"The search for a US superstar drew another blank this weekend, making it increasingly likely that the American horse of the year award could be set to leave the continent for the first time in 2011.... There may be four months left to run, but with no suitable alternative forthcoming, Goldikova is beginning to look more and more like a horse of destiny."

"Naysayers will point out Zenyatta’s perfect 19-for-19 record, but without disparaging what she has accomplished, it must be pointed out that Zenyatta has been dodging top-quality competition for most of her career. Had she been challenging and beating the best of the breed the way Goldikova has done since the middle of her 3-year-old campaign, Zenyatta backers might have an argument. But her stay-at-home Southern California campaigns at the ages of 4, 5, and 6 against a modest bunch of fillies and mares paints her as a provincial champion with only a single world-class performance to her credit, that when beating one of the weaker Breeders’ Cup Classic fields last year in her backyard at Santa Anita."

"With the revisionist version of Secretariat's life story in theaters near you, the Breeders' Cup, still a month away, promises the most compelling drama of the 2010 racing season and one that needs no hype, contrived promotion or departure from reality. Hold your breath. This could be as good as it gets during a day at the races." Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX7AZlVVBb4

Timeform ranks Goldikova at 132, a single pound ahead of Classic victress Zenyatta at 131 and two pounds ahead of Turf winner Conduit at 130.

Racing Post rates Zenyatta at 128, one pound behind Rachel Alexandra at 129, on their list of top dirt/all-weather performers. "With two such amazing distaffers adding to the outstanding exploits of Sea The Stars and Goldikova in Europe, this has been a season the like of which will be hard to replicate."