Gov. Schwarzenegger is booed at Hollywood Park

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went to Hollywood Park today to honor Zenyatta, the unbeaten mare. 

But he wasn't warmly greeted during an appearance in the winner's circle. Instead, he received loud -- and sustained -- boos before giving an award to owners Jerry and Ann Moss.

Schwarzenegger appointed Jerry Moss -- the "M" of A&M Records, the company he co-founded with Herb Alpert -- to the California Horse Racing Board in 2004. (Bo Derek, another appointee to the board, was also on hand to greet the governor.)

A call to the governor's office asking for comment was not immediately returned.

Zenyatta, who's 14 for 14 in her career, was paraded on the track after the seventh race and brought into the winner's circle.

"She made impossible possible," Ann Moss said of Zenyatta, who's headed for Kentucky and broodmare duties.

-- Eric Sondheimer

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Comments

[Sergio]

So...they're not even going to bother with the Dubai World Cup? This horse is all hype, take on a real challenge at Dubai!

[Karen]

The people who booed Gov. Schwarzenegger should be ashamed. The ceremony was supposed to be about the horse and what she and her team have accomplished. TVG and Hollywood Park did a great job giving this tribute to a horse that we won't see the likes of for a long time. The owners and trainer deserve credit for being patient with her and giving her the time to finish growing before racing her. It was good to see her groom and hot walker also getting much deserved credit. But to the people who marred the ceremony by booing - there is a time and place for that and it's in the voting booth, not at the race track.

[MdW]

GREAT!!!!!!!!

[savvydude]

The citizens just want somebody they can trust and believe in. Arnold started out okay, but when his special election proposals were rejected in 2005 (mostly due to employee labor union ads) he just packed it in and became a buddy of the legislature's left-wing cabal. Now all you hear from him is 'bi-partisan', 'crossing the aisle' and other assorted blather.

The left will never support him, the right no longer believes him and the middle are scared to death of what he will, or won't, do next.

[RockBottom]

I was present at the ceremony for Zenyatta during which the Governor made his presentation to the horses owner. Schwarzenegger's appearance was not made public, so when he arrived the crowd was taken by surprise. As he approached the mic to make his brief statement, the crowd of devoted horse players began to boo the Governor. I feel he was booed for several reasons. Firstly, California is in a economic crisis because of Sacramento's failure to control spending and Arnold is perceived to be responsible. Secondly, The horse racing industry is suffering serious declines in attendance and wagering handle because of competition from Indian Casinos. When the racing industry attempted to add alternative gaming to racetracks to increase public interest and higher purses for horsemen, Governor Schwarzenegger himself recorded the radio spots against the racing industry. He sold out the racing industry patrons and hard-working legal employees in favor of the Indian Casinos and for that he received a loud round of boos from the crowd.

I'm sure that is not first or last time that has happened.

[bob camp]

The Gov appoints friends, and owners to the the horse racing board, but the same as all governors, never the people who make it all possible and need to have a voice in the rules making ; horse racing fans ; the bettors. His friends solve all problems by increasing the takeout to a criminal level ; talk about usury........
and he goes along with the other crime against the innocent ; more slot machines.

All so called "luck" games should be outlawed, including lotteries, and only skill gaming allowed.

[Mary]

I was at the track too and no one was talking about "alternative gambling" strategies when they booed the Governator. "Why don't YOU take a Furlough Day" was a comment directed at Schwartzenegger that I heard from a man who had personally experienced that budget planning strategy. The crowd made it very clear that they LOVE Zenyatta, the Mosses, the Shirreffs, and all of Z's racing connections. While many Zenyatta pink and green signs were handed out that day, you saw few on TV because most people had already protectively placed them in their cars so they could take them home and enjoy these keepsakes for a long time. Perhaps the Mosses are good friends with the Governor and that is why he came, but the crowd perceived Arnold's appearance as an attempt to catch a ride on Zenyatta's coattails, so he was informed his photo op was not cool. Is our memory so short that we have forgotten that he got into office by impeaching the prior Governor for a perceived inability to handle the state's budget? From the pot into the fire.

[Rick]

It is good he got booed, to bad. Did he step in any horse crap.

[Brad]

All Republicans and Democrats should be boo'd - everything that is wrong with this state is the fault of Democrats and Republicans.

[Duude]

"ZENYATTA" the race horse for governor!!!

Race horse: +1

Arny: -1

[doggril]

Karen shouldn't blame the crowd for reacting to Arnold's (and those who invited him) choice to turn the celebration into a political event. Don't want a celebration to turn political? Then don't invite a politician to play a prominent role. And if you do invite a politician, don't expect the crowd to not repond.

[Jim H]

These are (the "M" in A&M records) among the small coterie of people who thought it was a good idea to elect this fraud governor of California. It paid off, for them -- no new taxes on the wealthy! Yippee! More money to spend on fast horses!

[Swami]

Hopefully, he slipped on somebody's discarded hot dog and broke his Nazi goose-stepping stride! :D

[Henry]

The ones who should be booing are at home with nothing to eat,Not at the track.Must be nice. But the worst is yet to come.

[Dan]

Schwarzenegger should be booed anywhere and everywhere he goes. His opposition to tax increases and his bone-deep cuts to services statewide are destroying our state and worst of all are singling out children, the elderly, the impoverished, and other vulnerable people to suffer the worst harm. He and the Republican minority are holding our state hostage to their antigovernment zealotry.

[ricardo]

hip hip horrayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[Mickey-Horse Player]

Govener Schwarzenegger works for free for California. None of the horse people do. Bo Derek on the horse race board? Maybe it was her they were boing. Zenyatta is probably the best mare ever in the history of racing. She broke Personal Ensign's unbeaten record and turned around and beat all the best male horses in the world. A very tough field! This horse knows she is the best in the world. The govener of Calif. picked the dirtiest mess in the country. California is not living within the income of the state so it is going to pay the piper like the rest of us do.