She's got style... she's got grace... she's big and dark and beautiful... and she took it to the big boys and beat the whole lot of 'em.
Zenyatta absolutely should be named Horse of the Year. There will be debate with supporters of Rachel Alexandra. But, let's face it... Rachel didn't show up for the big dance that is the Breeder's Cup Classic.
Zenyatta did. She didn't just show up, but she started out flat last and made her way through the trenches to overtake all those macho boys and won! She is undefeated in 14 starts.
And... she has a signature walk! (Tyra Banks would be proud) She likes to strut before taking her place in the gates. She likes to paw the ground and she loves the attention from the crowd. Her jockey said at one point in the race it felt as if she were slowing down to pose for the throngs of people... but she picked right back up and made her way across the finish line first.
This all coming after a very dramatic moment while loading the gates. One of the boys, Quality Road, was having no part of being loaded into the gate today. He bucked and reared and the handlers finally thought to throw blinders over his eyes to get him in the gate. This is not an uncommon tactic in horseracing. But Quality Road was having no part of it. Once in the gate, he began to kick so violently he was led out and examined by the veterinarian. They determined to scratch him (a first in Breeder's Classic history) because he developed a scratch on one of his hind legs. That's not good in a racehorse and I applaud those in charge for erring on the side of caution.
So, they had to unload all the other horses (who had been standing in the gates for all this time) and reload them. When the gates opened, they were off... with Zenyatta bringing up the rear and biding her sweet time.
When she made her move, there would be no stopping her. She ran a powerful and beautiful race and deserves all the accolades due her.
... and probably some extra grain too!
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