IT’S (??????): PAULICK LIVE BLOGS THE 2009 ECLIPSE AWARDS
By Ray Paulick
The big question on my mind has nothing to do with Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta as the luminaries start to arrive at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and TVG begins its four hours of coverage of the 39th annual Eclipse Awards recognizing Thoroughbred racing’s champions of 2009. Though I have my suspicions about who will win Horse of the Year (and BetFair, which lists Rachel Alexandra as the 1-2 favorite, with Zenyatta at 8-5, confirms my belief), we’ve got nearly three hours of waiting before getting the official word.
So what piqued my curiosity was the batting order posted on TVG for the awards, and the inclusion at some point in tonight’s program of a "special celebrity appearance." Back in the day, celebrities used to host this event: debonair actor John Forsythe was the longtime emcee, and others have included comedian Tim Conway and TV star Jerry O’Connell. This year’s host is sportscaster Kenny Rice, a nice enough guy but no John Forsythe (and Kenny, I’m sure, would be the first to admit that).
So who will be making this "special celebrity appearance"?
I’d have to make horse owner and wise guy actor Joe Pesci the favorite at about 9-5, but the NTRA sprung aging actress Angie Dickinson on us a few years back, so you never know. There’s always the possibility of Jack Klugman (co-owner of Sunday’s El Encino Stakes winner Pretty Unusual), Dick Van Patten (he never met a favorite he didn’t like), or singer David Cassidy (if the teen idol from the 1970s still qualifies as a celebrity).
Who am I leaving out in the ranks of celebrity racing fans?
Meanwhile, TVG hosts Todd Schrupp and Simon Bray along with Kenny Rice seemed a little bit grumpy about not having a vote in the affair (they aren’t members of the National Turf Writers Association, which excludes television and radio commentators unless they also have written material published). Join the club, fellas. When I quit the NTWA nearly 10 years ago because of the actions of then NTWA president Jay Privman in trying to shame best-selling author Laura Hillenbrand into giving up an Eclipse Award for writing, I gave up my right to vote. The TV and radio people deserve a vote, especially since the number of "writers" covering the sport is in sharp decline.
Bray complained that 39 of the 271 individuals who received a ballot failed to vote, or 14%. That’s still a much better percentage than the Americans who exercise their right to vote for president every four years–so the sponsoring and voting bodies (the NTWA, Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers Association) have got that going for them…which is nice.
8:00 p.m. … On with the show…
A very fitting opening, featuring Daily Racing Form’s "other Jay," executive columnist Jay Hovdey (himself a multiple Eclipse Award winning writer), reading a tribute to the late Hall of Fame horseman Bobby Frankel and announcing that this year’s awards are held in memory of the five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer whose horses won 11 Eclipse Awards.
8:05 p.m. … With the introduction of Kenny Rice, the thought occurred to me that if this was being held in San Francisco his theme song could be the old "Rice-a-Roni" song. I’m also wondering, as Rice tries to tell a few jokes, whether or not the microphone is working.
8:10 p.m. … Northern California Congressman Dennis Cardoza tries to tell a few jokes about the weather. They don’t go over very well, either. Other politicians are introduced, including the Los Angelesl mayor, whose name is too hard for me to spell and some other congressman who got polite applause. Cardoza gets to annouce the 2-year-old male and female Eclipse Award winners. Couldn’t they get the former congressman from Palm Beach, Florida, to talk about juveniles?
8:13 p.m. … As expected, Lookin At Lucky wins the juvenile male division. Paul Weitman, co-owner of Lookin at Lucky, accepted the award on behalf of co-owner Mike Pegram and Karl Watson, forgot the last name of trainer Bob Baffert’s key assistant, Jimmy Barnes. Weitman, by the way, doesn’t seem likely to be a candidate for the first annual Golden Stopwatch Award for brevity at the Eclipse Awards. He won’t be the worst on the night, but something tells me we’ll have shorter acceptance speeches.
8:18 p.m. … She Be Wild wins the juvenile filly division for Nancy Mazzoni, the filly’s owner and breeder. She thanked all the right people, did so with class, and kept her comments under one minute!
8:20 p.m. … Here comes the show stopper. NTWA president Tom Law presents all the media awards (and there are many). I have been a proponent of moving these awards to another venue–perhaps the annual Turf Publicists of America lunchon. The Oscars don’t waste part of their telecast giving awards to the best movie reviewers, and I don’t think the media awards belong on this night, either. (And just so you don’t think it’s sour grapes on my part, I haven’t submitted anything for an Eclipse Award for writing in more than 15 years. I don’t have a dog in this fight.)
To get away from the usually dreadful media acceptance speeches, the NTRA tried something different this year, with Kenny Rice asking each recipient a question. Please go back to the drawing board for 2011.
8:30 p.m. … In lieu of a defibrillator after those media awards, the committee wisely put together a Rachel Alexandra video to wake the audience up. Someone there is thinking…
8:32 p.m. … I like Todd Schrupp, even though he gets a little rah-rah now and then. He and Simon Bray are brought up to announce the winner of the turf categories.
8:35 p.m. … Gio Ponti is the male turf winner. Shane Ryan of Castleton Lyons Farm accepts. Shane makes a reference to Gio Ponti’s fans on Facebook, and half the audience furrows their brow and wonders what the hell he is talking about. Shane looks like he might have been just as comfortable accepting at the Golden Globe Awards. The tribute to his late father, Dr. Tony Ryan, the founder of Castleton Lyons, was quite touching.
8:40 p.m. … No suspense here. Two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova wins the Eclipse Award (and not for the second year in a row as originally written; thanks for the correction, Byron Rogers). California trainer Richard Mandella accepted on behalf of the Werheimer family, talked of this being the family’s 100th year in Thoroughbred racing and breeding, and he even took the time to tell a quick self-deprecating joke–all in 45 seconds. That makes Mandella the frontrunner for the Golden Stopwatch Award. There could be a steward’s inquiry if he is the winner, since he was not an official Eclipse Award winner.
8:45 p.m. … Eclipse Award winning writer and former steeplechase jockey Sean Clancy presents the steeplechase award to Mixed Up, Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard accepts for, what, the 25th time or so in this category? He’s had an amazing career on both the jumps and flat.
In other news, I’m batting 1,000 so far in my Eclipse Award prognostication made earlier today, but it’s like being alive in the Pick Six after the first few races were won by odds-on favorites.
8:48 p.m. … Clancy also presents the outstanding breeder award, which goes to Juddmonte Farms, with Dr. John Chandler accepting on behalf of Saudi Arabian Prince Khalid Abdullah. The voters got it right, I’m very happy to say. Chandler acknowledged all the right people and saved the best for last, recognizing (after almost forgetting) the late Bobby Frankel for his longstanding contributions to Juddmonte’s success.
8:55 p.m. … William Farish is given the Award of Merit from Nick Nicholson, president of Keeneland, where Farish heads the board of trustees, following a brief video. He will not be the recipient of the Golden Stopwatch Award. Farish got some props for saying he hopes Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta face each other on the track in a way that is as exciting as the long ago match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Unfortunately, the speech ended with what sounded like some heckling from the cheap seats.. What the hell was that? Was the cocktail hour too long, or did Bertha Wright make her second Eclipse Awards apperance?
9:05 p.m. … No heckling of the "handicapper of the year," who was actually quite entertaining in his remarks, which he mercifully kept to just a couple of minutes. Steven Crist of Daily Racing Form presented that award, as well as the Special Eclipse Award to Monique Koehler, the founder of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. It’s too bad the NTRA’s Alex Waldrop didn’t present the award to her; she might have knocked some sense into him about his embarrassing "non-position" on the issue of slaughter of Thoroughbreds.
It sounded as though Monique got the biggest ovation of the evening–so far. She deserved it. She also threw out one of the best lines of the night: "I wished you’d have given me a year’s notice so I could have gone on a diet!"
9:15 p.m. … Videotape of Zenyatta gets a rousing hand from the audience, particulary the UN BE LIEVE ABLE Breeders’ Cup Classic as called by Trevor Denman.
9:20 p.m. … Informed Decision wins female sprinter, and George Strawbridge, better known as the owner and breeder of steeplechase or long-fused runners, expresses his surprise at owning a champion sprinter. He also paid tribute to Jonathan Sheppard for his horsemanship and for taking care of the horses and not just trying to win at all costs. Strawbridge remains one of the sport’s great class acts.
9:22 p.m. … Male sprint champion is Kodiak Kowboy. Tom Ludt accepts on behalf of Vinery and Foxhill Farm and gives the first "I had a dream" shout-out to Martin Luther King on the MLK holiday, saying the Simon family had a dream when it bought Vinery 10 years ago and is now realizing part of that dream with an Eclipse champion.
It’s been completely formful so far…all of my predicted winners have won.
9:25 p.m. … Tom Durkin, who would have been an entertaining host, is brought up to give out the awards to the 3-year-old champions, for which there will be no surprises. Summer Bird wins the male award, with the doctors Jayaraman, his breeder and owner, accepting. Tim Ice also said a few reassuring words, confirming that the son of Birdstone would race as a 4-year-old.
9:30 p.m. … A little dark humor from Durkin, who said in trying to come up with a term for Rachel Alexandra’s domination this year, the best he could find was "dominatrix." Then he added, "but that’s just me." Rachel Alexandra wins the 3-year-old filly Eclipse, and I hope that it was unanimous.
Accepting was Jess Jackson, who said he hopes this is the year that Thoroughbred racing begins to turn around in a positive way. Best line of the night was when Jackson said he first wanted to introduce his "mother…I mean my wife, Barbara Banke"–admitting that it might have been a Freudian slip. Did he mean Oedipal? After five minutes, I’m wondering how long his Horse of the Year speech will be, or does
he know something and he’s milking this because it will be his only time in the spotlight tonight?
There are those magic words…"in conclusion"….but he’s still going. "Rachel and Zenyatta will prove who is the better in the long term….but neither filly will be a loser tonight." Seven and a half minutes: I would have taken the unders.
9:42 p.m. … Bathroom break everybody.
9:45 p.m. … Hank Zeitlin of Equibase presents the outstanding owner Eclipse Award to Godolphin Racing. Jimmy Bell accepted on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed’s operation to what I would have to say was less than rousing applause. I think the sentiment in the room at the Beverly Wilshire tilted toward Jerry and Ann Moss, but it says here that Godolphin was the most deserving of the finalists (though I finally got one wrong in my predictions…I expected the Mosses to win). The margin was 61 for Godolphin to 56 for the Mosses.
9:50 p.m. … Steve Asmussen wins his second consecutive Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer after being credited for 650 winners. The Asmussen family and Scott Blasi stand as a perfect group onstage as if they’ve rehearsed it–something that wouldn’t surprise me, given Asmussen’s penchant for preparation. He gives the award to his assistants, notably Blasi.
9:55 p.m. … Was actress and CHRB commissioner Bo Derek dressed as a dominatrix? The boots look good. She and Breeders’ Cup president Greg Avioli presented the older female (how insulting!) and older male award.
Gio Ponti wins as champion older male, making him a two-time Eclipse Award winner on the night after his earlier turf male division award. Shane Ryan accepts again, bringing up the memory of John Henry, who won the 1981 Eclipse Awards as older male and champion turf horse–the last time that’s happened.
10:00 p.m. … Zenyatta is announced as the older female champion…."My favorite horse of all…Zenyatta," says Derek.
Here’s the surprise celebrity appearance. Sting, the singer, by video tape, talks about going to the races with Jerry Moss and how happy is to have been part of Zenyatta (she is named after one of the albums by Sting’s group, the Police) and Giacomo, the Derby winner named after one of Sting’s kids.
Jerry Moss then gave a relaxed and gracious speech, recognizing all the right people from Zenyatta’s breeder to her jockey and trainer and everyone in between. Of course, Moss is a Hollywood kind of guy, and it shows at moments like this.
10:05 p.m. … I don’t speak Spanish so I have no idea what Eclipse Award winning apprentice Christian Santiago Reyes said except "gracias." I could understand a little bit of what his agent Tony Matos said, though his English hasn’t improved that much in the 25 years I’ve known him.
10:15 p.m. … Julien Leparoux gets the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey. I don’t speak French, either. Leparoux congratulates fellow finalist Garret Gomez for winning the money title but says he didn’t regret taking off the month of December to visit family in France, a move that allowed Gomez to catch him on Dec. 31. He seems like a classy guy, and what a bright future he has. Leparoux dominated the voting, getting 122 votes to 46 for Gomez and 45 for Ramon Dominguez.
10:20 p.m. … Horse of the Year goes to … Rachel Alexandra.
Did Jess Jackson really say "I’m almost speechless"? He then acknowledged Calvin Borel, something he apparently forgot to do in his earlier monologue. He then said that jockeys have an "unenviable job" because of its dangers. Not sure that was the right term, but I get the point.
Jackson, winning his third consecutive Horse of the Year title (Curlin won in 2007 and 2008) thanked Jerry and Ann Moss for the "grace and charm of the Zenyatta team. … It couldn’t be arranged that they could meet last year," Jackson added about the two females, hoping the two could race against each other in 2010. "Maybe we can talk," he said, as Moss sat tightlipped at his table.
For such a great racing season, one that featured a spectacular Breeders’ Cup Classic won by Zenyatta, a race where Rachel Alexandra sat on the sidelines, it ended without fans getting what they wanted: a race between these two great champions. If they don’t race head to head this year while remaining healthy, it will be an even greater disappointment.
For the record, the vote for Horse of the Year went like this: Rachel Alexandra got 130 first-place votes compared to 99 for Zenyatta. After all the hype, it wasn’t that close.
The following comments from Jess Jackson and Jerry Moss were supplied by the NTRA:
Click here to view the vote totals for all categories.
Tags: 2009 eclipse awards, eclipse awards, kenny rice, Paulick Report, Rachel Alexandra, Ray Paulick, tvg, zenyatta
January 18th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
The big news won’t be who’s horse of the year but Santa Anita going back to dirt. That would have tilted this year’s vote to Zenyatta if Rachel had not shown up for the big dance. Imagine those two running one-two.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Ray for making this bearable!
January 18th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Any Holy Crosses in the dessert this year?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Bo Derek?
They should most definitely be letting people like Todd Scrupp. Simon Bray, Gary Stevens, Jill Byrne, etc be voting. These guys are in the trenches every day, studying, studying, studying for their broadcasts. You too Ray! Some of the turf writers that vote write about horse racing three days per year, covering the Triple Crown and don’t know much beyond that.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Can we get more than two cameras?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
It’s hard to watch this event and call it important, the way it is so poorly administered. This is more like a junior high election for class officer. When are those in charge going to address the folly of not establishing voting criteria. When are they going to place the voting for the human awards in the hands of a knowledgeable panel? If they want to make it a popularity contest, let’s open the voting up to the general population or to the owners and breeders who make the show possible.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I’m with you Rob.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
These media awards are putting me to sleep
January 18th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Todd Schrup looks like the guy from The Hangover that lost his tooth.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Angie Dickinson? Come on - be serious!
January 18th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
We now know why Malibu Moon now stands at Spendthrift.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
662 fans for Gio Ponti on Facebook….662 more then whoever put this marketing opportunity together
January 18th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Why is that Stacey? I am not watching the show.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
I really disagree with Goldi winning grass mare off one race in North America. But, like every year, I’m talking to a wall. I hope all those voters who voted for her also voted for Zen as HOY.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Is Jeannine there? If so, have a few drinks, and engage in some lively conversation. That might add some level of interest to the night.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Where’s Ricky Gervais when we need him?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I stopped watching as well… Stacey, I am curious as to Malibu Moon as well….??? Please share.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Ray you’re the most entertaining thing of the evening so far…thanks for the commentary
January 18th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
BOOOOOO- MAYORRRRR
January 18th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
BOOO- ANTONIO VILLAGROSA
January 18th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
btw, I started using Sean Clancy’s “Life’s Work” essay as an example of excellent writing right after it printed. Yea! I was ahead of the Eclipse curve.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Ray,
Great coverage and (thankfully?) just about the only way to keep in touch in Australia. You have Goldikova doing the repeat but I think she got rolled by Forever Together last year.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Thank goodness I can watch this show through you. Living in the sticks with only Time Warner to deal with stinks. Then again, I am missing the boredom others are experiencing.
I agree with Kelly on who should be doinig the voting. Many of these voters are a joke. Their answers to HOTY was a total broken record. The real champion Zenyatta probably as Ray thinks won’t win. She WILL be back and hopefully gets this award next year unless they have some other excuse for her NOT to receive it.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
http://www.justin.tv/howlingwolf#r=qEo0KHY
Live feed of the Eclipse awards.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Who let the hecklers in???
January 18th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
You can dress them up but you can’t take them out……
January 18th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Thanks Ray for this great blog, great coverage, watch out, a hollywood scout might hire you for the Academy awards, maybe the famous star tonight will be “Sting” he could sing a song from the Zenaytta Mondatta album! Just waiting here to log on to HRTV so I can watch the live announcement, rooting for Z all the way!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Mr. Strawbridge is an owner I look up to very much.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I can understand letting SOME others vote,but in NO WAY would I let Todd Shrupp or Simon Bray cast votes.This would be like letting the stooges do brain surgery.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Ray, you rock. Thank you for rescuing another Time Warner boondocker.
Your comments about Waldrop are superb. When will he get with the 20th century - let alone the 21st - about slaughtering race horses and the impact it has on racing fans (and horses)
On with the show! Thanks again.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Strawbridge and Sheppard both are class acts for the sport as evidenced on the track, their actions and words. Frankly it was a miss for neither to be nominated for owner and trainer, respectively.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Looking at how the voting went for male sprinter, it’s clear how HOY will go.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Tom Durkin would be a great host.
Taking a page from our Iraqi friends, someone, one of the hecklers, throw a shoe at Waldrop.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
When do the strippers arrive?
January 18th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Thanks for doing this Ray! I have know way of keeping up to the minute all the way in Japan!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hey Kate, you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to be shut out of the signal.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I’d like to know what chumps voted for Blame and I Want Revenge in 3YO male. And, no, Ray, no one voted for anyone but Rachel according to BH website.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Did Jess Jackson forget to mention Hal Wiggins with the success of Rachel Alexandria?
January 18th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Fantastic comment by George Strawbridge for not injecting his champion’s joint and choosing rest instead of juice… Glad he was rewarded with an Eclipse Award for his class, compassion and wisdom. And for not adhering to the code of silence and saying in front of this audience and the world that: “if you take care of your horses, they will take care of you.”
Thank you Mr. Strawbridge for choosing rest, patience, compassion and what is right over cortisone type injected into joints and the destruction of so many joints and horses. Thank you for commenting in front of such audience. I hope that such noble comment will “have legs” in the press and industry.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
They needed to get the hook out for Jackson. I thought he’d never stop. He will be up there for half an hour if Rachel gets HOY.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
i couldn’t agree more Joe and Glimmerglass re: Strawbridge/Sheppard
January 18th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Tom Durkin? did the get the name right this time?
January 18th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Joe, the good thing is that Strawbridge (Augustin Stables) is rewarded with success on the track. He’s by no means a little outfit as he has runners based and shipped into Europe as well as ended 2009 with the 6th Leading Owners By Earnings with: 244 starters 57-38-34 earning $4,825,552
Plus he is the all time leader (owner) for steeplechase earnings as well under the NSA. It’s not a fluke and as you’ve heard they don’t cut corners and rely on drugs.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Assmussen is really putting the pounds on.
January 18th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Ray - keep me honest did Jess Jackson fail to mention Calvin Borel with the succes of Rachel on top of not mentioning Hal Wiggins? I swear neither was cited which is insane yet he mentioned his two kids. Amazing!
January 18th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
…..and his Mother
January 18th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Apparently Kanye West is poised to rush the stage after the HOTY announcement and demand the eclipse be awarded to Julia Roberts.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
I love Gio Ponti but older male was a joke
January 18th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
HRTV about to switch on the feed
January 18th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Bingo…Ray…I was right…It was Bo. WOW….Unbeliveable…did Jess Jackson really forget to thank Hal Wiggins and Calvin Borel? He did mention his kids…how much riding, training and grooming have they done? Jerry Moss would have NEVER forgotten them! Zenyatta!!!!!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Sting even shaved..wow
January 18th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Sting? Sweet!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Dos Equis must certainly have had Jess jackson in mind when they produced their Most Interesting Man in the World commercials….or at least Jess Jackson thinks so. If RA wins HOY TVG may have to preempt the Aussie racing.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
He Lives vicariously through himself!!! Great line, thanks The Bull, you nailed it.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Who writes this crap small talk?
January 18th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Santa Anita’s going back to DIRT? WherEVER will Zenyatta run??
January 18th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Hopefully turf in the ‘ARC
January 18th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Gonzo, I’d guess anywhere she wants.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
IT IS TIME
January 18th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Yuck, Alex Waldrop presenting HOTY, a let down for such grand moment!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
RAY, A-1 work THANKS
January 18th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Wow, doesn’t seem like a lot of happy people over Rachel’s win.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Bar JF Hot Ticket deserved it
January 18th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
It probably should be Rachel. But I think Zenyatta is the better horse.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Robbery
January 18th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Thanks for finally remembering Calvin.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Jess…you could have shown a little class by going by to see Jerry and Annie Moss on your way up to the stage. Glad someone pinched you and reminded you to bring up Calvin this time around.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
I’m with chariset. Plus, the Moss acceptance speech would have been a lot more fun.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
“His beard alone has expierenced more then a lesser man’s body”
January 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
The energy certainly was sucked out of the room.
Thankfully he gave the nod to Calvin … if only Hal Wiggins got a tip of the cap as well.
You have to admit that JJ has gone out of his way in both opportunities to give accolades to the Moss crew with Zenyatta for 2009 which is big of him.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
So bogus
January 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Why is Jess talkinh to Jerry on the Podium??
January 18th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
I also think Zenyatta’s the better horse. But congrats to Rachel, she had one hell of a year.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
is RA retired to have sex with curlin?
January 18th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Bring out the drinks!!!!!!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Open Bar time…
January 18th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Jess is sure hard to like. Two great horses, one likeable owner and one self centered old fart.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Do we have a vote count for HOTY yet?
January 18th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Well just goes to show giving your voters a bottle of wine and being able to control racing by not running in the BC using track surface as his excuse makes him receive HOTY for the 3rd year in a row….who will he buy next year… ugh…. Funny Europe felt Zenyatta should be the HOTY along with fan polls and she also receive 2nd in Female Athlete of the Year… yet American Turf voters took the fork in the road.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
“His charm is so contagious, vaccines have been created for it”.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Too bad for racing that Jerry Moss doesn’t own them both!!!!!!!!!!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Final votes: 130 for Rachel Alexandra vs. 99 for Zenyatta with HOTY
January 18th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Horse Racing owed Jess Jackson this for Curlin
January 18th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Thank goodness it’s over!! Thank you, Ray, and fellow commenters for making it less boring. Good for Rachel Alexandra’s ardent fans, they can now gloat and perhaps there might be less bashing of Zenyatta. Jess Jackson just leaves me cold, so I’m not surprised he left out some of the most important people in Rachel’s successes. Wonderful for Sheppard and Strawbridge and I did enjoy the opening segment’s tribute to Bobby Frankel, but like I said earlier, much of it was blah.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
why wasn’t Borel nominated for jockey of the year??? i don’t get it. I am very happy for Rachel but it should haVe been a co-award; Did you see Moss’s expression? he looks very unhappy and downright po’d
January 18th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
The East coast and dirt won. Assmussen won over Shirreffs… Why not spread the awards around more, they should be more about merit and less about mega operations like Assmussen’s who may seldom or perhaps never see some of his horses. John Shirreffs sees all his horses every day. We need to have fans and others vote to eliminate East coast bias and fat-barn monopolies.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
tvnewsbadge, ok, I’m curious….how did horse racing owe this to Jackson for Curlin? I was blond before I had gray hair, so I just don’t get it.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
get CHRB bo derek out there to bail out the track with a ice bucket
January 18th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Maybe Borel didn’t get nominated because of he way he jumped ship in the Preakness and the whipping he gave Rachel in that race where she already had it won.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
So- 129 votes split between RA and Z. Who did the other three people vote for?
January 18th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Closer than some predicted but wrong horse won. As I said before…next year’s HOTY will have to have run in every state, on every surface, against every 4 legged animal around…. because this is the way they have built this year’s vote around. And..we get to see JJ once again accepting HOTY for a 4th time… wonder who he will buy this year? Mike Vietch ( a voter) said on his show in upstate NY that no one will remember the BC Classic this year but they will always remember the Preakness…. Guess he hasn’t seen the UTUBE hits for the BC Classic.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Swale- they probably abstained from voting. Steve Haskin said on TVG eclipse preview show that he had abstained because he could not vote against either one.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Wow, Vietch really said that? Wow.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
The mysterious non life threatening injury to RA will coincidentally be announced after Zenyattas dominating return to the races, if not sooner. There is no way that JJ will run her again.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Hey Ray - Thanks for the entertaining effort! Up here in Dayton, Ohio with no broadcast - so you were my lifeline. Rachel - Zenyatta, what a great year and fodder for press box debates. I felt like a politician and made a case for both of them. Let all race fans pray they meet on a level playing field - it will be a great day for the sport. A tip of the hat to the Mosses for passing a breeding season and opening the door to a national, and perhaps history making adventure for 2010…and may Hal Wiggins and Calvin Borel never be forgotten in the legend of Rachel.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
once kodial kowboy won eclipse for sprinter of year it was a for gone conclusion who hoy
would be. Obviously level of competiton is important. Nobody was voting for arson squad
even though he won the dubai world cup. Just because Zenyatta won the Breeders Cup
Classic doesn’t mean she beat the toughest field. Gio Ponti ’s only victory on the main
track was an off the turf stake and Zenyatta only beat him by a lenght.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
With this outcome for HOTY it points even more to a show down between RA and Z. This would be a way for the Moss camp to prove what they evidently believe to be true that Z is better than RA. Be aware though that it’s possible that either horse could win on any given day, they’re both that good I think.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Congratulations Rachel !!!You deserve it.As an avid Rachel I truly felt she deserved it.Not to take anything away from Zenyatta.She is an all time horse.I would love to see Zenyatta race in Dubai.I think if the Mosses get a little more agressive with her as far as racing her a little more against males I think if she stays healthy she will go down as one of the top ten horses of all time.I think both Rachel and Zenyatta fans won over the past couple of days.I dont think we will ever see the likesof them again.They are both sights to behold !!!
January 18th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Easy, they felt they STILL owned Jackson for keeping Curlin in training, but mainly guilt for forcing Jackson to run Curlin in the BC Classic against his better judgement.
Also, don’t forget that if it were not for Jackson’s deep pockets and ego, Rachel would not have been facing boys this year. There’s a price to pay for that.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
It was noted by TVG that something like 14% of the eligible voters failed to submit any votes whatsoever. (Then another 3 abstained from the HOTY category.)
That is amazing and frankly those who fail to participate at all with a submission should be stripped of an eligible vote for 5-years.
As for those who are worthy of a vote I do think the on-air talent at TVG such as Todd and Simon should get a vote. These guys live and breath racing all-year round. They are perhaps some of the most informed people in the media. Where as some racing writers who are eligible simple are exposed to a tiny fraction of the races even aired on a network like TVG.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Highway robbery once again!!
Bob Ny - Arson Squad did not win the Dubai World Cup - WELL ARMED DID.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
tvnewsbadge: you got it! The undeserved whippings that Rachel got.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
and lucky for him she did NOT break down in that life and death victory in the Woodward of horses that were not multiple grade 1 winners. And let me say… that the 2nd and 3rd place horses in yesterday’s stake at SA were first time synthetic runners… surface is NOT the issue. Gio Ponti was a multiple grade 1 winner along with many of the others in the classic… not so in the Woodward… Big difference….
January 18th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Stephanie Says:
” Steve Haskin said on TVG eclipse preview show that he had abstained because he could not vote against either one”.
Throughout this entire debate, Steve Haskin has proven to be a real class act. he deserves a special award for his great coverage and insights.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Predictions please….What excuse will JJ come up with to dodge Zenyatta this year?? There is no way that they meet and very unlikely that RA runs again.
I think she comes back from a work with a slight filling in an ankle. Sometime around mid february.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Congrats to BOTH Champions on a great year!!
To all that feel like beating one or the other up, Very Comical…
January 18th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Watching the owners of both Z and RA drives home a point that I know all too well: these horses mean as much to them as their spouses and children.
Ignore both of them and concentrate on the horses is my suggestion, because they are both difficult to watch.
I once tried to buy a horse from a guy that failed my physical inspection. When I phoned him to tell him the deal was off, he egged me into telling him why and I never should have taken the bait, because I began to explain it, he said “Hey pal, before we were talking business, now you are insulting my family!” Then he hung up the phone.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Nobody “forces” Jackson to do anything…he calls ALL the shots…he plays games by entering these horses and then waits to see how many hoops the track management will jump through and how much money they will pony up…also checks out the competition before he decides to actually run. Steve Assmussen isn’t a “trainer” he is a “manager”…just ask Larry Jones. Also, Calvin wasn’t whipping her because she already had the race won…Macho was two jumps away from winning…and Calvin knew it.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Thanks, tvnewsbadge, but what a bummer. I’m in definite agreement with your words regarding Steve Haskin. Thanks again, Ray, for providing your insight and this opportunity for us to discuss the awards - you rock!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Unconcerned about the E Awards, my wife warned me about a minute before the HOTY announcement that it was about to occur. I turned the TV on.
That one minute with Alex Waldrop will suffice for the next century.
This was the first time I’ve seen him, live, behind a podium with a mike. What a pompous ass (and poor public speaker) the man is.
About two years ago, NTRA promised to clean up their web site. I sent in a reasonable request - that they alphabetize the listings on their “A,” “B,” etc., biography pages.
Someone on his behalf, or maybe even AW himself, sent an emphatic message back stating that the names on each page WERE in alphabetical order - an patently untrue & insane statement.
Tonight - watching Mr. Arrogant’s announcement of the HOTY winner - the event cleared up the mystery of how such a stupid & offensive assertion could be made - and finalized the voting for another award.
Even ESPN - with its spastic camera work, the shaky, 2-second shots of the Mosses and Jess Jackson, prior to switching back to Waldrop, etc. - came in a distant 2nd in the running for the 2009 Eclipse Award for Media Idiot of the Year.
Who’s the HOTY announcer in 2011 - Donald Trump?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
And in another race, RA was whipped repeatedly despite opening up on her own, being in front by many lengths and no one closing on her.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Congratulations to all winners, and losers, and thanks to Ray for an entertaining & informative blog. Both horses had an amazing 2010 and it sure fired up the fans!
After two years of BC control, moving on from Santa Anita’s soon-to-be-ditched synthetic surface should be an interesting ride for the BC next year, and maybe for Zenyatta too.
Wishing them all a safe, sound and winning year!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Zenyatta should have been Horse of the Year. Not only did she beat better horses than Rachel ever did, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, she did it easily, and probably while racing on less medication - now there’s a story for you. And you forgot the winner of the category for Chemist of the Year. Oh wait a minute, my mistake, I see you have that there too. Synthetic surfaces also should have won in the category Best Corporate Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes and Just Pay Me. It would easily have beat out Cortisone. Oh, wait a minute, no one talks about that. Sorry.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
There’s force, and there’s force… playing to a rich man’s eqo can be as powerful an incentive to get him to do stupid things as putting a gun to his head.
When Jackson kept Curlin in training, everyone on the racing community started treating him like God, and there was no way he was going to give that up by skipping the BC Classic.
Probably the same reason he bought Rachel. He didn’t like being out of the the spotlight.
As far as Borel, maybe in his mind he was justified, maybe he wasn’t… but you don’t go beating heck out of the one of the most loved horses in America at the time and expect to win awards for it.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Nice win Rachel….the voters were correct again????
In other news the Nobel Committee is awarding next years peace prize to RA.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
“That one minute with Alex Waldrop will suffice for the next century.”
Agreed, Don Reed. It was one minute too many. How many thousand TBs have gone to a dismal end because Waldrop reversed NTRA’s support of the Federal slaughter ban?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Ray, I’ll bet you dinner at the track at Lexington (Fall 2010) that that “Bertha Wright” reference went over 90% of the heads reading your column!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Don’t forget Saratoga, that Zenyatta won on a dirt track last year and…. Shirreff’s said it was a much easier surface for her. So…. I dont think changing to dirt will bother her. My concern about dirt tracks is the constant scraping and sealing which are both bad for their feet and legs especially those who already have issues. But…as Joe Says, put the horses on meds from their “medicine chests” and they will run on anything. Some of these trainers are in the chemical warfare business. You are soooo right.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Don…I know, but I coudn’t resist. For those who didn’t get it, Bertha (of Calumet Farm’s Wright family) heckled J.T. Lundy from the floor when he accepted 1990 Horse of the Year for Criminal Type. It was ugly, being that Calumet was on the precipice of bankruptcy.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Any trainer with a pending positive should automatically excluded from consideration.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Don’t assume Don. Does bitter ring a bell?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Alex Waldrop/NTRA useless, worthless, completely unsuccessful in accomplishing anything…so he is given the honor of announcing HOTY and he…like Jackson…can’t even jot a note so as to sound semi articulate representing our industry.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
I am a big fan of Hal Wiggins. How did he get a horse of this caliber beat? If he still had the horse she would never have been in the race for horse of the year. Give Jackson and Asmussen their due!!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
56 % to 44 %. BTW… the Horse of the Year announcement was on ESPN News even though I loved Ray’s Blog.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Zenyatta was awesome … awesome … but did stay in cozy Calif all year pointing to the BC while Rachel went around the country …it amazes me that Ray criticizes Rachel for supposedly ducking .. dont forget Zenyatta scratched on derby day while RA won by 20 ! Well-deserved
January 18th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Who is the idiot who gave Icon Project a vote for older female. That’s just ridiculous.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
JT Lundy destroyed Calumet…where is he now…he was laying low in FL for awhile.
I don’t imagine Calvin was thinking about winning awards as much as he was concerned about explaining why RA didn’t win. There is no criticism of Calvin here.
Great job Ray…your blog and Tod/Simon/TVG on Sirius…I’m covered!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Conan Obrien offered $30million to not host the Tonight Show. RA awarded HOTY for not running in the Breeders Cup.. Now it’s making sense.
Brett Favre has announced that the Vikings have done enough to earn the Championship and will not be playing anymore games this season.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
udghetto…
Fair enough point, though championships for older female/Horse of the Year aren’t decided in a race on the Derby or Oaks undercard. This would have been Zenyatta’s first start of 2009, and the track at Churchill was a sloppy mess–the kind a lot of horsemen don’t want to risk a good horse on.
Jackson kept Rachel on the sidelines knowing she had a near insurmountable lead for Horse of the Year. It turned out to be more than that: it WAS insurmountable, and she had nothing to gain and everything to lose by running in the Breeders’ Cup. It was a smart move, but one that I don’t applaud.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Anee…I’m with you! Mike said her dirt race was the best race she ever ran. Closet thing to the horse’s mouth you’ll ever get!
January 18th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Alex Waldrop is a buffoon and a puppet for the KY Boys who lied when he said that horses are the Priority #1 following 8 Belles’s death and serious public outrage. The NTRA is officially not against horse slaughter which means it is with the AHC and pro-slaughter. Waldrop should go tell that Priority #1 stuff to that six-figure earner being raced into the ground as a $2,000 claimer down the road from his Beverly Hills hotel at Los Alamitos. Waldrop lied again the same day when he grabbed and dusted-off the excellent but for the most ignored series of recommendations which came out of the Equine Welfare & Safety Summit I and II several years before his speech as a lame attempt to show how much the industry cares and that the George Strawbridges and Jerry Mosses are the norm. Not, especially when his NTRA Safety & Integrity Accreditation questionnaire does NOT mention the word corticosteroids or cortisone once much less address that crucial issue properly for safety and integrity sake before accrediting any track. But the NTRA has no authority to mandate change.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Thanks, Ray, for clarifying. We should all have the fear of God instilled in us with the specter of the unforgettable Calumet bankruptcy/demise. It could happen to anyone of us.
The reason why many of us know what happened was due to the publication of “Wild Ride,” by Anne Hagedorn Auerbach (1994), a brilliant book.
I include the following, below, as a warning: Ms. Auerbach’s standards in time collapsed as completely as did the Wrights, with her publication of a history, “Savage Peace, Hope & Fear In America, 1919, (Simon & Schuster, Inc.; 2007).
“While we were in Winchester VA, we happened upon a pleasant, ‘unchained’ bookstore. On the history shelf was ‘Savage Peace, Hope & Fear In America, 1919,’ by ‘Ann Hagedorn’ (sometime between 1994-2007, ‘Ann Hagedorn Auerbach’ had become ‘Ann Hadedorn.’).
“I’m sorry to say that Anne has taken a monster step both backwards & in the wrong direction with her history, ‘Savage Peace.’
“Her almost perfect ‘Wild Ride’ (1994) has been succeeded by a juvenile, strident, & partisan manner of thinking & writing that has left me quite amazed, & somewhat sorry that she has forgotten the way in which to write maturely & persuasively. It is almost as if SP had been written a decade before WR - not thirteen years later…
“(I made it to p. 116. More appropriately, this should have been done on Armistice Day; ‘Savage Peace’ was pulped fourteen days later, on November 25, 2009.)”
January 18th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Jackson sure was proud of himself for calling Moss after Zenyatta’s win in the Classic. He sure has made a point of making sure everyone is aware of what a gracious guy he is. And, he was pretty gracious in his acceptance speech as far as Zenyatta went - just forgot about Hal Wiggins who developed her. How could he forget him???? Well, no one is perfect I guess.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Racing is regional, not national.
Look at the results.
Listen and watch the California crowd.
Nothing national about any of this.
I thought the audience and some of the speakers were rude and out of line.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Joe Shirreffs has said several times that Z likes dirt better than plastic.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:01 am
I agree with many others - the fact that most of racing is covered on air by the various hosts of TVG, HRTV, ESPN, NBC and ABC, I think it’s a travesty to leave this voting strictly to the very few so-called writers (with a few notable exceptions, such as Steve Haskin) who actually show up and follow racing anymore. When these people vote on their archaic belief that “real” racing only happens east of the Ohio River, something needs to change - this year would be a good time to start.
p.s. Where do I put down on how soon Jackson “sadly” (cough cough) retires Rachel due to a training injury before they can meet Zenyatta?
January 19th, 2010 at 12:06 am
The Eclipse Awards should be hosted in neutral territory, what about Omaha, NE?
Voters should include fans, owners, trainers, jockeys, stable help and all who want to vote. It would be great for racing if more people were part of the process.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Ray, it is possible Mr Jackson just shut Rachel down because the strenuous campaign, along with dislike of synthetics vs some kind of strategy to win HOY. He does seem like a sportsman of the kind racing needs. I hope all the great horses point to the BC , but we can’t make it the end-all-be-all of a HOY vote … we have to give the other great and historic races their due… thanks for the excellent blog of the event.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:19 am
By pure coincidence (?), tonight’s episode of the Simpson’s (East Coast, 12 midnight-12:30 a.m.) featured the 38th Edition of the Springfield Show Biz Awards.
And even the cartoon character hosting this award show did a better job than Alex Waldrop’s brazen impersonation of Artificially Genuine Conviviality.
J.T. Lundy was played by Nelson Muntz.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:57 am
Ray, you’d be right about skipping the BC had it been run on dirt, but it wasn’t. Rachel wasn’t the only horse to have a campaign planned out that wouldn’t include the BC this year due to the surface, and it’s unfair to think that these owners should risk their horses (either their possibilities for a championship, tarnishing their records, or even physical injury) by running them on a surface that isn’t their surface.
Would anyone think it wrong if Gio and other top turf horses skipped the BC had the BC done something equally boneheaded like take all the turf races off the turf and put them on dirt?
Jackson didn’t plan on skipping the BC only after his filly had done enough to rest on her laurels. He has already announced he wasn’t going to the BC, and instead planned a campaign that was certainly different than the one he’d have planned for her if she was going to the Classic. She wouldn’t have raced in the Woodward, and perhaps not the Haskell, if she was aiming for the BC — and without those two wins, she had no laurels to rest on.
Considering that Jackson was right — not a single dirt horse won a BC race — how can anyone possibly do anything but admit that he was right by not planning on sending Rachel there to race?
Thankfully, the surface issue’s behind us now. SA is going back to dirt, and the BC will actually be holding the “Dirt Mile” on dirt this year. Hallelujah!
January 19th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Historic races are those that horses from all over the country come to compete against. They run at the classic distance. People forget that Zenayatta ran all year as well. She too did a historic thing this year.Besides winning all of her races plus carry more weight than any other filly/mare/ colt this year, she won the BC Classic, first filly/mare to do so….plus won two divisions of a BC race which no filly/mare has accomplished, finished the Classic in the fastest last quarter ever.
Rachel never showed up last year for the Breeders Cup when different owners had her who DID race her on “plastics”. The Preakness I will give you as a classic race, but not distance, since it is part of the triple crown…watered down part these days, as the serious ones are being rested for the Belmont when their horse does not win the derby. Synthetics, dirt, grass….no matter the surface the horse still has to show up for the race and win. JJackson knew all along what he was doing and Ray has hit the nail on the head. I also liked his “maybe” comment about the possibility of them meeting. Makes one think it might not happen.
January 19th, 2010 at 2:20 am
McCook Says:
“Ray, you’d be right about skipping the BC had it been run on dirt, but it wasn’t. Rachel wasn’t the only horse to have a campaign planned out that wouldn’t include the BC this year due to the surface, and it’s unfair to think that these owners should risk their horses (either their possibilities for a championship, tarnishing their records, or even physical injury) by running them on a surface that isn’t their surface.”
Sure, but as they say, ‘No Guts, No Glory” and it’s disingenuous to claim “it’s for the good of the horse” when in reality it’s as you say, all about risking “their possibilities for a championship, tarnishing their records”. ie… protecting Horse of the Year.
In other words, Jackson didn’t take up the challenge of the BC Classic because he knew his horse would lose.
That’s certainly his right, but he should have been up front about it. He should have said ‘Look, i did this with Curlin last year and got my head handed to me. I’m not going to lose again”.
Had he done that, the fans would have supported him 100 percent, because while he wouldn’t come across as a man of courage, he would have come across as a man of honor.
Now, it just looks like he ducked the big one because he knew a loss would cost him HOTY.
January 19th, 2010 at 2:25 am
I will not be the least bit surprised if JJ (the “whine guy”) manufactures a list of new excuses to avoid having RA face Zenyatta in 2010. A race between the two will only happen if JJ gets EVERYTHING his own way, which certainly precludes any race at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles. At a shorter distance RA at least has a chance of winning, though a slim one. The surface at Santa Anita had nothing to do with JJ’s choice to skip the BC, though it provided him with a convenient excuse that he knew would be accepted by the East Coast turf media, nearly all of whom despise California racing (regardless of surface.)
I continue to be amazed at those who drank the Kool-Aid in accepting JJ’s hollow excuse that it somehow wasn’t safe to run on “the plastic” at Santa Anita. The facts are that the Breeders Cup was run in back-to-back years on “the plastic” at Santa Anita and that every single horse and every single jockey returned safely. Reality is that track was as safe or safer than any track anywhere in North America. RA didn’t run at Santa Anita because JJ didn’t think she could win there against Zenyatta.
Regardless of the above, I think RA is a deserving winner of HOY given her marvelous achievements in 2009. I would have felt the same had Zenyatta won.
January 19th, 2010 at 6:30 am
McCook, so you’re saying that all those prominent trainers who did run at the BC don’t care about their horses the way JJ cares about Rachel?
And if JJ is so darn worried about the safety of the “plastics” then why the heck did he call Moss in December and propose three races between their horses that would include one on “plastic?”
Which “outstanding” dirt horse at the BC did you expect to win? (The East Coast handicap ranks were just brimming with talent this year. You did notice that when the 3YO’s stepped out of their division they took the two big events left.) Why does everyone (not necessarily you) look at Summer Bird’s fourth and say, see dirt horses can win on “plastic? ” Only eight 3YO’s have won the Classic, and the horses that beat him were very high quality older horses — not like the older horses SB beat in the JCGC.
January 19th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Thanks for the live blogs!
I like Jess Jackson and he was pure class in saying the 2 girls gave us a thrilling year. I like him because he’s not afraid to call it like he sees it, he told us last year how he felt about “astro-dirt” and made no bones this year none of his horses would go to the BC, long before Rachel had finished her campaign….
There are a number of top level owners and trainers who boycotted the last 2 years-in-a-row of astro-dirt.
January 19th, 2010 at 8:33 am
So East Coast writers believe that receiving 8 pounds from Macho Again and beating him a head is somehow form to be lauded because she “beat the boys” - something fillies like Goldikova do in nearly every race? Europeans are amazed by this result but not shocked given the geographics of the voting constituency.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:28 am
You people are bitter. You have the Mosses (or Shirreffs) to thank for Zenyatta losing HOTY>that is all. If they’d stepped out of California or run against males one time BEFORE the BC, she’d have won. They played it safe, then acted like jerks when she lost. Zenyatta has INFINITELY more class than her connections showed last night. I also like the way you guys pick on a guy with cancer. Classy. I love both of these horses, and don’t get the bitterness. Anne’s especially. Do you have any idea how blessed we were to have both of these amazing horses running? I think Zenyatta is the superior racehorse, and hopefully we will see that bear itself out, but Rachel was the horse of the YEAR. Get over it.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:31 am
tvnewsbadge said:
“In other words, Jackson didn’t take up the challenge of the BC Classic because he knew his horse would lose.
That’s certainly his right, but he should have been up front about it. He should have said ‘Look, i did this with Curlin last year and got my head handed to me. I’m not going to lose again”.
Had he done that, the fans would have supported him 100 percent, because while he wouldn’t come across as a man of courage, he would have come across as a man of honor.”
And Lostinthe Fog used the words “hollow excuse”.
RA was at best exhausted after her last race and last whipping. Her campaign was the only way to win HOTY without facing the bigger and better Zenyatta.
It is very sad to see horses used mostly for egotistical reasons, but at least JJ knew where to pull the plug with RA (unless her physical condition gave him no choice) after her last race and that is far better, smarter and compassionate than some owners.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:45 am
She was a damn tired horse after the Woodward, what with running EVERY step of the way because Calvin’s an idiot. I didn’t mind he stopped on her, these same people would be screaming bloody murder had he run her once more and had broken down.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:04 am
I thought the highlight of the broadcast was Baffert sitting there with his napkin on his head when the three Trainer of the Year candidates were shown on screen just before the winner was announced. Baffert should be the MC. He’s the only one there with any real BS and doesn’t take himself (or anyone else) too seriously. BRAVO BAFFERT!
January 19th, 2010 at 11:49 am
The prevent defense, prevents you from winning . thats what cost the big Z. RA was a spent horse and would have bounced in the BC or maybe worse cause she tries so hard.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:51 am
A boring show, loaded with boring people.
Spokesmen for all finalists should be required to take a short course in public speaking, in case they win. Have not heard many as lame and inept as Jerry Moss.
It was a great, public illustration of how inept and self-centered are the leading figures in the Thoroughbred business.
I second the proposal that Bob Baffert be MC. That is if another awards ceremony is ever conducted.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Miranda Says: ” people are bitter. You have the Mosses (or Shirreffs) to thank for Zenyatta losing HOTY>that is all. If they’d stepped out of California or run against males one time BEFORE the BC, she’d have won.”
Actually, I think the bitterness stems from the way the Pro Rachel camp trashed Zenyatta throughout the debate and still refuse to give her proper credit for the BC Classic, not because she didn’t win HOTY.
You also need to factor in that after the Preakness, the award was a lock regardless of what any other horse did.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Now we are hearing that RA had to run so hard to win earlier races, that she was too exhausted to run in the BC Championships. That’s what champions are made of kids.
It was a masterful campaign laid out by JJ. The easily manipulated voters awarding HOTY to a filly who won the prep races, but went and missed the playoffs.
I can see it now, JJ buys this years Florida Derby winner, runs him in the Iowa, West Virginia and Pennsylvania derbys, and if he wins all three declares that he should be a Triple Crown Winner and HOTY. The precedent has been set.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Thanks, Ray, for this blog. I fell asleep about half-way through, so now I’m all caught up. Wish I’d seen Sting, but I don’t regret missing the rest and couldn’t have stayed awake through JJ, Waldrop and more Kenny Rice who is usually better prepared IMHO. Any explanation from the crowd RE: Farish — was it actual heckling or just too-loud table talk? TVG cut to a shot of the door, so I wonder if someone was escorted out?
January 19th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I have been in this business for 35 years and I always heard from the best trainers and breeders that a truly great horse “doesn’t have to take their track with them.” To this end both RA and Z are guilty but certainly RA less so. To have proven to me that RA is truly great and stands above the best of her sex though, she would have had to have run in the Breeders Cup Classic and beaten Zenyatta, period.
January 19th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Tiznowbaby Says:
“And if JJ is so darn worried about the safety of the “plastics” then why the heck did he call Moss in December and propose three races between their horses that would include one on “plastic?”
The “plastic” argument was a sham because Rachel had already run at Keeneland and won on a synthetic track. In my opinion, Jackson passed up the BCC because of the 1 1/4 mile distance. If he truly had wanted to run Rachel in the Classic, he wouldn’t have put her through the wringer in the Woodward. Mr. Jackson ran a campaign intended to make her HOTY without running in the BCC. That was his prerogative, and it worked.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
McCook Says:
“Ray, you’d be right about skipping the BC had it been run on dirt, but it wasn’t. Rachel wasn’t the only horse to have a campaign planned out that wouldn’t include the BC this year due to the surface, and it’s unfair to think that these owners should risk their horses (either their possibilities for a championship, tarnishing their records, or even physical injury) by running them on a surface that isn’t their surface.”
OK, this post just begs to be called out. The NY Times’ turf writer Joe Drape reported this story last year: “The number of thoroughbreds in California who had fatal breakdowns has fallen by 40 percent since the state switched from dirt to synthetic surfaces, according to a study compiled by state regulators.”
Clearly, there are more risks of injury on dirt tracks.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
#1 I GUESS THAT MOST PEOPLE DONT STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYDAY NEWS..IE: IT WAS REPORTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN MORE INJURIES ON HORSES (BEHIND) IN THE USA THAN ON THE DIRT..
#2 I WOULD LOVE TO SEE RACHEL CARRY 129 & ZENYATTA CARRY 129 AT OAKLAWN “APPLE BLOSSOM” WHICH MOST PEOLE KNOW ITS A” DIRT” TRACK
OR PICK OUT ANY DIRT TRACK & HAVE THEM BOTH CARRY 129 GOING A 1: 1/4 OR 1 1/2 & THEN EVERONE WILL REALLY KNOW WHO’S WHO
January 19th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
#1 I GUESS THAT MOST PEOPLE DONT STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYDAY NEWS..IE: IT WAS REPORTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN MORE INJURIES ON HORSES (BEHIND) ON THE POLY STUFF THAN ON THE DIRT..
#2 I WOULD LOVE TO SEE RACHEL CARRY 129 & ZENYATTA CARRY 129 AT OAKLAWN “APPLE BLOSSOM” WHICH MOST PEOLE KNOW ITS A” DIRT” TRACK
OR PICK OUT ANY DIRT TRACK & HAVE THEM BOTH CARRY 129 GOING A 1: 1/4 OR 1 1/2 & THEN EVERONE WILL REALLY KNOW WHO’S WHO
January 19th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Cathy -
don’t believe those numbers. They are created by the people who mandated the sythetic tracks be installed.
January 19th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
You can believe whatever numbers you want when it comes to track surface and injuries. I will let actions speak….the number one horse owner in the world, and there isn’t a close second, Sheik Mohammed, is installing a synthetic track at his new state of the art racing facility in Dubai. It looks to me that in his judgement synthetics are safe.
Now if only he would purchase Santa Anita from Bankrupt Frank, maybe then Socal would return to 1st class racing.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I’ll 3rd, 4th, & 5th the motion to have NOBB (No One But Baffert) hosting the next Snooze Awards.
What really stuns is that Bob is a high school graduate - last night, he’s surrounded by college grads - heck, maybe even some MBAs - and his competition was Exhibit A that colleges pass you thru if your parents’ check clears, each and every semester.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
am I the only one who cannot understand WHY these guys that put this show on seem to be unable to hire a good producer for this show, they are in hollywood for pete’s sake!!
January 19th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Roger Stein had a funny comment on his show last week he said that Bo Derick should star in a new movie entitled Seven!
January 19th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Amen John R. This was a cross between Amateur Hour and The Gong Show, without the gong. Probably best for anyone over the age of 70, and I’m pretty close, not to take the mic. Find a designated speaker. Just poor production and coverage without good flow. Shows there’s no advantage to having awards in LA every year. Find some fresh ideas out there, please.
January 19th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I’m very upset that security stopped Kanye West at the door. If he was allowed to interrupt the show and give the Older Mare Award to Julia Roberts as he intended the publicity would have been extraordinary. There is no such thing as bad publicity.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Rachael andAsmussen Eclipse Award. This sport needs to be cleaned up.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Sorry MIranda for your thinking my comments were so rude. Especially to a person with cancer. You have no clue about me and I might have or had it as well. I never would use it as an excuse or whatever when making blog comments or doing what I do. Just as Jess Jackson doesn’t worry about what he says and does by using his cancer as a crutch.
I am stating my opinon from the many years I have been involved in this sport. I have looked up the facts as well.I have seen many stars of the past and horses that have never received one once of recognition in this game. Danzig ran only 3 times.He won all three of them easily before suffering a horrible slab fracture. He then went to Claiborne and became a successful sire and later a sire of sires, but rarely do you hear how much of a presence he has given through his offspring. He was not overly bred and therefore not as popular as Storm Cat but look at his sire stats male and female side and it is amazing. They can run on dirt, synthetics, grass and mud.
I love both of these girls, I just think one did more of what a race horse is suppose to accomplish. . One is carrying weight. I agree with one poster, if they do meet the weights should be equal. Run at a 1 /8 or the classic distance 1 1/4. Make it as fair as possible. Even the great Bayokoa was scratched from a race because Ron felt 126 was too much weight. So it needs to be a fair fight.
They both are truly a shot in the arm for racing. One just is a bit ahead of the other. The Zenyatta team would have raced anywhere where the BC was being staged they would not have ducked it. Her best race according to MIke Smith and John Shirreffs was on dirt. Rachel had no difficulty on Keeneland’s polytrack. So all that track stuff was just silliness.
After seeing both race, as one person said…. “Zenyatta you endear.” How true.
Plus, I am not the only one who made comments unfavorable to Jess Jackson’s planned racing events of his star. You might be reading into more than you should.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I guess it’s too much to hope that we’ll ever get a geographic breakdown of the voters? Now that would be illuminating! The fact that the vote wasn’t closer (130-99) shows just how slanted the electorate is to the East Coasters. My Rachel “injury” prediction: shortly after Zenyatta wins her first race - definitely before the end of the breeding season.
January 19th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Laura..the only one of the three voting bodies that provides details on the individual votes is the National Turf Writers Assn. The Daily Racing Fom and NTRA/Equibase do not release anything on how its members voted individually. The NTWA is the largest of the three voting bodies. When we receive that information we will publish it.
January 19th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
The mysterious injury to RA is inevitable. The way JJ has some of the voters in his back pocket, he probably thinks he can win HOTY from the breeding shed.
I would hope that in the very slim chance that RA is actually entered in a race this year, the Mosses get the heads up and can enter Zenyatta, anywhere, any distance. Keep the jet fired up and do a little Rachel hunting. We will all get to witness JJ and connections find the most original reasons to dodge Zenyatta. That will be entertaining in itself, but sad.
I’d be interested to know what weights would be assigned for any upcoming handicap races that they potentially could be nominated for. Would the HOTY be giving weight? Perhaps a few pounds, I mean she is horse of the year, right?
January 19th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Amen, Anne and Laura.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
The only question is: Does the Breeders Cup determine championships?
January 19th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
If it doesn’t count, then why have them? What would they prove? All owners could take their horses home in September and racing can stop until they decide to run again. I always found them intriquing. Since all the best in their own division would be running against each other.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
No horse should be allowed to win an Eclipse Award if their trainer has had a positive test (pending included if they have had previous violations) during the year preceding the award. Also, you’ll notice that some trainers with unnatural win percentages and stellar records don’t perform as well (or don’t show up) in the Breeders’ Cup. Think their might be a reason for that? Tougher medication rules maybe? And they’re hopefully going to get tougher yet. And by the way, mysterious injuries happen for a reason, and it has nothing to do with the track surface - the medication, read DRUGS, these horses are made to perform on are outrageous, especially cortisone. Cruelty to animals? Ask the university professors and listen to what they say. Oh, what the heck, just ask anyone. North American racing is so far behind foreign racing now, and there is NO ONE willing to stand up and take charge and stomp this “chemical warfare” as Jack Van Berg put it. As I recall, he was a pretty good trainer. Combine that with the simulcast infighting, the fake… er… farce… surfaces installed to reduce breakdowns that were actually caused by drugs - and cortisone used to race - rather than rest etc. etc. Put cameras in every stall in every barn and in every shedrow. Then make it a requirement that all veterinary work performed be reported and recorded by a central agency.You think people can’t see what is going on? You’re seeing it in the handle. Without slots and/or poker, most of these places wouldn’t survive. Please contribute now to the “Send a Veterinarian/Chemist/Trainer to Retire in Hawaii Fund.”
January 19th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
To Horsedoc, #166.
“… anyone over 70 should not take the mike.” As a doc of any kind you should know chronology does not determine ability or senility.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:15 am
ktq, breeders cup counts when the voters want it to; i.e., most grass championships.
Though Goldi is utterly incredible, it’s a crime that she won grass mare off one start in North America. And look how many votes Conduit got — why?
I still haven’t gotten over Lahdood taking down Nashoba’s Key. Two wins in four starts versus Nashoba’s four graded wins.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am
The other problem that is going on is when, they find one drug they can finally test for these “chemical warfare” trainers are onto a new one. Who would have ever come up with snake venom? I was shocked hearing that one. Yet our scientists can’t come up with a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases.
EVERY track needs to be on the same “track” when it comes to illegal drugs at their track.
It should be unified… I found out from a trainer, that addjunct…(sp) that I hear mentioned for certain horses running at KY tracks, is more lasix.. it is allowed, so some do it… It a horse is that much of a bleeder he should not be running. Bute also hides injuries and soreness, yet allowed. It seems we are no closer at ending this mess than before but at least there has been some progress.
I do agree with John on the whole drug issue… I will never understand why some trainers win alllll the time. Even with horses off a year lay off. There are also races set up for certain trainers who need a win for their owners…that happened for a horse our horse was running against… and guess who won? There are a lot of dirty little secrets the average horse racing fan doesn’t have a clue about.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Tiznowbaby, as you know Goldikova won four Grade 1 races in 2009 - two of them against colts. In winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile, for a second year, she proved she was the best turf miler in the world. What were the voters supposed to do? Give it to another, inferior, filly just because they ran more often in the States?
I do believe, however, that the form of American horses overseas (Well Armed, Cannonball, Indian Blessing etc in 2009) should be taken into consideration as well.
We are part of a world sport and as long as overseas horses compete in the States then they should be eligible for and Eclipse award.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
AJB, as you know, Goldi won only one race in North America and she is not based here. She is a European horse through and through. I don’t believe her form across the pond should be used to determine an Eclipse here. We all know she’s incredible, but she can win her awards on her home continent.