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Smith trying to be flash. Gave her way too much to do, the greatness of the horse despite the battering she took, nearly getting him out of trouble, but sadly not to be. A 25 length head-start on dirt against quality animals, suicidal.
Zenyatta leaves Kentucky with her reputation undiminished, more than can be said for her jockey.
Bittersweet.
Nineteen times that ride produced victory. So why change it for the twentieth?Give the man a break. Where are all the sporting gentlemen? As for the brutaliy; how hard can a 118lbs hurt a seventeen hands horse.Get real, the sweet nuns could hurt you more than a little jockey.
It’s not unusual for the whip to be used that way in the US. I mean in that very race other jockeys were going at it on their horses. They do it in Australia too. Zenyatta got detached but on the turn you’d be feeling pretty good about her chances, 5 lengths behind the winner with a long homestraight ahead isn’t that unheard of.
And Mike Smith has never had to rush her along early, so he probably didn’t want her to venture into unknown territory, so he only nudged her along.
You can imagine the [expletive] ripping Peslier would have got had he done that on Goldikova. But he wouldn’t because he is a proper pilot.
Win or no win, there is no reason to beat up any animal like that.The mare can only respond so much to the first few taps, and she was responding. Any more was just brutal excess.
One word…Panic!
Arguably the highest stakes ever seen in horse racing. The most important race for one horse ever run. And that was all going through Smiths mind. I’m sure he’ll apologise to the horse. (Thats not a joke btw)
It’s not unusual for the whip to be used that way in the US. I mean in that very race other jockeys were going at it on their horses.
Unfortunately, true. As an American, I wish such whipping were totally outlawed, as it is in the UK. Other than a little tap to straighten a horse out or get them out of trouble, I’d rather they wouldn’t use the whip at all.
But, in this case, pounding on Zenyatta was just stupid, because the left-handed whipping drove her to the outside, then the right-handed whipping drove her back. If she hadn’t gone over all the unnecessary ground she covered in response to the whipping, she would have been past Blame before the wire. Shaking the reins at her is all she needs to give her best effort. I’ll bet she was feeling abused and confused by such uncalled for and unaccustomed treatment. She was already giving it her all—as she always does. Very disappointed in Mike Smith.
It’s not unusual for the whip to be used that way in the US. I mean in that very race other jockeys were going at it on their horses. They do it in Australia too. Zenyatta got detached but on the turn you’d be feeling pretty good about her chances, 5 lengths behind the winner with a long homestraight ahead isn’t that unheard of.
And Mike Smith has never had to rush her along early, so he probably didn’t want her to venture into unknown territory, so he only nudged her along.
Remember that these are the padded whips that have come into use in the past few years. I’ve felt them, they aren’t much harsher than a fly swatter, and that’s on my thin skin. Still would rather him have done the Shoemaker hand n’ heels ride, but Smith was under extreme pressure and was doing the riding equivalent of me shouting at her on the TV screen.
Zenyatta, lengths off the leader
2009 Classic
2f — 15 1/4
4f — 13
6f — 9
8f — 6 3/4
Str– 1 1/4
fin– Won2010 Classic
2f — 16 1/4
4f — 15
6f — 14 3/4
8f — 6
Str– 2
fin– hdSo I guess he rode the worst race ever last year too?
They also went out faster this year. The cheap speed burned itself out and came back to her. She got beat by a good horse. Where’s the shame in that?
She wasn’t that far behind the winner down the back stretch. If she doesn’t have the tactical speed to be pt in the right position (compare that to STS) that is a serious flaw
Why Zenyatta Lost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTl2fdMXfv8
Stop the video at 1:18, notice how the three horses directly in front of Zenyatta make almost a perfect V with the rail. An apprentice would know better than to run into that pocket. The 4-path is wide open yet Mike Smith runs Zenyatta right for the rail.
Stop again at 1:45 when Zenyatta finally gets into the clear and straightens out to run for the wire. Almost no horse could win from here, yet Zenyatta almost pulled it off. Notice how close Zenyatta is to the horse just inside of her. At this point Mike Smith completely panics and starts whipping left-handed as the AntePostKing put it, "like a demented monkey". Run the video ahead and stop again at 1:52. Now there are at least two paths between Zenyatta and the horse immediately inside her. How much ground do you think that lost? Notice how much wider Zenyatta is than Lookin At Lucky. Now Mike Smith panics again and goes to a furious right-handed whip watch how Zenyatta now moves left, closing the gap between her and LAL. Mikes frantic whipping didn’t do anything to make Zenyatta run any faster, she was already giving it all she had and weaving out, then in cost her more than enough ground to lose the race.
If Calvin Borel can be criticized for over-whipping Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward, why can’t Mike Smith be criticized for the same thing especially since it was the final mistake that cost Zenyatta the race? Count the number of times MS whips Zenyatta in the stretch to try to make up for his earlier blunder on the stretch turn. Mike Smith did make history today. This will go down in history as one of the worst rides ever.
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Thank you for that, The Vintner, if only to show that Zenyatta was never ‘a furlong behind’ as was suggested on ATR.
I thought last night it was poor ride, on reflection I think less so but the first two furlongs are still questionable.
Also, in recent years there have been a number of big victories over course and distance by horses who were given a very similar ride to Zenyatta.
Mine That Bird (very similar)
Street Sense
Giacomo (ok not deliberately held up but miles back)I said it about Midday and i will say it again "hek normally in a group one race only the winner gets the perfect ride.You must have a group one horse ,a group one jockey and a group one trip,(free from trouble not of your own making)some call it luck.Only the winner will have all three. quote]
So basically what you’re saying is that generally it isn’t the BEST horse in the race that will win these Group 1’s, since according to you only the winner will have all 3 ingredients. What nonsense! Don’t you think it’s possible for 2 or more horses to have all 3 ingredients with the end result being that the best horse on the day wins? Sunday Silence vs Easy Goer springs to mind. Was it only SS that had the 3 things going for him? Or Dancing Brave’s Arc? There were plenty of Group 1 horses and jockeys who had a far better trip than Dancing Brave. The BEST horse won.
Has stopped me betting on Horses for the for seeable future.
That was just disgusting…..one of the arrogant and disgraceful rides ever seen. Hope he is pillored in the states after that. Robbed the best horse in the race
I said Normally.There will be exceptions to the rule. If more than one has all three then the best horse at the distance will normally win.
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