves to believe the same.  Because of that, this one start becomes considerably more important than any of her nineteen others, combined.

Without a twentieth win, her uncertain place in racing history will include 19 wins in 20 races, 2 Breeders' Cup wins, 13 grade 1 wins, 4 grade 2 wins, $6.4 million in earnings, more than $300,000 per start over a three year racing career, 3 perfect seasons, and 0 Horse Of The Year trophies.