Well, the last AT THE POST column for 2009 has been sent to the RECORDER and will appear Saturday (12/12) I will be taking a "winter" hiatus with the column until March 6th 2010. It's gonna be very different the next 10 weeks without writing on Thursday night, something I've been doing for nearly 12 years! I'm a little sad :( but, look forward to "recharging my batteries" and be ready for 2010 Triple Crown trail! Here it is...............
As I look back at the 2009 year in racing, we were treated with a once in a lifetime experience of having two very talented and wonderful distaff horses. One, who as a five year old mare remained undefeated in 14 career starts. The second, a three year old filly who had a record performance in the Kentucky Oaks and then went on to beat the boys on three occasions during year and finished a perfect eight for eight for the season. These two runners made me truly grateful and bless to have them grace our sport. It was something that may not ever come along again in this lifetime.
Zenyatta; trained by California based, John Shirreffs went into this year’s Breeder’s Cup a perfect four for four this season, added with her perfect nine for nine victorious previously in her 13 race career. Never been beaten on a synthetic surface and racing in her home state, Zenyatta would go for all the marbles and face colts for the first time in her career and in doing so, put her undefeated racing streak on the line. After an eventful starting gate load, Zenyatta came out and soon dropped back in the pack with her usual running style. Gradually, she made her way through the pack of her male competition and once clear, exploded to the front and victory. She remained undefeated and became the first distaff horse ever to win the Breeder’s Cup Classic. She ended her three year racing career a perfect 14 for 14 and won racing’s biggest event. She had accomplished something no horse had ever done before. On any other year, she would be a champion “hands down”. But, there was another distaff runner who also accomplished something truly amazing and she is just a three year old.
Rachel Alexandra came into her three year old season with little fanfare as the top two year old filly the previous season. But after her eight length victory in her seasonal debut, Rachel Alexandra became a force to be reckoned with. She would win two more races impressively and then entered the Kentucky Oaks as the odds-on favorite. There she would romp by over 20 lengths and become a threat versus her three year old male counterparts. She would have new owners and trainer for her next start and step up in class versus the “boys”. She would contest the second leg of the Triple Crown; the Preakness Stakes and this girl would not disappoint! After beating the three year old boys, it was back against the girls with similar results as in the Kentucky Oaks. This time it was an over 10 length win in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park . With nothing more to prove versus her own three year old sex, it was back against the boys for her final two starts of this year. She beat the three year old colts prepping for the Travers in the Haskell Stakes on a sloppy track and then made a bold move in racing going against older males at Saratoga in the Woodward Stakes. She would hold off six rivals and defeat the much tougher older male horses and in doing so, become the first filly in over a hundred years to accomplish that feat.
Two spectacular horses, both females and who both defeated the males in the same calendar year. Something that has not been done as far as I know...... ever! Two distaff runners who are hard to separate in 2009 and both who could be equally be “Horse of the Year”. This in our sport, I am very grateful for and as we wind down the year, we look forward to 2010 and next year’s racing season.
I’ll be taking a “winter” hiatus from my “At the Post” column for the next two and a half months. I’ll be getting my batteries recharged and get ready for the upcoming 2010 Triple Crown trail when by my column reappears on March 6th 2010. Until then, you can follow my exploits on my horse racing blog; “At the Post” on the Sand Flats @ www.hickoryhillhoff.blogspot.com where I will be doing handicapping and updating race events for the next several months. Until then, Happy Holidays and good luck at the windows……I’ll see you in the spring!
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