Rachel Alexandra Horse of The Year!

I guess the big battle between the Zeyatta fans and the Rachel Alexandra fans will rage on till the Eclipse for Horse of The Year is given out. And it seems that everyone is weighing in, giving their viewpoint so why should we be any different?

Let me start by saying that if there ever was a year to give out 2 awards, to call it a draw, I would say this would be the year. They both went undefeated, so how can or why should one of them lose an award?

Both horses had truly great years. In fact we may never see another female Thoroughbred put together as remarkable a campaign as each of these 2 great gals has done. Honestly I wouldn't expect to to see another Filly or Mare such as Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra in my lifetime.

Trying to choose one over the other is very tough because they are both great battlers. They fight until the finish. They each run with such heart and fire that seemingly it looks impossible to beat them.

In trying to choose who will be horse of the year you have to first start with and consider the most basic facts such as: During each campaign who beat tougher competition? Who had more success at different distances? Who had more success on different surfaces? Who won more Graded Stakes during their campaign?

And the answer to these questions comes to be Rachel Alexandra. She simply turned in a better campaign no matter how you look at it.

The thorn in Rachel's side is that she sat out the Breeders' Cup. But why should that 1 race count for so much more than just 1 race? Rachel did so much more during her campaign as compared to Zenyatta's campaign. So why should the Breeders' Cup victory erase all that Rachel did?

I know it's a huge race and I am a big fan of the Breeders' Cup Championships but I don't believe that one race equates to more than the total of what Rachel Alexandra created during her campaign. Not this time anyway. Not in this situation.

Buddy's Saint - Derby Futures Prospect

2-year-old Buddy's Saint won the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct this Saturday. This was just his 3rd career start and he recorded his 3rd career victory.

I realize that seeing a 2-year-old with some talent this time of year can give one delusions of grandeur, however after witnessing Buddy's Saint victory today it can make one a believer.

Buddy returned today just 3 weeks from posting an easy victory in the Grade II Nashua run at 1-mile. The fractions and final race time were impressive especially when considering the race surface was playing slower that day.

Today, 3 weeks later Buddy was asked to get 1 1/8th miles while facing the Champagne Stakes winner, Homeboykris. In the end Buddy coasted home with a very impressive victory.

In my book, a 2-year-old getting 1 1/8th miles in their 3rd career start speaks volumes. Add to this equation Buddy's Saint is bred for classic distances being out of Saint Liam (Saint Ballardo) and Tuzia (Blushing John).

I am not sure what Buddy's connections have in mind for his next start however considering that Buddy's Saint surely has talent and is well-bred, he has to be considered a horse with big possibilities right now.

Bank on Us...You Won't Be Sorry

We Have Been Talking About It Since April, We Had Another Big Day Last Saturday at Aqueduct. We Landed 6 Winners, 2 Exacta's, 4 Doubles, 2 Pick-3's and Finished with The Late Pick-4!

Need We Say More?

Get on Board for a Fantastic Finish.

Talk to Me, Email Me, Send Me a Message on the Blog. We are for real. Check the Results on The Homepage.

From Brooklyn to California and Some Parts Unknown

He started with just a few dollars to his name and banked on what he was able to learn from some old time greats and from what he always believed was best for his animals.

I didn't know him but I knew of him through his peers, his interviews, his maneuvering of his horses and his success. Some of the stories will make you laugh and some will move you to tears.

And in the end he turned it all into a Hall of Fame career and will always be considered one of the greats.

Goodnight Bobby Frankel...You will always be remembered and always be missed.

Euro Ratings Full of Tosh

Steve Crist of Daily Racing Form wrote a great article today about the terrible rankings awarded to the Euro horses that ran in this year's Breeders' Cup.

For instance, Sea The Stars was awarded the top rating of 135. The horses that finished second and third to him, beaten a length or two for the last few months also received high ratings.

Mysteriously when these same horses raced in the BC last week they simply flopped. However their ratings are still higher than Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra.

So in a nutshell this tells you about the merit and integrity of this Euro rating system. But read Steve's article, he is dead on.

Two Great Fillies Have Left Footprints...

Zenyatta ran an incredible race and we wish to congratulate her giant effort.

And now the Horse of The Year battle starts. Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra, who will it be?

I find it to be simply incredible that Horse of the Year honors is between 2 amazing Fillies!

I am going to stay out of the battle for now and simply congratulate both gals. They each had incredible years and I truly believe they both are truly great horses.

Maybe this is the year that there are two Horses of The year!

I don't think anyone can argue with that!

Breeders' Cup 2009

This years edition of the Breeders' Cup is set to drive a horse player/handicapper out of their minds!

Trying to deal with so many top horses in every race along with the issues of surface, distance, pace, class and rider is enough to blow anyone's mind.

Get on board with the handicappers at NickBorg.com as we are offering package deals for both Breeders' Cup days as well as our usual New York race card. Check out our stats for this entire year on our Homepage. See for yourself just how incredible our ride has been!