Everybody loves an underdog, but I find no shame in rooting for a distinguished champion, either.  I was one of the millions caught up in the saga of Zenyatta and her valiant attempt at making horseracing history in her final race at Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

It’s too bad so many writers and commentators chose to use the word “lose” in recapping the race (ESPN.com – “Zenyatta loses by a head….”), because only technically was Zenyatta a loser.  When you can overcome an early 15-length deficit, overtake 11 other horses and fall short in the end only by the length of a football, you’re not a loser in my book.   At the same time, when you compete with strength, class, character and dignity yet still come up second, you’re absolutely not a loser.

I realize that the essence of competition is to produce a single, clear-cut winner, but I’ve never been able to accept the notion that the results of competition are always going to be one winner and a remaining field of “losers.”   Zenyatta’s magnificent effort yesterday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic is exactly what I mean.

Beth Harris, who covered the race for AP, came up with the best post-race analysis I’ve seen, using a form of the word “lose” only once.  “[Jockey Mike] Smith blamed himself for the loss,” she wrote.  Even then, I probably would have found another word to ue, because finishing second in a field of 12 will never be my idea of  “losing.”