East Coast Bias? Really, Ron Ellis?

 

Just last year Amazombie and Acclamation took home Eclipse Awards. Acclamation was nominated for two Eclipse awards, mind you, and lost out on the turf to the European invader, Cape Blanco. The year before, Zenyatta, Lookin at Lucky, and Blind Luck accounted for four Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the year. 2009, Lookin at Lucky and Zenyatta brought home Eclipse awards. That is not a bias.

 

This year, there is a very good likelihood of California again bringing home multiple Eclipse Awards. It is almost a given that I’ll Have Another is going to take, at least, the three year old championships. He is also the current leader for many, in the race for Horse of the Year. There is also no denying the strength of that particular division was in California. With Bodemeister, Creative Cause, and Paynter also having strong support this year how can you claim that there is a bias?

 

In the older male division, the East does look stronger in numbers. However, the top older male for many is Game on Dude. If I’m not mistaken, he is also based out west. There is one other horse that can compete with him, as of now, and that horse has run all over the USA. His name is Ron the Greek, and by the way, he has a win in the Santa Anita Handicap. So, your number one and two in the older male division have both won major grade one races in California.

 

Now, with the way this is going, you could claim Baffert biased, I suppose. However, that also would be put straight to bed with the example of Amazombie. Amazombie  is the reigning champion sprinter in the country. Again, he is also on the West Coast, and as of now he is still the leader of his division.  

 

You claim that the lack of respect that your filly, Include Me Out, receives is due to East Coast Bias…. you should know better. That division is strongest in the east, and it’s not even close. Royal Delta, It’s Tricky, Questing, My Miss Aurelia, and Awesome Feather all reside in the east. Earlier in the year, the east also had Havre de Grace and Awesome Maria. Right there you have a Horse of the Year and three champions, surrounded by two multiple grade one winners. No filly or mare in the West has a resume that can even come close to that.

 

In recent years, the facts have proven that the “East Coast Bias,” you call out, does not exist. Making absurd claims when the facts are so definitely against you does not become a person of your stature. You want your mare to gain respect then you had better hope she wins and wins by a country mile in the Ladies Classic. You want talk the talk, fine. Now, you had better be prepared to back it up.