LOUISVILLE - When it comes to perfection, there is no margin for error. So, a head - Blame's head - turned out to be the difference between a flawless and historic career for Zenyatta, and a loss that could cost her horse of the Year honors.
Garrett Gomez rode Blame ($12.40) to a narrow victory over a charging Zenyatta in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs Saturday night. The brilliant 6-year-old mare made her patented late run. This time, however, it came up just short as Mike Smith was unable to urge Zenyatta past Blame in the final yards.
Having won her first 19 starts, Zenyatta was sent off the 4-5 favorite by the announced crowd of 72,739 that cheered her every move from the paddock through the post parade and even in defeat.
Breaking last as usual, Zenyatta raced far off the early pace, almost 20 lengths behind, but began to make up ground, threading her way through traffic on the turn for home, before finding clear run in the stretch.
With dead aim on Blame, Zenyatta began gaining with every stride as the crowd roars became louder and louder, but despite those pleas the wire came first and Zenyatta was handed the first loss of her amazing career in what could have been her final start.
"I wish she stuck her tongue out," said Ann Moss, who owns Zenyatta with her husband Jerry. "It was that close. She's a great, great horse."
The connections of Zenyatta did not formally meet the media afterward, but in a statement from Jerry Moss said: "We're real proud of our girl. She tried hard and ran a tremendous race only to get beat by the slimmest of margins. We congratulate Blame and his connections. He beat a superstar."
There was no mention of retirement or whether she'll race again.
The Hall of Famer Smith took the loss the hardest.
"It hurts more than I can explain, just because it was my fault," Smith said, trying to hold back tears to no avail. "She should have won, and it hurts."
A slower than normal start over a dirt surface came back to haunt Zenyatta.
"It was just hitting her in the face," Smith said. "She wasn't used to it. Although she's run on dirt twice (rather than synthetics), they were really short fields and really never got nothing in her face before. It (the dirt) was coming back - you can tell by my goggles, I went through all six. I mean, it was certainly coming back.
"It just took her a while to get used to it. Maybe I should have done a few things differently. I wish, if I had to do it all over again, I would have, you know?"
Smith and Zenyatta became a team on April 5, 2008, and won 16 straight after Smith replaced David Flores, who was aboard for Zenyatta's first three wins. "I believe she ranks up there with the greatest of all time," Smith said. "If I'd have won this, you could arguably say she was. To come up a nose short is just - it's too hard. It's hard."
Even in victory, the connections of Blame felt bad.
"It's mixed emotions because she's been a wonderful ambassador of the game," winning jockey Garrett Gomez said of Zenyatta. "People that didn't know anything about horse racing became fans because of her. She's an amazing race horse, to plainly put it. She's awesome.
"I wish she would have went 20 for 20 at the expense of someone else and not us. I'm very proud to say we beat her."
Seth Hancock, the co-owner and co-breeder representing Claiborne Farm, also felt some remorse. "Well, I'm just proud to win the race," Hancock said. "I take no pride in beating Zenyatta. She is what she is. She's awesome. She's been great for racing. Her human connections are wonderful people, and I feel bad for them."
But he had no problem promoting his horse for horse of the Year.
"Well, I thought the battle for horse of the Year was fought about a half hour ago, and Blame won it. I mean, she's a great horse, Zenyatta is, but she had her shot to get by and she didn't do it. So I don't think you can vote for her."
Blame, a two-time winner at Churchill Downs before Saturday, ends his 2010 campaign with a record of four wins from five starts, including the narrow victory over Zenyatta - who won five of six in 2010, but not the biggest race of the year.
- With Teresa Genaro
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