Quote Originally Posted by DJD View Post
Got it thanks. Well I tuned in to watch the race and got pumped for her but dang what happened?? Is that really a racing tactic to hang 18 lengths from the lead?? Is that how she runs normally runs?
I know NASCAR pretty good and that's a tactic on super speedways but horse racing?? Just curious.
Zenyatta is a closer. That is her racing style. Some horses are speed horses where they want to be on the lead throughout and see how far their speed will take them. Some are what I call stalkers that lay just off the pace, others are closers which would be the next tier behind and then there are the Lady Z of the world that are the deep closers. She did get squeezed back at the start which did cost here a couple of lengths plus it was her first time racing east of the Mississippi. She has only raced on dirt 2 times in her career both at Oaklawn and all the rest were on synthetic surfaces in California. That has been a knock on her career in that she did not ship all across the country. She is a better Mare than I gave her credit for because she ran one helluva a race. Blame is a very good race horse. Won 3 of 4 starts at Churchill Downs and is the best older horse in the country. There is no disgrace in Z losing to him. The real sad part is that Lady Z is probably the best racing mare EVER certainly in the conversation and certainly in the top 2 or 3. Personal Ensign, Rachel Alexandra, and some others would be in that conversation as well but the sad part is that Blame will not win Horse of the Year so through all her accomplishments she has never won that title, Rachel last year and most likely Blame this year. Still a very good Horse. I thought she never had a chance today after the first half of a mile and she immpressed the heck out of me. I picked Blame to beat her but she still ran a great race.