All the talk will come to a end today as Lady Zen will go down to her stable mate in Life Is Sweet, but the real name should be Life Is Cruel.



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I have been having a wierd feeling that she'll finally be taken down today, meaning Zenyatta. LIS seems to be handling the track well, now. In a field this size you know some of the riders will be gunning for Zenyatta, plus this distance isn't the best for Zenyatta and her kick. I think to day is the day she finally loses.

Respectfully disagree. IMO, Zenyatta has done nothing to suggest she's vulnerable today. It's true that she's facing a very strong field here, and in fact i picked Life is Sweet vs. males in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but Zenyatta has already proven her superiority over that one. She also figures to get a very brisk pace to run at here (as does Life is Sweet). The far outside post would be a detriment to most horses at this distance, but Zenyatta is just going to drop straight to the back anyway so i don't think it'll matter much here. It's not like she'll be caught wide on the first turn.

FWIW, i gave out Model (vs. Zenyatta) in this same race last year. Zenyatta was coming off her career-worst effort, and though i realized it was probably just a fluke, i thought there was at least some chance that she might look less-than-spectacular once again. And Model had been so impressive in her allowance win coming into the Clement Hirsch, and clearly liked the Del Mar polytrack. So at 20/1 on the morning line, i felt i had to take a shot. What happened was, Model went off @ a whopping 30/1 and ran an incredible race, sweeping to the lead on the turn and opening up several lengths in midstretch. Then here came Zenyatta, which was fine with me because obviously i had played a quinella also. Well, in the blink of an eye Zenyatta came whooshing by and the race was over. Model ended up well clear for second, and the $2 quinella paid about $40, but the 30/1 win ticket went up in smoke. I mean, Model couldn't run any better than that, it was a simply fantastic performance by her, and Zenyatta destroyed her anyway. Little doubt based on that race that Zenyatta enjoys the Del Mar polytrack, and perhaps the oceanside weather or what have you. A repeat of that race and everyone is running for second. And Zenyatta is known to be pretty damn consistent. I can't find any fault with her today.

PS - Did you guys hear Randy Moss on the ESPN broadcast yesterday? He said that Ruffian and Rachel Alexandra are the two best fillies that have ever lived. Rather insulting to Zenyatta, i though. While it's true that Rachel might in fact be better, it's nowhere near conclusive. It also shows you how European horses are completely ignored by the American racing media. You only have to go back to last year to see an undefeated 3yo filly named Zarkava crushing older males in the Arc de Triomphe, and it's like it never even happened. Not to mention a horse like Ouija Board, who beat males on multiple occasions and won two Breeders Cup races while running second in a third one. Not even a mention for her, either. Sometimes i think the racing media is on crack.

Respectfully disagree. IMO, Zenyatta has done nothing to suggest she's vulnerable today. It's true that she's facing a very strong field here, and in fact i picked Life is Sweet vs. males in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but Zenyatta has already proven her superiority over that one. She also figures to get a very brisk pace to run at here (as does Life is Sweet). The far outside post would be a detriment to most horses at this distance, but Zenyatta is just going to drop straight to the back anyway so i don't think it'll matter much here. It's not like she'll be caught wide on the first turn.

FWIW, i gave out Model (vs. Zenyatta) in this same race last year. Zenyatta was coming off her career-worst effort, and though i realized it was probably just a fluke, i thought there was at least some chance that she might look less-than-spectacular once again. And Model had been so impressive in her allowance win coming into the Clement Hirsch, and clearly liked the Del Mar polytrack. So at 20/1 on the morning line, i felt i had to take a shot. What happened was, Model went off @ a whopping 30/1 and ran an incredible race, sweeping to the lead on the turn and opening up several lengths in midstretch. Then here came Zenyatta, which was fine with me because obviously i had played a quinella also. Well, in the blink of an eye Zenyatta came whooshing by and the race was over. Model ended up well clear for second, and the $2 quinella paid about $40, but the 30/1 win ticket went up in smoke. I mean, Model couldn't run any better than that, it was a simply fantastic performance by her, and Zenyatta destroyed her anyway. Little doubt based on that race that Zenyatta enjoys the Del Mar polytrack, and perhaps the oceanside weather or what have you. A repeat of that race and everyone is running for second. And Zenyatta is known to be pretty damn consistent. I can't find any fault with her today.

PS - Did you guys hear Randy Moss on the ESPN broadcast yesterday? He said that Ruffian and Rachel Alexandra are the two best fillies that have ever lived. Rather insulting to Zenyatta, i though. While it's true that Rachel might in fact be better, it's nowhere near conclusive. It also shows you how European horses are completely ignored by the American racing media. You only have to go back to last year to see an undefeated 3yo filly named Zarkava crushing older males in the Arc de Triomphe, and it's like it never even happened. Not to mention a horse like Ouija Board, who beat males on multiple occasions and won two Breeders Cup races while running second in a third one. Not even a mention for her, either. Sometimes i think the racing media is on crack.

I just don't think Zen is as good as she was last year, plus two horses just scratched, the pace will now be a lot slower. I wouldn't call this a real tough field, the only real big horse in this besides Zen is LIS, who didn't run the best over the hollywood park surface. If she likes this like she did Pro ride she'll make a race out of it.

Zenyatta wins again, but this time she just squeaked by. Not one of her better efforts, but wow, what determination she has. She just doesn't give up.

Slow Pace And Shorten Up....she Needs More Lane To Look Her Best...lis Not On The Board...m Smith Said He Gave Her To Much And He Paid To Much Attention To Lis....

While she did squeak by yesterday, alot has to be contributed to those fractions. 1:13 and change for the 6f? Zenyatta came from dead last (as usual) and widest of all (as usual) with what I would consider a delayed move based upon the pace of the race.

As for announcers like Randy Moss simply giving more credit to RA, I find it as sort of the media's way to tell the Moss Family to step it up a notch and quit running Zenyatta in the same races beating up on the same local fillies.

RA has challenged the boys, twice.
Zenyatta has barely left CA, let alone try the boys or even Rachel.

While I'm upset that Rachel won't be going to the BC, I atleast give Jess Jackson some credit for giving the fans what they want by facing the boys (just like he did running Curlin at 4). It is evident he still has some salt in his wounds from Curlin's poly defeat.

i think she will run in the pacific classic....