..a horse named Quality Road refused to go into the gate so they blindfolded him and he became very dangerous. It was so disruptive that they had to unload all the horses and walk them around without their jockeys aboard. Quality Road was scratched from participating because he cut his hind leg during the ruckus. They reloaded the remaining 12 horses again, and started the race. Zenyatta was dead last and didn’t look like she was going to get in the game at all. She seemed confused and was running on the wrong lead. It took her about an eighth of a mile before Mike Smith, her career long jockey got her straightened out. They were waaaay back there, 11 lengths off the pace.
She settled into her gear, and then, just as if someone said, ‘punch it’, she went to work and picked off the boys one by one, passing the KY Derby winner…passing the Belmont winner…passing the best horse from Ireland and Brazil…to win the most unbelievable comeback race in Breeders’ Cup History…It was one of those things…like Secretariat’s Belmont in ‘73, that just takes your breath away when you realize just how amazing the effort was. She did it in just over two minutes…
Undefeated in her two year racing career, Zenyatta is the only mare to ever win this classic, although a few have tried…she is an enormous animal, standing at just over 17hh. The debate will now begin over Horse of the Year title, whether it will go to Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra…both undefeated, both against very tough competition/males…
What a race. Unbelievable. 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic held at Santa Anita on November 7th.
