Zenyatta (20) Breeders' Cup Classic 2010 - Churchill Downs (Blame)

On November 6, 2010 Zenyatta attempted to become the first North American horse to retire undefeated with 20 wins, and the second horse to repeat in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic. She never appeared comfortable in the 1¼ mile race, losing touch with the field by at least 8 lengths in the early going at Churchill Downs, and looked hopelessly out of the running at the top of the stretch. In what some veteran horsemen later called one of the greatest and grittiest racetrack performances ever, Zenyatta unleashed her devastating late run and charged after Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap winner Blame, who looked to be in the clear. Zenyatta engaged the 4-year-old colt with 100 meters left to run, but Blame dug in and held on by a desperate and diminishing head. Other horses in the Breeders' Cup Classic included Preakness and Haskell Invitational winner Lookin at Lucky, Quality Road, dominant winner of the Florida Derby, Metropolitan Handicap, Donn Handicap, and Woodward Stakes, Japanese shipper Espoir City, winner of the 2009 Japan Cup Dirt, and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Haynesfield. Zenyatta's second-place finish earned $900,000[8] and surpassed Tiznow, John Henry and Alysheba in All-time North American earnings (male or female) with earnings in excess of $7,304,580
Results:
1. Blame
2. Zenyatta
3. Fly Down
4. Lookin at Lucky
5. Paddy O'Prado
6. Etched
7. Musket Man
8. First Dude
9. Pleasant Prince
10. Espoir City
11. Haynesfield
12. Quality Road
Don't get me wrong, I think Blame ran an amazing race, but damn I wanted Zenyatta to win. Not that the second place changes the fact that she's a superstar. Horse of a lifetime Zenyatta :-)
The video copyright does NOT belong to me. I do not own anything.

[@LightningJanitorial]

I was at the track and bet on Blame in this race. A buddy of mine and I were the only two in the room that got up and yelled YESSSSSS!!!!, like total douche bags when Zenyatta got nosed at the wire. I felt pretty lousy about hoping for Zenyatta's perfect 20/20 streak and last race of her career to be spoiled for my measly 5 dollar bet at 5-1. Then I cashed my big 30 dollarineee ticket in, and blew it on a bag of weed. It probably lasted me maybe a week. Anyway,thanks Zenyatta..

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

Yea the things we do when we're young. Now that your older you'd either watch SD hope queen Z won or you'd bet her and hope she won but either way you'd hope she won. I'm sure that weed was good thou

[@kearadeal7167]

Never heard the winner of the classic booed until this race. That stunned silence of the crowd...what incredible support for this incredible mare. You have to give it to Blame for not backing down to her. I would argue this was one of Zenyatta's best races. She ran her heart out and made up an INCREDIBLE amount of ground. No horse less than a champion could have done what she did.

[@kearadeal7167]

Yikes. Poor horse. He is her Dark Star and Upset rolled into one horse with probably more hate than either of those horses got for beating the undefeated horse.

[@brittanyritenour4695]

+Keara Deal It is not like a real loss for Zenyatta though, with no doubt she could of easily beaten him because she almost did by like a hair and passed him up a little too late. This is not a loss for her, and good for Blame but that is no loss for Zenyatta. Winning a race doesn't prove anything for Zenyatta becuase it was not even a fail on her part, it just happened to not pass him in time. She still ran as she always has and that is something to not forget. She is one of the best horses. Just like secratariat lost some of his races never made him any less of a horse because despite his losses, he still had the potiental to beat any horse. Therefore I think that is more important then a winning title! The fact that she lost is the obvious, which is what everyone is most concerned about but the big picture is the fact that she could have in no doubt win and that should be what's obvious, because absolutely nothing was different.

[@Kostly]

Every time I see it I'm saying, "get there baby come on!" Watching this horse since 2007, just amazed. Can't get better than Zenyatta Exciting. Period. Watch all 20 of her finishes and if you come to a different conclusion, you're blind.

[@kemosabe6693]

It grieves me to see this race 😢but all is fair in love and in war. It is what it is . All good things must come to an end. Zenyatta & Secretariat are the legends etched in my mind for thoroughbred racing .

[@mallorys728]

She may have lost, but she was still the best horse in this race, Blame got a perfect trip and almost lost, Zenyatta had a terrible trip and a hell of a lot of ground to make up by the stretch and lost by what...!? a fraction of a nose. Blame was a good colt, but he just got lucky that day.

[@oliverupload]

one of the greatest horse races (only seen a few) I've seen in my life. Unbelievable, brought tears.

[@fungoorstitch]

Master artisans of the most exquisite porcelain vases ever created include one tiny, deliberate blemish in their works that is not a blemish at all, rather a reminder that true beauty is manifest not in perfection, but imperfection.

[@user-wr4ox3jt2h]

Thank you for good moments jockeys sport and Good Luck Mike Smith with horse Zenyatta, USA

[@timmorin6462]

I remember watching this live and jumping out of my seat screaming at the end. I don't follow horses and never heard of the zenyatta story until that morning. How the hell did she make up so much ground so fast. UNREAL

[@nickperez7553]

She gave us all she had !

[@ebbets1965]

I respect their owners greatly for bringing her back at six and then putting a 19 race streak on the line in a tough spot such as the 2010 Breeders Cup Classic. She ran another incredible race and was beaten a rapidly shrinking nose by a very decent horse in Blame. Smith rode her the way he always did. He tried to find a route through all those horses that avoided going 8 wide and losing lengths. Not sure we will ever see anything like her again. Firing race after race, and with a running style that made her vulnerable to a slow pace, though curiously it was a race with a very fast pace that cost her a perfect career. She was beautiful to watch, and I've enjoyed reliving her career.

[@wayneo1269]

Yeah great comment she was a great horse I really believe would have beaten Frankel.

[@bgardiner3354]

Beaten Frankel? At what? She was really one of the best middle distance dirt horses of her generation. But to think she could have beaten Frankel ATC is delusional

[@wayneo1269]

B Gardiner How do you figure that?Frankel was a protected species.He only had a few starts against hand picked opposition.

[@bgardiner3354]

wayneo1269 Protected from what? As an Australian it pains me somewhat to say that the premiere middle distance racing in the world is on turf in Europe. The ratings agencies indicate this every year. Especially in the years that Frankel raced. Even if you only use Excellerbration as a marker (as the IFHA did) his 2nd to Wise Dan in the BC Mile shows how silly a comment a "protected species" and "hand picked" is. Zenyatta was given 128 for her win in the BCC. There are some horses beaten by Zenyatta in the BCC that feature prominently in the ratings that year including RVW (129 on turf), Gio Point (125) & Twice Over (123). GP was the only one though who achieved his highest rating on dirt (BCC). Compare this to Frankel... CDA (128), Canford Cliffs (127), Dream Ahead & Excellerbration (126), City Scape (125). If this is a "protected species" all I can say is... Ignorance must really be bliss.

[@chriskaltofen2385]

Blame was the best horse that day. Everyone talks about Zenyatta losing. And how she still ran well... Which she did. Give some credit to Blame.. He earned it. He ran his heart out that day.

[@kalarwalters9980]

I stumbled onto an interview clip with Mike Smith from 2011 when he was in England to ride in a race. He was asked about the 2010 BCC and said Zenyatta didn't seem to have her head in the race for the first half...that it was like she didn't realize she was in a race. She finally got focused in the backstretch just before the turn for home. I've watched all of her races dozens of times and it's my opinion that if he had switched to whipping right-handed the instant he was clear, she would have won...maybe by a nose but that's enough. She seemed to respond to right-handed 'encouragement' much better. He did that in 2009, but continued whipping left-handed for several strides in 2010 once he was clear. You can see her really pick it up once he switched to right-handed but there wasn't enough stretch left.

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

I think she just didn't see blame until it was too late. If you watch her body language and feet she she's the horse on the outside of blame but when she realized there was one more to beat she almost goes ooh shit there's another one there and she turns it on to another level and just misses. Wev all heard of jockeys falling a sleep well this is an instance when the horse fell asleep. She just didn't see him there until it was to late to catch him. But my God she was an absolute beast of a horse probly the best horse of the last 50 years male or female. The best horse 🐎 in 50 years

[@kwgrid]

@@MikeSmith-cn6ub I seem to remember when she suddenly went into overdrive. It was an awesome thing to watch!!

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

@@kwgrid what I was getting at like Red Pollard did in the Santa Anita derby on Seabiscuit he fell asleep didn't see the other horse coming. I think queen Z just didn't see Blame until it was to late to catch him

[@kwgrid]

@@MikeSmith-cn6ub Makes sense. I do remember Garrett Gomez saying he didn't want a rematch with her because he knew how lucky he got.

[@MrFinsforlife]

She ran a winning race. She came from way, way back to just get nipped at the wire. Blame just got the trip. She is still the greatest horse I have ever witnessed

[@mollyportis1216]

Mallory S, I completely agree with you. Zenyatta would have easily won if the race was 1 second more. Blame got extremely lucky.

[@jeffmonaghan]

I was there. I cried. I was not alone, that's for sure.

[@TheShutterofMouths]

Could not agree more. I watched this on race day, but can't bring myself to watch it again, it breaks my heart. Regardless, she shares the stage with Secretariat.

[@brittanyritenour4695]

Everyones so concerned about hate and titles. It is obvouis Zenyatta is no lesser of a horse just because she lost barely. It is known that if that were to happen again she probably would have in no doubt won. Yet people are so concerned about outwardly things that they do not look at the fact that Hardly any horses do that Period! She won 19 races undeafted and lost One race by hardly nothing, and we take it so literally as if this proves that she is not all as good as she seems to be. Oh no, a loss, she never lost, because a few feet more she would have won. Dislike to no horse at all , but how can you argue against trully great facts. Just like Secretariat and a bunch of other horses did not win all of their races, but they never loss their greatness or their potiental to do so. Life is not always perfect, if it was she would have won everytime but that is life. yet too me it always seems as if fillies get less recognition and more doubt, but she proved in over and over she could even to her vary last race she proved to us what kind of horse she was. She never failed, and a title is just a title, but it can never ever prove the greatness of a horse! The good thing about horses is they do not cheat, they are pure truth. This is rare, and one unperfect thing happens and we forget about all the great things shes done even in her vary last race. If we acknowledged the things she has done all this time, there would be a different response. If she wasn't an exacptionally great horse, she would have been like most of the other good horses. She proved it to us that winning is only a title but a winner always wins in the end, a winner, a victory never has an end to one who trully has the heart to be great. I said that about ruffian where she never answered many questions, but in our hearts she still running and in our mind her victory lies there, and the fact that she never left the track, is the fact that she defined greatness with no end. That victory defines no end, that victory is in the hearts and can never be defined by trophies, prizes, money, wealth, popularity, or any material thing, but by the individual alone. Unlike Zenyatta, Ruffian never got the chance to finish that race and show us how great she trully was, but Zenyatta just as big and just as strong gave our hopeful hearts an end, and finished the journey Ruffian could not. Like Ruffian, she is big, mighty, powerful, but completely opposite in the way she chose to win the crowd.

[@brittanyritenour4695]

+Film Producer Wow, thats great. Well that is true and was one of a kind.

[@TheShutterofMouths]

Listen, I do not disagree that Zenyatta is one the greatest ever. Her record speaks for itself. Secretariat's performance at Belmont in '73 is a record that has never even been approached. He is the only horse in history to still be accelerating while going into the fourth turn. All i'm saying is they are just very similar horses. Zenyatta will forever be the greatest in my book. She is a stunning creature. Cheers

[@Rayvenlunatic]

She ran such a good race. I would lave loved to see her win on my birthday, but..it is what it is. Amazing girl, Zenyatta.

[@bongobongo985]

you're bdy was like mine. a shit party.

[@Kostly]

She knew nothing more than to run down the lead horse. I don't know how much John Shirreffs had to do with all of that, but, I'll tell you, she's a once in a generation horse. Period. Tell me different, I'll tell you where to go.

[@JuanGonzalez-0308]

One of the biggest disappointments in a sporting event in my life I have to say I was highly highly emotional when Zenyatta lost this race

[@jimmastriani8707]

Great win for Blame, the Horse of the Year.

[@lilchi721]

Zenyatta was the Horse of the Year in 2010

[@sophicane7]

What a horse. Wow.

[@legacyskye]

People think of Secretariat as a the greatest horse, but he was beaten a few times, mostly early on...Onion beat him later in the year when Secr won by 30+ lengths. This is the best horse race I ever saw especially considering 19-0 was on the line. You'll notice that Zenyatta was pulled back at the 3/4 pole because of traffic, otw, she would have won by a couple of lengths.

[@tonymcgrath700]

You've got to give Blame credit for not giving in when Zenyatta looked sure to win 100 yards out, the jockey on Zenyatta was asking a lot of the horse to make up all that ground in a breeders cup classic

[@RHeatLightning]

The amazing thing about this race is how everyone predicted she'd never hit the board. On dirt, against American's best dirt horses. She had no chance. Yet she destroyed 99% of this field and finished more lengths ahead of the horse behind her (Fly Down) than she did in the '09 Classic to Gio Ponti. Picture this race if Blame were not in it.

[@rcorde3]

zenyatta will always be viewed as a better horse than BLAME or any mare/filly for that matter....EVER...ZENYATTA is this best...20 starts...19 wins...1 second...0 third... over $6.4mil in earnings... and 9 straight grade 1/stakes race wins,,SMDH..WOW...

[@acam13]

I don't know why I'm watching this, get bummed out all over again... If only Mike would have had her keep pace...

[@peterramirez4433]

Regardless this filly is the best horse that year and got snubbed for the award. If not for human error in Mike Smith which bye the way is a great rider, but had her more than 18 lengths back around the first turn. The horse is bye far the best filly ever, regardless of style, as Trevor was calling her name 3 times in deep stretch, its almost as she herd it only to lose my a half of a head, she was coming like a train with no breaks. Lucky was Gomez for hanging on desperately.

[@kalarwalters9980]

Unless I'm misunderstanding your post, she didn't get snubbed. She won Horse of the Year for 2010....much to Seth Hancock's dismay. ;)

[@bgardiner3354]

Disagree with your human error comment. Smith rode her exactly the same way in 2009 and that was called masterly. Riding tactics are decided pre-race and that was their tactic. You can't bank on race tempo though and the tempo in 2010 did not suit her like it did the previous year. Big run though. Pity she only raced on dirt.

[@kwgrid]

B Gardiner I agree but with the addition of one point after observing clips of the 2009 and 2010 dozens of times: In 2010, after Mike was clear of the other horses in the stretch, he did not switch to right-handed for several strides. He switched immediately in 2009 and she took off. When he finally switched hands in 2010, she took off again, but it was too late....one stride short of a nose win. :( I think he was a little bit panicked and didn't remember for a second or two. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[@bgardiner3354]

There's probably something in that kw... Do you think though that she was more explosive on the pro-ride than on the CD dirt? I wish they could race forever. Hats off to connections who raced her on as an older horse. Black Caviar and Frankel likewise. They easily could have gone the way Zarkava did... Retired after 9 starts.

[@kwgrid]

B Gardiner Z no doubt handled the pro-ride better. The dirt was really hittin' her in the face at CD and she didn't like it at all. That's part of the reason Mike stayed so far back. He didn't want her to get upset and lose focus. I think when he punched the button, she became so focused that a little dirt didn't matter. I really do think the failure to switch to right-handed 'encouragement' was a factor. By the time she got fully stretched, it was nearly over. It takes her a while to get going and there wasn't much stretch left. Mike also said that she didn't seem to realize she was in a race until they were on the backstretch. I blame the 'twilight' race time and lights. I think they confused her. I totally agree about being able to enjoy her and the others for longer than normal. I can certainly appreciate fears of injury and wanting to get them off the track once they've proven themselves and before anything like that happened. Some people don't appreciate the owners that risk that sort of thing.

[@obbieboy]

And you expected her to win every race she ran? She's not perfect. She's just human.

[@Coasterrider210]

i bet the jockey on blame was going: fuck fuck fuck fuck... whew

[@kwgrid]

I agree! LOL I think he was great when someone shouted at him while they were walking back and asked him what he thought of Zenyatta and he said "Awesome!"

[@BITElvisking]

You cant Blame anyone, even Mike Smith included, he was over confident and charged a little too late and that can happen to any jockey riding a horse like her. Never the less what a performer she has been and given pleasure to so many just watching her run and I bet her every time she ran, some times at prohibitive odds, and won 19 times and lost once.

[@marysueeasteregg]

Zenyatta's colt foal by War Front, born April 10, died April 14. Meconium aspiration. : ( That's 3 years in a row for her without a surviving foal.

[@marysueeasteregg]

+marysueeasteregg correction: he died April 13.

[@SKMRify]

+marysueeasteregg Saddening news.

[@_ataraxia_arts_]

);

[@wayneo1269]

The jockey really fucked up I feel for him though.

[@TheShutterofMouths]

okay...I don't see your point though. can you explain ?

[@TheKcat1999]

They aren't greedy!!

[@europeracing]

They learned that behavior from Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke.

[@marrop2760]

what was the jockey thinking???

[@Softball27Pitch]

legacyskye Secretariat IS the greatest racehorse of all time. He only lost because of human imperfections ex. when he lost before the Kentucky Derby in the Wood Memorial he had an abscess. Because they did not detect this beforehand he ran, any other horse nowadays would never have run much less placed with it. Example two... when he lost to Onion you didn't care to cite that he had a fever. No horse in racing today would have run with these conditions yet he did and he still placed. THAT is something to be considered only the greatest of racehorses can do that. I rest my case.

[@obbieboy]

Uh, duh, no one here is questioning that.

[@sedfrtfyh3737dfdcdut]

IMO, they could've gone another 1/16 and Z wouldn't of past Blame. Sure, for a millisecond, right after the wire her nose was a thousandth of an inch in front but that was only because Blame knew the race was over. As soon as she was barely in front, Blame opened up multiple lengths on her. Watch Blames races, in his big wins it was almost always a nail biter. Once she got a head behind Blame, she quit gaining in the final strides because Blame was a fighter. It wasn't the trip or the ride that got to her. It was the PACE and Blames will to win. The pace caused her to lose because the same reason people applauded her so much is the only reason she could win - a slow pace. Everyone always said she was so good because she could close into a slow pace. But the reality is she lacked the stamina to go "fast" for the distance of the BCC. She was used to running races where the front runners were running 1/4 and 1/2 in 25 seconds and 50 second, meaning she was literally in a gallop at the back of the pack, probably running 1/4 in 26 or 27 and 1/2 in 51 or 52. So when the pace was quicker in this BCC, she had a decision to go faster earlier or be further off the pace than usual. She ended doing both. That's part of why her rally fell short. She really didn't have that much ground to make up in the stretch, 3 or 4 lengths. She had made up much more ground before on shorter stretches. But her rally lacked her usual sprinting power because she was tired.

[@SKMRify]

+Hannah Etienne What are you talking about, really? Blame's final sectional over 400 meters was 25 seconds, while Zenyatta's was 24.2 seconds. If they had been on level terms with 400 meters to go she would have won based on final sectional times. Besides, it is much more difficult for top females to defeat open company males on dirt at Grade One level in North America, especially over middle (route) distances. The females which have participated in the Breeders Cup Classic--Triptych, Jolypha, Azeri, Zenyatta, and Havre de Grace--reputed themselves creditably merely by daring to take part.And the top-three finishes of Jolypha and Zenyatta *on natural dirt* in this topflight event are especially deserving of acclamation.

[@BeasTxMode2000]

@ericcontroversy why didnt rachel, life at ten or unrivaled belle show up? Rachel's connections didnt even show up for 5 million.

[@nicoletaylor5268]

she did try her heart out though

[@reginaldottenburg7577]

Blame won deservedly. He was only pushed out from 200 yards and was idling out in front alone. When Zenyatta was beginning to get upsides, he re-accelerated a bit and clearly won by a short head. Zenyatta lost fair and square, it was not jockey error. She was ridden as she was in all of her races, she was further behind because of the fast pace. If she had raced closer, she would have been slower in the straight, it's common sense. The horse did not endure any significant traffic problems, she was just angled out into the centre of the track like she was in almost all of her races. Anyone who thinks Zenyatta was unlucky and should have won is just a dreamer and can't look at horse races objectively.

[@davidgriego8664]

reginald ottenburg zenyatta lost because. She had nowhere to run and the fact that blame got to change his lead 12 or 13 strides before she did.... that's the fact!

[@rawairek]

Experience... Nothingness.

[@jakreu]

Well, who's to Blame ?

[@paulohara8967]

The racecaller for getting it wrong

[@legacyskye]

Secretariat was beaten by Onion at Saratoga...

[@RostClan220]

Mike needed to move her sooner.

[@alize8cesar4]

Mike sold out she had another gear

[@BeasTxMode2000]

@ericcontroversy - 2 of her easiest wins were on dirt

[@donnadillon4827]

So sad

[@filemonbarajas9251]

Mike smith got nervous.

[@Summanininruhu]

ob viously mikes mistake,

[@karenhilker8074]

Mike Smith screwed up,!

[@BeasTxMode2000]

@ericcontroversy now i know you're crazy