By Thomas Chambers
The gauntlet has been thrown down, in the very subtle way wealthy people do when they have all the money imaginable and own the best horses in the world.
There was no shouting or arm wrestling or even a punch, but Jerry Moss did all he could to stare a laser beam through Jess Jackson as Jackson’s Rachel Alexandra was named Horse of the Year for 2009. Zenyatta’s supporters, and there were millions, had to have felt the dagger twist a bit when it was revealed that Rachel won by a vote of 130-99. Closer than in recent years, but not really close.
|
Zenyatta’s fans thought she would win, deserved to win. But it seemed based as much on her perfect 14-0 career record and the great performance in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic as anything else.
“Zenyatta has never lost. She’s perfect,” Moss said. “Nobody beat her on the racetrack. They beat her by proxy.”
Not even a video greeting by Sting, the artist more responsible for the pop music mogul’s riches than any other, could turn the tide. The big mare was named for the Zenyatta Mondatta album, and Moss’s Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo was named after Sting’s son. Something about buttered bread there, which Moss admitted.
Rachel Alexandra won the award based on her complete and historic campaign of 2009. So historic that it thwarted what would have been an Eclipse for Zenyatta in any other year. Moss had to be further perturbed in digesting that this was Jackson’s third straight Horse of the Year win. Curlin won it in 2007 and 2008. I have to think the Beverly Wilshire Hotel catering staff was not crass enough to serve Kendall-Jackson wines at the party, although ol’ Jess does ferment a fine grape.
Looking the riverboat gambler in a tux with a fancy shirt pin and embroidered vest, Jackson was effusive in his praise of Ann and Jerry Moss. “We’ve talked. I called Jerry right after the Classic to congratulate him,” Jackson said. “He’s been just as gracious.” Cut to Moss and we got the feeling that if he did, he reversed the charges.
But we horse fans will be on edge until these two ladies face each other on the track, a possibility that seems more likely than ever in 2010. “We’ll be alongside them in the gate,” Moss declared, just days after confirming the worst-kept secret in sports that Zenyatta was indeed in training and would run in 2010. This is a collision course by two massive egos in Moss and Jackson, and we race fans will benefit. For a change.
So what now? Heaviest speculation on Zenyatta is that she’ll be run in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita March 13 and be headed for the $500,000 Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap (she won this race in 2008 in her only dirt victory) at Oaklawn Park April 3. GodA’mighty I hope so, because I’ve scored three tickets to join little bro and his better half in beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas, on that very day.
And it might be wishful thinking, but the idea of a series of races has been bandied about in the interest of settling the score forever.
Two possible monkey wrenches would be Moss chasing the big bucks in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March and the travesty of track conditions at Santa Anita. Once again, the synthetic surface that is supposed to keep racing viable in bad weather is malfunctioning badly and Santa Anita has already lost some days to rain. If this screws up Zenyatta’s schedule . . .
As for Rachel Alexandra, Jackson said right after the awards ceremony that Rachel’s full swing into training has been delayed because of rain at her winter digs at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. You never know, but that sounds like it could put the kibosh on Rachel being ready for the Apple Blossom. But she is Rachel Alexandra, after all, and I can dream if I want to.
More Musings from the Eclipse Awards
* The voting.
* Watching the TVG telecast fell right into two, yes two, Beachwood categories: What I Watched Last Night and I Watch So You Don’t Have To. It was like watching Elaine Benes dance, what with the lousy sound and microphones provided, no doubt, by the crack Beverly Wilshire A-V geeks. And no hi-def either. For being in Hollywood, it felt more like they held it in the new suites motel out on the interstate.
* The evening started with a lame tribute to training great Bobby Frankel, which didn’t have any clips of him actually speaking and gave short shrift to some of the specific horses he trained. And Daily Racing Form executive columnist (now there’s a highfallutin’ title) Jay Hovdey clearly should have taped his remarks over the video for mixing in the studio, if he should have been narrating it at all. Joe Pesci, maybe? For us viewers, it was like when Richie Aprile kept backing up and running over Beansie again and again.
* Our emcee was one Kenny Rice, who used to be higher up in NBC’s racing coverage before Tom Hammond took over. Why do they get these guys who have absolutely no sense of timing or delivery? There had to be at least a thousand guys just in the neighborhood who could have done it.
* Clearly uncomfortable in a tuxedo and behind a microphone, it was still great to see fireplug trainer Wayne Catalano up there to accept the award for 2-year-old female winner She Be Wild. He just thanked everybody for the opportunity to train her. If he was watching, Frank Calabrese had to be a little peeved.
* Gio Ponti won both the Older Male and Male Turf awards and, watching, I couldn’t really argue. Gio’s trainer Shane Ryan told of how his late father once told him he’d have a great horse. Close shots of his bursting-with-pride wife didn’t hurt the sequence.
* Yo, John Shireffs, I know it’s your trademark, but can’t you take off the Zenyatta ball cap? Unless there’s some malady worse than baldness going on up there.
* For the record, Rachel Alexandra also won 3-Year-Old Filly and Zenyatta won Older Female.
* Would have been nice to see Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra jockey Calvin Borel there. He’s always up for a good time. And was that Chantal Sutherland sitting next to Mike Smith? Yes it was. Looking not unlike Luca Brasi, Jimmy the Hat could be seen making his way to the ballroom underneath a smart formal black fedora.
* Trainer award finalist Bob Baffert was cuttin’ it up all night, although I never saw a drink in his hand. The Silver-Maned One topped it off with the old hiding-under-the-cloth-napkin gag when they announced the nominees in his category. That Bob!
* Perhaps the best parts of the evening came when Brooklynite John Conte took his award as Handicapper of the Year – man I wish I had time to do that – and Monique Koehler was honored for her decades-long work in saving racehorses after their careers.
* New York race caller Tom Durkin may not do the Breeders’ Cup these days, but he’s still one of the best in the game. His calls on many of the video clips proved it again. He should have emceed the whole thing.
–
Thomas Chambers is the Beachwood’s man on the rail. He brings you Track Notes every Friday. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on January 22, 2010