Lately I find myself thinking an awful lot about Zenyatta. She’s on my mind when I wake up in the morning to brush my teeth. She’s on my mind all day at the HRTV studios. She’s on my mind during my afternoon workout. She’s even on my mind as I drift off to dreamland. ‘Will she or won’t she?’ seems to be the never-ending question in my head. I ask myself why I am I constantly having this thought and all I can figure is, it comes down to good old fashioned nerves. Then I answer myself with a question, ‘Am I doing all this worrying for nothing?’
Will she be able to finish her career with a perfectly untarnished 20-career-start record? The thought of her defeated in her last start absolutely breaks my heart. My fingers (and toes) are crossed from here until about 4 pm Pacific next Saturday. Without a doubt, Zenyatta will be facing her stiffest competition yet, but then again, she has yet to let us down.
If she loses, will it really be a let down? Yes, I would think initially, but hope it would not take away from her greatness and the way people remember her. I hope we are all appreciating her and what she has given us is enough at the moment. Legends are never made in the present. It isn’t until years later that we realize just how special a talented horse truly was.
While Zenyatta has more than earned the top spotlight for the 2010 Breeders’ Cup, let us not forget the other great stories. All eyes will be on another standout mare in the Mile, with Goldikova seeking her third straight victory in the event.
I thought it interesting that Goldikova’s trainer, Freddy Head, came out and said that Goldikova has a more impressive resume than Zenyatta. These comments were made in a recent teleconference. See the link below. The bottom line here is, he has a point, but at no fault of Zenyatta’s. European fillies and mares don’t have as many opportunities to run in Group One races with their own sex. This in turn forces them to run against colts. Goldikova has shown her greatness in France by defeating the best of them. That being said, I would shy away from calling one better than the other. Can’t they just both be great mares?
Great is also a word that can be used to describe the likely favorite for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf and a horse we may not appreciate enough for making the trip to Churchill Downs. Only five Arc winners have attempted to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same year and all have failed.
Still, his performance in the Epsom Derby was one of the most visually impressive runs all year. Three Epsom Derby winners have tried to win the Turf and only High Chaparral succeeded in 2002. I have a feeling Workforce may be the first to pull off the Epsom Derby, Arc de Triomphe, Breeders’ Cup Turf triple. With so many great horses to follow, it’s time for Churchill to put on the show.
Link with Freddy Head’s comments on Goldikova
http://www.horseraceinsider.com/John-Pricci/comments/10272010-breeders-cup-tension-beginning-to-percolate/#comments
