Zenyatta No. 1? I find it hard to believe
When the NTRA released its latest top 10 rankings this week, Zenyatta had supplanted Einstein as the No. 1 horse in America. Incredible. Not that Einstein slipped to fourth, but because Zenyatta has raced only once in 2009 and as brilliant as her career has been, she has not been the most impressive horse to race in America this year.
That distinction goes to Rachel Alexandra, who is unbeaten in five races that includes a victory over the males in the Preakness Stakes on May 16 and a record 20 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Derby. She's been brilliant all year, whereas Zenyatta has won only once.
Now don't get me wrong, I am one of Zenyatta's biggest boosters. I thought she deserved Horse of the Year over Curlin last year. I think she's one of the all-time top five distaffers I've ever seen, and she can climb up that list if she beats the boys at some point this season. She's an amazing race horse.
Here's the NTRA's latest top 10:
1. Zenyatta
2. Rachel Alexandra
3. Well Armed
4. Einstein
5. Mine That Bird
6. Macho Again
7. Gio Ponti
8. Bribon
9. Fabulous Strike
10. Summer Bird
I don't have a vote, but here's the way I would have cast my ballot this week:
1. Rachel Alexandra
2. Einstein
3. Well Armed
4. Mine That Bird
5. Zenyatta
6. Macho Again
7. Georgie Boy
8. Life Is Sweet
9. Gio Ponti
10. Summer Bird
Explain this to me -- how can Zenyatta, ranked fourth in the last poll, leapfrog Rachel Alexandra when neither one raced? Was Zenyatta more impressive with the way she ate up her feed? I just don't get it. And I would not have penalized Einstein so severely because he finished third in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs last Saturday. He had a brutal trip and I think he was the best horse in the race. Yes, I would have dropped him, but not from first to fourth. He's still the top older male horse in the country.
How about you, who would you vote the No. 1 horse in America today?
Could Cocoa Beach ever be considered among top horses?
Pablo,
Very definitely. In my opinion, Cocoa Beach was the second best older distaffer last year behind Zenyatta. She hasn't raced yet in 2009, but last I heard they were hoping to bring her back in late summer or very early fall. Look for her to debut this year perhaps sometime during Saratoga. It would not be out of the question if she ran in the Lady's Secret Handicap at Oak Tree in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic on Nov. 6. I hope we see her back because she's a very talented mare.
Z is spectacular but one race? will she ever run outside of cally?plus where is the competition?i know she did once but it was once.Rachael has raced at a few different venues this year alone..nevermind her beating the boys..rachael all the way..einstien should not have been so heavily penalized..i happen to love 'well armed' as well..have to throw in fabulous strike too..
it is true zenyatta has beaten nothing in california but we still havent seen the best of her and lets face it, horse racing is done for they retire horses way too early and name one horse after three that really isnt a allowance horse. In the day, before the giant breeding payoffs, there were at least ten horses that are better than all of these. People forget all the great ones and they were great because there was alot of competition and they also raced all over the country against all comers. Now you have a couple of female horses beating same slow pokes and people are going crazy over them. If they lose one race, then the followers will then realize they have all been duped.
Mark,
You might be right about a vast majority of some of these horses, but having seen both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra run, I think they could have raced and won in any generation. They're just special horses. That said, I think Curlin was overrated. Good colt, don't get me wrong, but not one of the alltime best like owner Jess Jackson likes to argue.