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Smith blames himself for Zenyatta defeat
The crowd at chilly Churchill Downs was ready hail the queen in the Sport of Kings but a gritty colt named Blame, largely unknown to the general public, spoiled the party.
Blame held off a spirited late run by Zenyatta to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a head, dealing the celebrated mare her first loss after 19 straight wins.
Zenyatta, the only female and the oldest horse in the race, trailed the field by a wide margin by the first turn and at least 16 lengths nearing the half-mile mark.
In the end she simply fell just short of another miracle victory.
A year ago in the Classic at Santa Anita, the race unfolded the same way but Zenyatta managed to blow by the entire field and reach the finish line first.
Zenyatta’s jockey Mike Smith said he was to blame for Saturday’s loss and spoiling what was primed to be Churchill Downs’ version of Mardi Gras.
The crowd of more than 70,000 was decked out in Zenyatta shirts and hats and ready to send the celebrated mare into possible retirement with a farewell to remember.
Smith felt Zenyatta was having a difficult time handling the dirt surface hitting her in the face after racing almost exclusively on gummier synthetic surfaces at home in California.
“She just wasn’t used to that part,” he said. “Just left her with too much to do. I truly believe I was on the best horse today. If I had to blame anybody, it would be me.”
Smith met the media after the race but owner Jerry Moss and trainer John Shirreffs hung out with Zenyatta in Barn 42 along the backstretch.
Smith, 45, told media: “It hurts more than I can explain. Just because it was my fault. She should have won, and it hurts.”
Moss said in a statement: “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.”
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