this press conference breaks my heart still 10 years later. You can feel the absolute disappointment and regret he feels. I am not a horse racing fan, but this horse was special. Still watch it and think she's gonna catch Blame :( Thank you Zenyatta and thank you Mike Smith!
This interview sets the standard for professional athletes everywhere. Mike Smith is pure class, and in one of his career's darkest moments, he proves it. First loss on Zenyatta after nineteen wins in a row. Watch his eyes.
Boy but your heart breaks for Mike Smith watching this. A great jockey who gave of his best...and boy did he ever love that horse. And what a beauty she was too. What a character. All heart. The beautiful Zenyatta. She was everything a champion should be.
Having knowing Mike nearly 30 years when we were young men at Canterbury. Hr took this defeat harder than any race he had been. He Loves this mare. It wasnt his fault she got beaten. God bless my bro.
While he's not my favorite, he's the leading jockey in Breeders Cup wins by a good amount. Rode some champions too! Skip Away, Zenyatta, Azeri to name a few..♥️🙏👉🇺🇸
Despite an unusually slow start even for her, unexpected amounts of dirt in her face, and Quality Road stalling right in front of her, she ran an incredible race in which she almost did a Silky Sullivan on steroids. The miracle is that, with her style of running, she could weave through the crowd and win 19 out of 20. I've seen other massive come-from-behind classics like Forgo's 1976 Marlboro, and just ONE such race used to be a miraculous all-time classic. She did one of those almost every time. What a horse.
Yeah look at frankie dettori on stradivirius blames the horses age for a bad decision and a poor ride. Stradivirius should have won his fofth golden cup for retirement instead he got insulted by a jockey every compares to lester piggot
19 our of 20, absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Heartbreaking only as you know what she has proven herself time and time again to pull up from behind and run her heart out. Mike Smith has as much heart for this horse as she proved she had with running with him astride. A legend of all time, a great combination Zenyatta and Mike Smith. What a career.
She was the best of the best!! Mike Smith always blames himself when the horses he rides lose!! He is one heck of a rider and I don't fault him for anything. He did what he thought was right in the race and unfortunately the Queen just couldn't catch Blame in time. She is truly the best!! Breaks my heart to see Mike so sad!! What an amazing ride they had together!! The King and Queen of racing!!
+Melann Johnston Yes but I trully don't call it a loss for her, because I think we all know she could have done it, and technically she did! Just not in time! She was a big horse for going against something she was not use to but that sure did not stop her to prove to us the samething she has over and over again just not the way we wanted her to! I think it is great he mentions it because he knows she could have done it. Yet life is not perfect , and it don't make her any less great. Hey the greatest horse of all time secretariat lost more then she did! No one tells him he is any less of a horse.
@@alexo277 Monday morning quarterback. Mike Smith isn't 9 out of 10 jockeys. He is much better than that. Just check out his big race record. It's the reason big trainers and big owners go for him every time. I lost a bundle of money on this race....but I wouldn't have a word said against him. And that's coming from an English guy.
@@denis888red I’ve always thought he’s one of the most overrated jockeys of all time. The publicity he gets makes absolutely no sense to me. Someone like Irad is twice the jockey smith has ever been but gets nowhere near the same recognition. Mike is getting used less and less these days, and even baffort keeps him off his horses for the most part. Surprised he has him on charlaton today.
@@alexo277 Irad can't speak any English or barely can, you think the media is going to embrace that or any owner wants him on their horse, he's not going to be accountable for anything. Mike Smith is a true legend, Blame got a PERFECT trip and wasn't losing. He's won the triple crown and over 220 Grade I races but yeah he's overrated, get a clue.
tears rolling over my face. this man is a true horse lover/zenyatta lover. he wanted HER to win her last race! I can image how he feels (I think). it must be awful. but cheer up....she won 19 times and she was a beautiful horse❤️🏇
I talked to Mike a couple years after he was signing stuff in the Santa Anita gift shop. I asked him about the race and he told me the horse didn’t like the track the footing. He was friendly and I was glad we had the conversation.
God Bless you Mike you ran a great horse and she won 19 out of 20.Even the Greatest racehorse of all times Secretariat lost a few, Even the Great Man O War lost one. They are not machines. She's still one of the Greatest Fillys of all times, The Spectacular Ruffian being #1.
+julie hertz Zenyatta filled the dreams that Ruffian left behind but she sure did it in a opposite way. Big and powerful like Ruffian was, yet these two horses show that a champion is not a title but its from within.
I feel for him. Hindsight is always 20/20. He was definitely on the best horse that day. mho Many greats have lost one or more races for various reasons that had nothing to do with the horse's ability. That's horse-racing. I think of that race in terms of all the horses she DID beat and only lost by half a head in the end. That speaks volumes. I look forward to seeing how her babies do. :) ♥
Siobhan Sprouse so well stated.... it's amazing to see a jockey have such love for his mount......Mike truly loves her...... I am a big fan of him after this.
Mike smith is a amazing jockey he worked hard and it is not his fault. NO ONE needs to blame him. I know what he is going through and it is really hard to deal with and I know he dont no assholes telling him hes a bad jockey. So leave the poor man alone if u dont have anything nice to say then dont freaking say it....
I was at Churchill Downs near the finish line and in the stretch the first time you could see Zenyatta throwing her head back and forth when the dirt hit her in the face. I remarked to the people around me that she didn't look right. For her to make up that much ground and do it so quickly speaks to her greatest. Had she won it would be hard to say she isn't one of the greatest horses if not the greatest of all time no matter the gender.
"Even the BEST fall down sometimes"... that's the bigger lesson Zenyatta and M. Smith leave behind for us to comprehend. To be great in this world isn't just about win streaks, you MUST learn to deal with defeat in some way or another. Regardless, this is one of the best horse racing stories ever.
You can tell he loved that horse and had a bond with her. Im Aussie and never even heard of this horse until 30 mins ago and really feel sorry for him. But if he rode her for all her starts and won 19 of them, im sure it wasnt just the horse and he helped her win a few too, so hopefully he looks back and is proud now for what he achieved on her.
Voice of a man that knows this girl was tons the best!! She was the best I e ever seen.....deserved to win....and Smith was gracious in a defeat he knew was on him and not her.
"She's my everything". That right there says a lot. He gave that horse soo much and she gave it back in return. She had a rough start in that race, yes all of us realize that, but Mike- how many other horses did you beat in that field? And to come up a nose short of some little punky thing from dead last, that says something about how great a jockey you are Mike. You are such a great Jock...you have lead Azeri and Zenyatta to plenty victories!! Keep it up dude!!
Mike was on the best horse!!! I think it's very telling that Garrett Gomez said he would not want a rematch with Zenyatta because he knew how lucky he was that day. ;)
I remember this , watched it as it went down felt the exact same . . . I saw her back there , but she was always back there,she was the most exciting horse to watch race in racing at that time , at least for me that is how it was. She was special God made her special indeed.
Sad, but beautiful moment. Smith was so good, too. Others have more Triple Crown wins, but man, he won almost EVERYTHING there is to win in horse racing, including THE Triple Crown. As tough as ANY jockey in history as well. Broke two vertabrae in his back, was in a body cast, and was back in six months.
@dessiesdoneit Zenyatta passed Blame just after the line, sure it may have been just past the line but she still passed him. She passed him. love you zenyatta
Don't worry Mike. True horse racing fans know she will be remembered as not only the best female horse ever, but one of the greatest horses who ever lived. Hey even Secretariat lost four times. Speaking of the champ her love for the fans and her dance step will always be her trademark.
Blame may have crossed the finish line first,but Zenyatta won the race.She lost nothing,not one fan,not an ounce of respect and not her place in history.The world is a better place having Zenyatta in it.Mike Smith you're the greatest also.Zenyatta doesn't know she lost and she didn't know she won 19 times,she seemed happy running and that's good enough for me.Thanks for the ride of a life time.
Zenyatta is a superhorse without question. And she has a rider who loves her. They both accomplished more than anyone can ask in racing. Secretariat, the finest horse of all time, would be proud of the mare and her fine jockey. Mike Smith's misery breaks your heart--but she only lost by a nose and beat Blame two steps later. Nothing wrong with that!
How come I'm not disappointed? Before that race Z became my alltime favorite race horse and the race is the most exciting one I've ever watched. I once had a horse that was proud like Zenyatta and just as much a sweetheart. It's hard to explain what a pleasure it is to be around a horse like that.
What a great job by Team Zenyatta! She should have retired last year after her victory in the Classic, but thanks again for bringing her back this year 2010 for the Fans!
Go to the dictionary & look up the word "class" - there you'll see a picture of Mike Smith. Just a great, great guy. Two things made me cry (and I rarely cry): 1.) watching Zenyatta flying home, passing horses; and 2.) this press conference, with Mike at his sportsmanlike best. Way before this loss, Mike said that if he ever lost on Zenyatta that it would be his fault. But it wasn't. A great horse & a great race rider - that would be Mike on Zenyatta - both indomitable champions.
She's an amazing horse to pick up when she did and made up so much ground from last so don't blame yourself you do her credit for getting her where she is today!
in 2 seasons at CD. During 2009-10, no MALE was more dominate at an individual track than Blame was at CD. He had the box seat, and sat a near perfect trip in the 2010 BC Classic. While Zenyatta struggled early on with the surface, and was left with an insurmountable task to overcome, and nearly did. So hold your head high, Mike Smith!! Because when you look at the list of the all-time greats, Man O' War, Secretariat, Citation, etc..They were all beaten at least once in their career, too!! TJMO
@dessiesdoneit You need to watch it a few more times then. Find the video in hd and then you will see that she does pass him. Blames a good horse but if Zenyatta had had a better start she would have won. Did Blame win 19 consecutive races including a breeders cup and then come up a nose short on the 20th race? no
:*( Poor Mike.. It was still an amazing race. I can't imagine how much he's going to beat himself down because of the loss. Watching the race I was really concerned, but she made an amazing comeback. One more stride and she would have had it.
Before the race, one of the trainers was asked if any horse could beat Zenyatta in that race and he said "For a horse to beat her, they'll have to run the race of their life." That's exactly what Garret Gomez said Blame did, that he ran the best race of his life that day. He also said he wouldn't want to race against her again because he knew how lucky he got.
+kwgrid Why does Blame have to be discredited? He won far more than one GI Stakes race, which flies in the face of him being lucky. More than anything, he PROVED his worth by beating her. I don't want to knock Zenyatta, but I also don't like seeing good horses made to seem less than what they deserve.
Actually the race was really weird. Quality Road and Haynesfield quit after six furlongs when in the past they were good for at least a mile. Lookin at Lucky flattened out in the deep stretch while Blame was good but lacked his top-end burst.
@dessiesdoneit Blame won because Garrett Gomez gave him the best ride in BC history. He saved all the ground and was never stopped in the process. 1 tiny mistake during that daring ride and it's a loss. Garrett gambled and won.
@SarahsSeniorYear His horse refused to extend herself for the first 1/4 - 1/2 mile, to the point that he seriously considered pulling her up. In a contest of will between a 100-lb. man and a 1200-lb. horse, the horse wins. He did well to get her back into contention. Yes, he went inside and got blocked in traffic, but if he goes wide, he loses way too much ground. His ride helped her make it as close as it was in the end. He's got no reason to beat himself up whatsoever.
It's nice to see her Jockey so emotional, and the love he had for that horse. You can't help but love a horse like that--she was a great champion, and the best female horse I've ever seen. I think Mike the Jockey lost Zenyatta this race, and let her get to far behind, and she had to much distance to close, with not enough time to do it in. It's to bad, because she could have retired "undefeated"-- ( 20-0) Now--(19-1) She still had a "great career", and is my favorite female horse of all time.
First time through the stretch she was all discombobulated, she wouldn't "level out" as he put it. You must like your own comment, cuz nobody else does..
Blame was one of the best male main track closers of the last 15 years. When he was 3 he reeled in future Santa Anita Handicap winner Misremembered in the 2009 Clark. He caught a very talented Battle Plan in the 2010 gr1. Stephen Foster, caught 4 time gr1 winner Quality Road on the wire in the gr.1 Whitney at Saratoga in 2010. Blame ran very good horses down with an unrelenting, sustained late kick. Blame was not going to come back one inch in the stretch. Zenyatta was going to have to win by making up over 3 lengths on a horse that will be running his best at that very time. And, oh yeah, Churchill Downs just happens to be Blame's home track, where he won the Clark and Foster. Take into account also that aside from her 2009 win in the Clement Hirsch, for most of Zenyatta's streak while she was always rallying from off the pace, most of the time she had passed the leaders by mid stretch and then cruised to the wire. That was true up through her 2010 Apple Blossom win. But after that, her final 3 victories, she found herself having to make desperate late runs and winning by margins of a half length or less. My conclusion prior to the Classic was that age 6 she had lost some of her fluidity, and quick acceleration. She could still finish like a train but it took a little longer for that train to hit top speed. And while it is impossible not to feel compassion for Mike Smith, the one time she was mentally off, confused whether by the dirt kickback, the lights from racing after sunset, a new track; the one time she didnt have everything under control and needed help, Mike Smith was asleep at the while and allowed too much time to pass before realizing he had to be more than a passenger on her and that she desperately needed some guidance. And she still came up but a head short!!!!!! It is ok to feel for Mikey but recognize that he was correct that he let her down and most likely cost her the race. He was too slow in recognizing something was off with Z early in that race and that she needed him to gain focus. His slow reaction, and failure to encourage her earlier resulted in her falling much further off the pace than what is normal for even her. By time Mike woke up and helped Z get out of her mental fog, she was faced with the task of having to make up 10 lengths on a horse in Blame who had made a career outfinishing top tier male dirt horses. Blame must have been confused late in the race that some horse was actually gobbling up ground on him because closing on a horse was his game, what he excelled at. Ultimately, however, I cant be definitive that Z would have won had Mikey been quicker to recognize she needed help and in providing that help. But theoretically, it makes sense that with the margin of defeat a mere head that it wasnt false humility we hear from Mike Smith in this presser, it is the truth.
My favorite jockey ever before zenyatta was born. One of the best jockeys ever. Zenyatta became my favorite horse. If you don't see the pain in this man's eyes and don't understand that zenyatta was the best your an idiot. Dirt or not she ran through the best horses and came from DEAD Last and misses by half a second. The perfect trip allowed for that hold on half a second longer. How can people not see 19 for 19 and a bad trip and still almost won. If Mike is telling you its his fault its his fault. He knew. Real man admitting his mistake. But let's be real he helped her win so much. So many jockeys could have messed it up. Amazing how people can't forgive anyone.
Mike, All Great Athletes takes a loss, this is how we know they are Great, they handle it well and the next day they are grazing on grass, posing for pictures, and holding thier head up high, still knowing they have something very special God Given inside of them. You Did your Best, You gave it your all, hold your head up and do not fault yourself, YOU were there helping her have 16 wins, you are part of a team. Z is touched by God, Z is the Greatest Filly ever Born.
@championsofeurope21 mike is an excelleny jockey now with 15 breeders cup wins hes excellent zenyatta was mostly a syntetic horse she was not used to having dirt in her face and even having horses so close to her dont diss somebody because of that you could see she wasnt grasping the surface and a european jocky now of you guys are consistent you had an 18 yr old win the turf this year for real step it off mike was consistent more than i can say for your jockeys
MIKE & ZENYATTA ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST TEAM EVER!!! GO ZENYATTA GO MIKE... ;);) *****MIKE y ZENTYATTA SON LOS MEJORES DEL MUNDO.... *** WE ALL LOVE YOU... TODOS LOS AMAMOS..
sorry for your pain mike. she came from last to 2nd if the finish line had been 10 feet futher she would have been 5 feet ahead of the winner. it was just one of them things in life.
Churchill..home of heartbreak..many horses that have won there..and never won again..same can be said for the great ones like Zenyatta to only have lost one race out of 20..and happened at Churchill. Horses either love that track or hate it. Only 2 horses ever gave me goosebumps..Big Red and Zenyatta.
Blame was 4/5 lifetime at CD Zenyatta is the best female horse ever to race she is the only horse that could spot an elite field 20 lengths and come up that short
She won a bunch of races very closely, he masterfully navigated the hourse thru 19 wins and just missed once by a nose. He wanted that win more for the horse than for himself or anyone else. He feels like he let the horse down. The horse would probably say dont beat yourself up Mike, its all good, we got 19 out of 20, it was a fun couple of years.
Bless his heart. I can feel the sting of losing by a nose on a horse that had not been beaten in 19 starts. Just another second or so and she would have won it. That would haunt me, too. My heart goes out to him. I hope the stunning win with Drosselmeyer in the 2011 BC Classic eased his pain a little. ♥
@Bloo445 Native dancer, Man or War. Cigar, Whirlaway, Sea biscuit, all the great horses or all time have all lost a race if raced long enough. If you dont loose once in a while then you are not racing in the first place. With you, great post!!!!
Great Guy, Fantastic Jockey with caracter and integrity not to blame the horse or find excuses but taking the blame and defending the horse that gave him so much.
@charliep3 I'm not disappointed because she covered herself in glory, even in defeat. It was an epic performance that silenced all but the most brainless doubters, and cemented her legacy as one of the greats. And she came out of it healthy and happy. What more is there?
she wasn't used to dirt, her connections knew more than a year ahead the BCC was on a dirt track. That is not the horse OR jockey's fault. Bad mismanagment. Really wish she would have had a race or two, on dirt before the BC. Hard to fault Zen's connections in anyway, they are great....but that was a big problem, that many people saw coming. It is a real bummer that just because of the lack of traveling and time spent on dirt could have cost her the race.
She was a synthetic SUPERSTAR, NEVER traveled further east than Churchill Downs, no Saratoga or Belmont, Sherrrifs was a goof, he could of challenged Zenyatta way more than he did.
this press conference breaks my heart still 10 years later. You can feel the absolute disappointment and regret he feels. I am not a horse racing fan, but this horse was special. Still watch it and think she's gonna catch Blame :( Thank you Zenyatta and thank you Mike Smith!
"She's my everything" That just makes me cry. Mike, you were on the best horse, no doubt. It wasn't your fault, it was just meant to be.
This interview sets the standard for professional athletes everywhere. Mike Smith is pure class, and in one of his career's darkest moments, he proves it.
First loss on Zenyatta after nineteen wins in a row. Watch his eyes.
Boy but your heart breaks for Mike Smith watching this.
A great jockey who gave of his best...and boy did he ever love that horse. And what a beauty she was too. What a character. All heart. The beautiful Zenyatta. She was everything a champion should be.
Having knowing Mike nearly 30 years when we were young men at Canterbury. Hr took this defeat harder than any race he had been. He Loves this mare. It wasnt his fault she got beaten. God bless my bro.
This absolutely breaks my heart every time I watch it.
I absolutely LOVE Mike Smith. What a class act. What a man. What a jockey!!!!
Was gonna say that sounded kinda gay but youre a woman so ima pass XD
Wow,that was way more than impressive!
.This Guy is one of the best&u saw how disappointed he was& how much it meant!
mike betrayed her for a large sum otherwise she would have cracked men o war
@@micatrsic8762 👈👈BS! NO amount of Monet!!...
While he's not my favorite, he's the leading jockey in Breeders Cup wins by a good amount. Rode some champions too! Skip Away, Zenyatta, Azeri to name a few..♥️🙏👉🇺🇸
Despite an unusually slow start even for her, unexpected amounts of dirt in her face, and Quality Road stalling right in front of her, she ran an incredible race in which she almost did a Silky Sullivan on steroids. The miracle is that, with her style of running, she could weave through the crowd and win 19 out of 20. I've seen other massive come-from-behind classics like Forgo's 1976 Marlboro, and just ONE such race used to be a miraculous all-time classic. She did one of those almost every time. What a horse.
Tears come to my eyes every time I watch this. Big hug for Mike!
So so glad Mike Smith got a Triple Crown aboard Justify!!! Wish I was into horse racing enough in 2009 & 2010 to watch Zenyatta run
What showmanship, grace and humility in every sense. Mike Smith is a class act. Rare these days.
Yeah look at frankie dettori on stradivirius blames the horses age for a bad decision and a poor ride. Stradivirius should have won his fofth golden cup for retirement instead he got insulted by a jockey every compares to lester piggot
He showed what love he had for Zenyatta.
19 our of 20, absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Heartbreaking only as you know what she has proven herself time and time again to pull up from behind and run her heart out. Mike Smith has as much heart for this horse as she proved she had with running with him astride. A legend of all time, a great combination Zenyatta and Mike Smith. What a career.
She was the best of the best!! Mike Smith always blames himself when the horses he rides lose!! He is one heck of a rider and I don't fault him for anything. He did what he thought was right in the race and unfortunately the Queen just couldn't catch Blame in time. She is truly the best!! Breaks my heart to see Mike so sad!! What an amazing ride they had together!! The King and Queen of racing!!
+Melann Johnston Yes but I trully don't call it a loss for her, because I think we all know she could have done it, and technically she did! Just not in time! She was a big horse for going against something she was not use to but that sure did not stop her to prove to us the samething she has over and over again just not the way we wanted her to! I think it is great he mentions it because he knows she could have done it. Yet life is not perfect , and it don't make her any less great. Hey the greatest horse of all time secretariat lost more then she did! No one tells him he is any less of a horse.
9 out of 10 jockeys win that race on that horse.
@@alexo277 Monday morning quarterback.
Mike Smith isn't 9 out of 10 jockeys. He is much better than that. Just check out his big race record. It's the reason big trainers and big owners go for him every time.
I lost a bundle of money on this race....but I wouldn't have a word said against him.
And that's coming from an English guy.
@@denis888red I’ve always thought he’s one of the most overrated jockeys of all time. The publicity he gets makes absolutely no sense to me. Someone like Irad is twice the jockey smith has ever been but gets nowhere near the same recognition. Mike is getting used less and less these days, and even baffort keeps him off his horses for the most part. Surprised he has him on charlaton today.
@@alexo277 Irad can't speak any English or barely can, you think the media is going to embrace that or any owner wants him on their horse, he's not going to be accountable for anything. Mike Smith is a true legend, Blame got a PERFECT trip and wasn't losing. He's won the triple crown and over 220 Grade I races but yeah he's overrated, get a clue.
tears rolling over my face. this man is a true horse lover/zenyatta lover. he wanted HER to win her last race! I can image how he feels (I think). it must be awful. but cheer up....she won 19 times and she was a beautiful horse❤️🏇
I talked to Mike a couple years after he was signing stuff in the Santa Anita gift shop. I asked him about the race and he told me the horse didn’t like the track the footing. He was friendly and I was glad we had the conversation.
2017 and I still love watching her race. Truly down to earth jockey and an incredible horse.
I became a Mike Smith fan after watching this video.....
This is so heartbreaking I can hardly watch it. What an amazing jockey!!
Amazing jockey? He was the reason Zenyatta didnt retire undefeated.
God Bless you Mike you ran a great horse and she won 19 out of 20.Even the Greatest racehorse of all times Secretariat lost a few, Even the Great Man O War lost one. They are not machines. She's still one of the Greatest Fillys of all times, The Spectacular Ruffian being #1.
+julie hertz Zenyatta filled the dreams that Ruffian left behind but she sure did it in a opposite way. Big and powerful like Ruffian was, yet these two horses show that a champion is not a title but its from within.
Thank you for good moments jockeys sport Mike Smith with Zenyatta, USA
This press conference should have millions of views! Absolutely gut wrenching..♥️🙏👉🇺🇸
I feel for him. Hindsight is always 20/20. He was definitely on the best horse that day. mho Many greats have lost one or more races for various reasons that had nothing to do with the horse's ability. That's horse-racing. I think of that race in terms of all the horses she DID beat and only lost by half a head in the end. That speaks volumes. I look forward to seeing how her babies do. :) ♥
zenyatta best closer ever
She’s amazing, period! She passed up horses and lost by a nose. She was the better horse, just ran out of room! Zenyatta is Queen!
Mike absolutely broke my heart watching this.
Mike
Siobhan Sprouse so well stated.... it's amazing to see a jockey have such love for his mount......Mike truly loves her...... I am a big fan of him after this.
Love this guys dedication
Even the great Secretariat lost a race...
Mike smith is a amazing jockey he worked hard and it is not his fault. NO ONE needs to blame him. I know what he is going through and it is really hard to deal with and I know he dont no assholes telling him hes a bad jockey. So leave the poor man alone if u dont have anything nice to say then dont freaking say it....
I was at Churchill Downs near the finish line and in the stretch the first time you could see Zenyatta throwing her head back and forth when the dirt hit her in the face. I remarked to the people around me that she didn't look right. For her to make up that much ground and do it so quickly speaks to her greatest. Had she won it would be hard to say she isn't one of the greatest horses if not the greatest of all time no matter the gender.
"Even the BEST fall down sometimes"... that's the bigger lesson Zenyatta and M. Smith leave behind for us to comprehend. To be great in this world isn't just about win streaks, you MUST learn to deal with defeat in some way or another. Regardless, this is one of the best horse racing stories ever.
You can tell he loved that horse and had a bond with her. Im Aussie and never even heard of this horse until 30 mins ago and really feel sorry for him. But if he rode her for all her starts and won 19 of them, im sure it wasnt just the horse and he helped her win a few too, so hopefully he looks back and is proud now for what he achieved on her.
Voice of a man that knows this girl was tons the best!! She was the best I e ever seen.....deserved to win....and Smith was gracious in a defeat he knew was on him and not her.
God bless him, my heart goes out to him.
I can't blame him from not winning I just can't :.(
Two class acts mike and zynyatta lucky to have them both together
"She's my everything". That right there says a lot. He gave that horse soo much and she gave it back in return. She had a rough start in that race, yes all of us realize that, but Mike- how many other horses did you beat in that field? And to come up a nose short of some little punky thing from dead last, that says something about how great a jockey you are Mike. You are such a great Jock...you have lead Azeri and Zenyatta to plenty victories!! Keep it up dude!!
There is a difference between losing and getting beat. Mike, you and Zenyatta might have lost, but you didn't get beat.
Mike was on the best horse!!! I think it's very telling that Garrett Gomez said he would not want a rematch with Zenyatta because he knew how lucky he was that day. ;)
I remember this , watched it as it went down felt the exact same . . .
I saw her back there , but she was always back there,she was the most exciting horse to watch race in racing at that time , at least for me that is how it was.
She was special
God made her special indeed.
Zenyatta really didnt lose. It was just by a nose. So unfortunate. Just a few minor adjustments and the outcome would have been different.
she lost if you bet on her!!!!! ;)
Sad, but beautiful moment. Smith was so good, too. Others have more Triple Crown wins, but man, he won almost EVERYTHING there is to win in horse racing, including THE Triple Crown.
As tough as ANY jockey in history as well. Broke two vertabrae in his back, was in a body cast, and was back in six months.
@dessiesdoneit
Zenyatta passed Blame just after the line, sure it may have been just past the line but she still passed him.
She passed him.
love you zenyatta
Don't worry Mike. True horse racing fans know she will be remembered as not only the best female horse ever, but one of the greatest horses who ever lived. Hey even Secretariat lost four times. Speaking of the champ her love for the fans and her dance step will always be her trademark.
Blame may have crossed the finish line first,but Zenyatta won the race.She lost nothing,not one fan,not an ounce of respect and not her place in history.The world is a better place having Zenyatta in it.Mike Smith you're the greatest also.Zenyatta doesn't know she lost and she didn't know she won 19 times,she seemed happy running and that's good enough for me.Thanks for the ride of a life time.
Zenyatta is a superhorse without question. And she has a rider who loves her. They both accomplished more than anyone can ask in racing. Secretariat, the finest horse of all time, would be proud of the mare and her fine jockey. Mike Smith's misery breaks your heart--but she only lost by a nose and beat Blame two steps later. Nothing wrong with that!
I’m still hurt, but it’s all love ❤what a career and run by both.
Mike Smith is my hero and a classy sportsman and Zenyetta will always be my heroine and my inspiration. God Blesss you both.
How come I'm not disappointed? Before that race Z became my alltime favorite race horse and the race is the most exciting one I've ever watched. I once had a horse that was proud like Zenyatta and just as much a sweetheart. It's hard to explain what a pleasure it is to be around a horse like that.
Mike, you are as classy as the Queen, and you played a big part in what she accomplished in her career. Thank you.
What a great job by Team Zenyatta! She should have retired last year after her victory in the Classic, but thanks again for bringing her back this year 2010 for the Fans!
Go to the dictionary & look up the word "class" - there you'll see a picture of Mike Smith. Just a great, great guy.
Two things made me cry (and I rarely cry): 1.) watching Zenyatta flying home, passing horses; and 2.) this press conference, with Mike at his sportsmanlike best.
Way before this loss, Mike said that if he ever lost on Zenyatta that it would be his fault. But it wasn't.
A great horse & a great race rider - that would be Mike on Zenyatta - both indomitable champions.
I love Mike as much as the Queen of racing.
She's an amazing horse to pick up when she did and made up so much ground from last so don't blame yourself you do her credit for getting her where she is today!
Mike Smith is the GOAT and Zenyatta one blemish on her record does not reflect her storied career. They will make a movie about her mark my words
in 2 seasons at CD. During 2009-10, no MALE was more dominate at an individual track than Blame was at CD. He had the box seat, and sat a near perfect trip in the 2010 BC Classic. While Zenyatta struggled early on with the surface, and was left with an insurmountable task to overcome, and nearly did. So hold your head high, Mike Smith!! Because when you look at the list of the all-time greats, Man O' War, Secretariat, Citation, etc..They were all beaten at least once in their career, too!! TJMO
@dessiesdoneit
You need to watch it a few more times then. Find the video in hd and then you will see that she does pass him. Blames a good horse but if Zenyatta had had a better start she would have won. Did Blame win 19 consecutive races including a breeders cup and then come up a nose short on the 20th race? no
:*( Poor Mike.. It was still an amazing race. I can't imagine how much he's going to beat himself down because of the loss. Watching the race I was really concerned, but she made an amazing comeback. One more stride and she would have had it.
We know she is a legend. We love Zenyatta.
She's in the conversation for the greatest racehorse of all time!
Before the race, one of the trainers was asked if any horse could beat Zenyatta in that race and he said "For a horse to beat her, they'll have to run the race of their life." That's exactly what Garret Gomez said Blame did, that he ran the best race of his life that day. He also said he wouldn't want to race against her again because he knew how lucky he got.
+kwgrid Why does Blame have to be discredited? He won far more than one GI Stakes race, which flies in the face of him being lucky. More than anything, he PROVED his worth by beating her. I don't want to knock Zenyatta, but I also don't like seeing good horses made to seem less than what they deserve.
I didn't discredit Blame. If anyone did, Gomez did.
Actually the race was really weird. Quality Road and Haynesfield quit after six furlongs when in the past they were good for at least a mile. Lookin at Lucky flattened out in the deep stretch while Blame was good but lacked his top-end burst.
@dessiesdoneit
Blame won because Garrett Gomez gave him the best ride in BC history. He saved all the ground and was never stopped in the process. 1 tiny mistake during that daring ride and it's a loss. Garrett gambled and won.
thank you mikefor all you didfor zenyatta you anzen r the best ever
Dont feel ashamed Mike, I cried when she lost too.
Mike Smith’s Greville Starkey moment😢
He cried. How sweet.
@SarahsSeniorYear His horse refused to extend herself for the first 1/4 - 1/2 mile, to the point that he seriously considered pulling her up. In a contest of will between a 100-lb. man and a 1200-lb. horse, the horse wins. He did well to get her back into contention. Yes, he went inside and got blocked in traffic, but if he goes wide, he loses way too much ground. His ride helped her make it as close as it was in the end. He's got no reason to beat himself up whatsoever.
Venckman de
give blame some credit for digging in when he had to, he won but she is a great filly
It's nice to see her Jockey so emotional, and the love he had for that
horse. You can't help but love a horse like that--she was a great champion,
and the best female horse I've ever seen.
I think Mike the Jockey lost Zenyatta this race, and let her get to far behind,
and she had to much distance to close, with not enough time to do it in. It's
to bad, because she could have retired "undefeated"-- ( 20-0) Now--(19-1)
She still had a "great career", and is my favorite female horse of all time.
First time through the stretch she was all discombobulated, she wouldn't "level out" as he put it. You must like your own comment, cuz nobody else does..
Mike Smith class act...
Mike Smith is pure class.
Zenyatta’s legacy changes a lot if she wins this race. Maybe top ten all time.
In horse racing nothing is ever a given. She was valiant in defeat. My heart goes out to Mike, he will probably never get over it.
Blame was one of the best male main track closers of the last 15 years. When he was 3 he reeled in future Santa Anita Handicap winner Misremembered in the 2009 Clark. He caught a very talented Battle Plan in the 2010 gr1. Stephen Foster, caught 4 time gr1 winner Quality Road on the wire in the gr.1 Whitney at Saratoga in 2010.
Blame ran very good horses down with an unrelenting, sustained late kick. Blame was not going to come back one inch in the stretch. Zenyatta was going to have to win by making up over 3 lengths on a horse that will be running his best at that very time. And, oh yeah, Churchill Downs just happens to be Blame's home track, where he won the Clark and Foster.
Take into account also that aside from her 2009 win in the Clement Hirsch, for most of Zenyatta's streak while she was always rallying from off the pace, most of the time she had passed the leaders by mid stretch and then cruised to the wire. That was true up through her 2010 Apple Blossom win. But after that, her final 3 victories, she found herself having to make desperate late runs and winning by margins of a half length or less. My conclusion prior to the Classic was that age 6 she had lost some of her fluidity, and quick acceleration. She could still finish like a train but it took a little longer for that train to hit top speed.
And while it is impossible not to feel compassion for Mike Smith, the one time she was mentally off, confused whether by the dirt kickback, the lights from racing after sunset, a new track; the one time she didnt have everything under control and needed help, Mike Smith was asleep at the while and allowed too much time to pass before realizing he had to be more than a passenger on her and that she desperately needed some guidance.
And she still came up but a head short!!!!!!
It is ok to feel for Mikey but recognize that he was correct that he let her down and most likely cost her the race. He was too slow in recognizing something was off with Z early in that race and that she needed him to gain focus. His slow reaction, and failure to encourage her earlier resulted in her falling much further off the pace than what is normal for even her. By time Mike woke up and helped Z get out of her mental fog, she was faced with the task of having to make up 10 lengths on a horse in Blame who had made a career outfinishing top tier male dirt horses.
Blame must have been confused late in the race that some horse was actually gobbling up ground on him because closing on a horse was his game, what he excelled at.
Ultimately, however, I cant be definitive that Z would have won had Mikey been quicker to recognize she needed help and in providing that help. But theoretically, it makes sense that with the margin of defeat a mere head that it wasnt false humility we hear from Mike Smith in this presser, it is the truth.
My favorite jockey ever before zenyatta was born. One of the best jockeys ever. Zenyatta became my favorite horse. If you don't see the pain in this man's eyes and don't understand that zenyatta was the best your an idiot. Dirt or not she ran through the best horses and came from DEAD Last and misses by half a second. The perfect trip allowed for that hold on half a second longer. How can people not see 19 for 19 and a bad trip and still almost won. If Mike is telling you its his fault its his fault. He knew. Real man admitting his mistake. But let's be real he helped her win so much. So many jockeys could have messed it up. Amazing how people can't forgive anyone.
If you listen he says she RANKS up there with the greatest. He never said she is the greatest.
Mike, All Great Athletes takes a loss, this is how we know they are Great, they handle it well and the next day they are grazing on grass, posing for pictures, and holding thier head up high, still knowing they have something very special God Given inside of them. You Did your Best, You gave it your all, hold your head up and do not fault yourself, YOU were there helping her have 16 wins, you are part of a team. Z is touched by God, Z is the Greatest Filly ever Born.
Thanks Dessiesdoneit for your comment.
She is still ****AMAZING****!! Don't cry Mike- She did you proud and all who watched :) This mare has guts! Good luck with the foals Zenyatta. :)
Mike is heartbroken....my heart broke during the Ruffian/Foolish Pleasure match race.
@championsofeurope21 mike is an excelleny jockey now with 15 breeders cup wins hes excellent zenyatta was mostly a syntetic horse she was not used to having dirt in her face and even having horses so close to her dont diss somebody because of that you could see she wasnt grasping the surface and a european jocky now of you guys are consistent you had an 18 yr old win the turf this year for real step it off mike was consistent more than i can say for your jockeys
Zenyatta is the greatest off all time and she was herself because of you you and zenyatta were a fantastic team. Its not your fault mike.
MIKE & ZENYATTA ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST TEAM EVER!!! GO ZENYATTA GO MIKE... ;);)
*****MIKE y ZENTYATTA SON LOS MEJORES DEL MUNDO.... ***
WE ALL LOVE YOU... TODOS LOS AMAMOS..
Mike You did a great JOb!!!!! Dont beat your self up.. We love u and Miss Z !!!!
sorry for your pain mike. she came from last to 2nd if the finish line had been 10 feet futher she would have been 5 feet ahead of the winner. it was just one of them things in life.
hands down without a doubt Zenyatta is one if not the greatest horse off all times
Churchill..home of heartbreak..many horses that have won there..and never won again..same can be said for the great ones like Zenyatta to only have lost one race out of 20..and happened at Churchill.
Horses either love that track or hate it.
Only 2 horses ever gave me goosebumps..Big Red and Zenyatta.
Blame was 4/5 lifetime at CD
Zenyatta is the best female horse ever to race she is the only horse that could spot an elite field 20 lengths and come up that short
She won a bunch of races very closely, he masterfully navigated the hourse thru 19 wins and just missed once by a nose. He wanted that win more for the horse than for himself or anyone else. He feels like he let the horse down. The horse would probably say dont beat yourself up Mike, its all good, we got 19 out of 20, it was a fun couple of years.
Bless his heart. I can feel the sting of losing by a nose on a horse that had not been beaten in 19 starts. Just another second or so and she would have won it. That would haunt me, too. My heart goes out to him. I hope the stunning win with Drosselmeyer in the 2011 BC Classic eased his pain a little. ♥
Zenyatta's legacy honors Ruffian. Mike Smith, you are the man! Great Job!
@Bloo445 Native dancer, Man or War. Cigar, Whirlaway, Sea biscuit, all the great horses or all time have all lost a race if raced long enough. If you dont loose once in a while then you are not racing in the first place. With you, great post!!!!
Great Guy, Fantastic Jockey with caracter and integrity not to blame the horse or find excuses but taking the blame and defending the horse that gave him so much.
blame was a real good colt give some credit
absolutely true ! and the fact that he had won many times before is what made him loose !
What a great horse came up just short of never loosing this is a great horse
There’s no doubt the best horse ran 2nd ,fault smith
I would have loved to see Zenyatta run on turf!
@charliep3 I'm not disappointed because she covered herself in glory, even in defeat. It was an epic performance that silenced all but the most brainless doubters, and cemented her legacy as one of the greats. And she came out of it healthy and happy. What more is there?
she wasn't used to dirt, her connections knew more than a year ahead the BCC was on a dirt track. That is not the horse OR jockey's fault. Bad mismanagment. Really wish she would have had a race or two, on dirt before the BC. Hard to fault Zen's connections in anyway, they are great....but that was a big problem, that many people saw coming. It is a real bummer that just because of the lack of traveling and time spent on dirt could have cost her the race.
She was a synthetic SUPERSTAR, NEVER traveled further east than Churchill Downs, no Saratoga or Belmont, Sherrrifs was a goof, he could of challenged Zenyatta way more than he did.
FYI Zenyatta is a giant of a mare, an amazon, bigger than Big Red himself, Secretariat.