Rachel Alexandra - 2009 HORSE OF THE YEAR

http://rachelalexandrafan.com/

On January 18, 2010, Rachel Alexandra was voted 2009 Horse of the Year. She was also voted (unanimously) Champion 3 year old Filly.

In 2009 Rachel Alexandra won all 8 times she raced, sometimes by enormous margins. Total cumulative winning margins add up to 64.5 lengths, plus a head. This is an average of over 8 lengths per race!!

Rachel Alexandra was voted Horse of the Year by 130 voters (as opposed to 99 who voted for Zenyatta). In one of the most controversial HOY voting in years, there were 2 that abstained from voting and one ballot was voided because the voter tried to vote for both horses. I thought it could go either way as both are great horses. It will be very interesting if they are matched up in a race this year. But what horse owner in their right mind would put their horse against Rachel and/or Zenyatta? We'll see...

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[fanofbt]

What is it about "HORSE OF THE YEAR" That troubles u Zen freaks so much?? If Zen's connections had the guts to let this great mare actually run - she would be horse of the year. The only time they took a chance was in the BC. Don't be mad at RA because Zen's handlers are asses. RA is HY get over it allready..

[Pliokota]

I'd say she was tested in the Classic. Nobody knew if she could beat colts, and now we do. And save for the Clement L Hirsch in 09, the big Z has never been tested because she's just far too good, and even then, it was arguably rider error. Nwo I'm not saying Rachel doesnt deserve the HOY, she absoloutly does, and I adore both mares equally. I just thought I'd give my opinion on what you had to say =)

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon most australian champion horses are grass horses... and most of the big races over in america are on dirt...

[Peachycanyon]

@RuffianQueenOfRacing I don't know if we underestimate Australian horses, it's just that they don't typically race against Americans so it's hard to know how we stack up. The only thing we have to go on is that 4 American horses have won the Melbourne Cup while no Australians have won the Kentucky Derby.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon Im Australian so, i stick to horse like Makybe Diva and Sunline, who had both carried weights over 60kgs, Sunline even over 62kgs.. In australia we see it as:

Makybe Diva is the best stayer, Sunline the best middle distance horse and Black Caviar the best sprinter, and Phar Lap is just the best. Those 4 horses mean a lot to australians, and i think its sad how people underestimate australian horses...

I havnt gotten into the whole "Black Caviar vs Frankel" thing and i dont want to!

[Peachycanyon]

@RuffianQueenOfRacing Even when people started jumping on the bandwagon and even declaring her the greatest of all time (an opinion I don't share), I didn't waver in my devotion. My opinions of horses aren't based on their fans opinions. I don't go out of my way to attack other horses either. Whatever I say is in defense of Zenyatta. What I saw in her convinced me that she is the greatest thoroughbred I have ever and will ever see.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon yeah i know, but some zenyatta fans just assume that because some big names say she is the greatest, that they can just walk over every other horse!

[Peachycanyon]

@RuffianQueenOfRacing I'm sorry if Zenyatta fans have caused you trouble, but you should realize that fans were just as passionate and "nasty" when it came to Ruffian in the 70s. I don't doubt Ruffian's greatness and I certainly don't hold it against her when her fans get carried away. I consider myself to be one of the earliest Zenyatta fans, for I've followed her since she broke her maiden. I was there watching her get saddled before fans used to flood the paddock area just to catch a glimpse.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon and im not going to sit her and continue argueing with you, because i know its not going to get anywhere.

i usually settle things on "not who is the best female" but this:

zenyatta=best mare (even though i stick soley with makybe diva and sunline)

ruffian =best fily

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon and the reason im so "not so nice" about zenyatta is because zenyatta fans have caused a lot of problems in my life, its not that i dont like the horse, i just dont like the fans. ive never been able to have a convesation with a zenyatta fan, where we can respect both Ruffian and Zenyatta. which is why im so agressive when it comes to that.

[RuffianQueenOfRacing]

@Peachycanyon Ruffian raced at 6 different distances and raced from 5 1/2 furlongs, to 1 1/2 miles, was only whipped in 1 race, and so what if she didnt face "good fillies" she put out amazing times with an equaling track record maiden, and she ran a faster 1 1/2 mile race then avatar did in that years belmont!

Zenyatta never raced near 1 1/2 miles!

Rachel won every time she faced males!

and she faced some of the same males zenyatta did!

So what if Ruffian is my favourite? isnt she aloud to be?

[Peachycanyon]

@RuffianQueenOfRacing Ruffian and Rachel never carried any real weight, why aren't you attacking them?