Rachel V Zenyatta could happen !

Zenyatta stablemate beats Rachel Alexandra


Report: USA, Saturday (5.15pm)

Fair Grounds: New Orleans Ladies Stakes 1m1½2f, dirt, 4yo+ fillies and mares

RACHEL ALEXANDRA was sensationally beaten at odds of 1-20 on her seasonal debut on Saturday - by a mare named Zardana (David Flores) representing none other than Zenyatta's trainer John Shirreffs.

Trainer Steve Asmussen had warned that the US horse of the year might need the run after a wet winter at the historic Fair Grounds in New Orleans and his worries seemed justified as she was outrun in the stretch by 9½-1 chance Zardana, who had the benefit of a recent outing.

"She needed the race, that's all," said Rachel Alexandra's jockey Calvin Borel. "My little filly tried hard. She needed the race more than anything."

Rachel Alexandra, sent off at a dividend of only five cents on the dollar in the win pool, broke well and sat a couple of paths wide just off the pace, a length behind outsider Fighter Wing.

She cruised up to take the lead on the far turn but David Flores immediately asked Grade 2 winner Zardana to close up from third and she may just have got her nose in front soon after entering the stretch.

Rachel Alexandra fought back on the inner and the pair duelled until Zardana asserted to score by three-quarters of a length. The pair drew 11½ lengths clear of third horse, Unforgotten.

Borel added: "You know how I know she's a real racehorse? She was beat when that other horse went by her but she didn't quit.

"She dug in and fought right back and stayed with the winner the rest of the way. That's the kind of racehorse she is. She tried her heart out."

Rachel Alexandra's defeat throws into jeopardy the $5 million showdown with Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn on April 9.

Asmussen said: "Well, if I thought she'd get beat I wouldn't have run her today," he said. "So I'm definitely going to be cautious. We just want to do what's right by the mare.

"She was strong early and she got tired," added the trainer. "Very disappointing that she lost - you hate to be in that position, but now it's over you know it's not something we got away with.

"It was a lack in fitness and it's our job to have her there and I didn't do it. Howtired she is off that will be established in the coming days. She's not where I thought she was and if I had thought she would get beat she wouldn't have run."

While this was perhaps not the result a 10,000-plus crowd had come to see, Zardana's jockey David Flores wasn't about to apologise for beating the champion.

"We had a picture-perfect trip," he said. "The strategy was simply to get her to relax and John [Shirreffs] said she would get the job done.

"I got after her pretty hard coming home but she is a real warrior."

I'm not sure theres a horse on this planet that can go with Zenyatta...

Farking incredible is all I can say!

Not the best Quality Race replay

the match race is off as Rachel and her connections will be bypassing the apple Blossom............

i'm incredibly disappointed. Even though I understand why they don't want to force Rachels comeback, I do think that somewhere deep inside they know they cannot beat Zenyatta. Remember that this is a forum and it is made up of people with their OWN opinions. Zenyatta is in a completely different class to anything else on this planet on dirt and pro-ride!

Lets hope we get to see these two greats take each other on.....I will be with Zenyatta anywhere, anytime!!!

Zenyatta - still a force
to be reckoned with

WORLD CLASS: an analysis of the best performances of last week according to Racing Post Ratings

TOP OF THE CLASS: Zenyatta 124 John Shirreffs (US) (Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, Santa Anita, 1m1f, 13 Mar)

ZENYATTA and Rachel Alexandra, the best horses in America last year, made their much-awaited reappearances on Saturday, but while one showed she is still a force to be reckoned with, the other left a nagging doubt over her retained ability.

It was not an entirely unforeseen set of events. Two consecutive headlines on the Daily Racing Form website last week read: 'Zenyatta may be better than last season' and 'Rachel may need this one', but their performances on the day were worlds apart.

With the anticipated match-up in the Apple Blossom Invitational little more than three weeks away, there can be no doubt which of these superstars should be favourite for the $5 million clash at Oaklawn Park - if, indeed, it goes ahead at all.

Make no mistake, Rachel Alexandra's defeat was a major upset. Even though her preparations had not gone quite as expected, she faced just one real stakes-performer in a field of five and that one was a massive 19lb inferior on adjusted RPRs.

It was that one, Zenyatta's stablemate Zardana, who prevailed, leaving last year's leading dirt/AW horse three-quarters-of-a-length away in second with a 12-month-low RPR of 110.

Although the feeling of disappointment was tangible, connections of the favourite dismissed this result. Trainer Steve Asmussen put her poor showing down to "a lack of fitness" and jockey Calvin Borel said: "she needed the race, that's all."

They could well be right, as she had certainly not been working like her old self in the build-up to the race, while it is also likely that John Shirreffs would have had Zardana at fever-pitch in an attempt to soften-up the horse of the year before her date with Zenyatta.

But is that a complete explanation for her defeat, or could it be that Rachel Alexandra is simply not as good as she was?

It is not like she had it easy taking on the colts three times last season and she was given a rare old roasting by Borel to hold off the late challenge of Macho Again in the Woodward Stakes on her final start. Her owner Jess Jackson later admitted that he sensed she had been a little tired that day, even before the race, which was her eighth in the space of seven months.

On Saturday, she was entitled to be a touch ring rusty. It was her first run in six months and connections had warned she may need the run, but her lacklustre performance hints that there could be more to it than just needing the race. It may be that the series of spectacular exertions which saw her deservedly land the Eclipse Award in 2009 have taken their toll.

Let's hope that is not the case. Let's hope that this was just a blip and that she will be as good as ever when she is fully wound-up.
Let's hope she is still capable of beating next-time-out Grade 1 winners by 30 lengths, like she did in the Mother Goose, or of beating the best colts of her generation by six, as she did in the Haskell.

Let's hope she will come on a bundle for Saturday's run and return fit as a fiddle for the match-up everyone in racing has been looking forward toand let's hope she can make a race of it with Zenyatta. There's always hope.

But if there is any part of the great filly's game that was left on the track during her outstanding 2009 campaign, it will be hard for her to bounce back against the scintillating six-year-old who simply dazzled at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Zenyatta is an enigma, and a bookies nightmare. Bookmakers earn a living from horses not running to form; from trading on the intricate web of variables which allow the even the best horses to lose, but Zenyatta is not privvy to those laws. There seems to be no variable which can get her beat.

A perfect 15 from 15 record is a rare thing in this game. Wikipedia lists just five horses with a better undefeated record and one of those is Eclipse, who clocked-up 18 back in the 18th century. The modern day era has seen nothing of the sort.
It seems that the Eclipse Award that connections have felt robbed of for the past two years could now be well within her grasp - hell, four more wins and they might have to change the name of the award.

Her latest success in the Santa Margarita Invitational was much akin to all of her others. She executed her trademark stretch-run to record a nonchalant victory under a big weight with her ever-confident rider Mike Smith looking as if he had just spotted Medusa in the crowd.

Despite meeting trouble in the straight, she cruised through to the front in good time and Smith could afford to ease her down near the line for a length-and-a-quarter score over Dance To My Tune (103). The form looks pretty solid in behind and, with ease factored in, Zenyatta is good value for an RPR of 124+.

She now heads to the Apple Blossom and, Rachel Alexandra or no Rachel Alexandra, the Californian will be the one to beat.

In the three-year-old division, Lookin At Lucky made a successful return to action when taking the Rebel Stakes by a head from old adversary Noble's Promise.

Although an RPR of 118+ doesn't rank as his best performance, it was a pleasing dirt debut from the son of Smart Strike, who showed real courage to knuckle down for the win after clipping heelswith the runner-up and stumbling in the back stretch.

He is likely to build on this and should take the beating wherever he goes next. Bob Baffert has his eye on either the Wood Memorial or the Arkansas Derby as a final prep before the Kentucky Derby.

TOP DIRT/AW PERFORMERS 1. Quality Road (US)
Donn H'cap
128
2. Zenyatta (US)
Santa Margarita Invitational 124
3 Espoir City (JAP) February Stakes 123
4. Misremembered (US) Santa Anita H'cap 121

Neko Bay (US) Santa Anita H'cap 121
6.
Bob Black Jack (US) San Carlos H'cap 120
7.
Star Guitar (US) Premier Night Championship S 119

War Artist (GB) Al Shindagha Sprint
119
9. Eskendereya (US)
Fountain Of Youth
118
Lookin At Lucky (US Rebel Stakes 118
Midshipman (UAE) Meydan Conditions Race 118


TOP TURF PERFORMERS 1. Collection (HK)
Hong Kong Gold Cup 122
Presious Passion (US) Mac Diarmida S
122

Presvis (GB)
Jebel Hatta 122
Sacred Kingdom (HK)
Centenary Sprint Cup
122
5. Typhoon Tracy (AUS)
Orr/Futurity 121
6. Dream Journey (JAP) Kyoto Kinen 120

Egyptian Ra (HK) G3 Challenge Cup Hcp
120
Heart Of Dreams (AUS) Orr Stakes 120
La Rocket (AUS) St George S 120

Sirmione (AUS) Orr Stakes 120
Turffontein (AUS
WilliamReid/Newmarket H 120
Ultra Fantasy (HK) Centenary Sprint Cup 120

A big pity, in saying that if there are doubts at Rachel's well being, which there must be then its probably best if they meet another time.

Its still very early in the season so hopefully their paths will cross at some point.

I would have have been tempted to send Zenyatta to Dubai for the £10m big race, which looks devoid of any real class and would have been an absolute doddle. I'm sure Barry is happy Gitano doesn't have to contend with the monstrous Zenyatta!

Not bad for showing up?

Oaklawn purse now down to $500,000

USA: Zenyatta will be chasing $500,000 rather than $5m when the superstar mare bids to extend her remarkable unbeaten record to 16 at Oaklawn Park on April 9.

The absence of Rachel Alexandra, ruled out after being beaten at 1-20 on her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds on Saturday, means the prize fund for the Apple Blossom Invitational over 1m1f will revert to just half a million.

Oaklawn issued a statement on Monday, saying: "Naturally, we are disappointed that Rachel Alexandra will not be here for the Apple Blossom Invitational.

"We look forward to welcoming Zenyatta back to Arkansas as she attempts to equal Cigar's modern-day record of 16 consecutive unrestricted victories."

The 16 consecutive-win mark is noteworthy is US racing as the milestone reached by both Cigar and Triple Crown winner Citation.

However, it is not a record in any real sense of the word, as even the modern-day US mark is the 19 wins achieved by lowly New Mexico mare Peppers Pride, who won her last race in December 2008.

Peppers Pride won just over $1m in prize-money and never contested a single graded stakes.

Zenyatta has already won more than $5.6m, and has nine Grade 1 victories to her credit.

Looking at Rachel Alexandra's defection, Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss said: "We're disappointed that we're not going to be able to face each other in the Apple Blossom but hopefully we'll meet somewhere down the line.

"They're going to do what's right for their horse," he added. "That's all anybody could ask for. We'll go on to the Apple Blossom as planned."

Among 45 fillies and mares nominated to the Apple Blossom are Zenyatta's stablemate Zardana - who floored Rachel Alexandra in New Orleans - Venezuelan star Bambera and Careless Jewel, who started favourite for last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic after a string of wide-margin wins.

Rachel nearing race
return after workout


USA: Rachel Alexandra, the reigning Horse of the Year but only runner-up on her two starts todate this season, gave every indication she is nearing a third start when she worked six furlongs at Churchill Downs Monday morning in a crisp 1min 11.20sec.

The exercise marked the fourth consective Monday she has worked for trainer Steve Asmussen.

No race has been identified as her next stop by her connections, but speculation holds it that she will reappear at Churchill Downs on June 12 in either the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap against males or in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap for fillies and mares.

Rachel Alexandra has been ridden in her recent works by Shaun Bridgmohan, who rides many of the Asmussen-trained horses but there has been no speculation that Bridgmohan might replace Calvin Borel aboard the four-year-old.

In fact, Asmusen said immediately after the second of Rachel Alexandra's losses this season, to the Bill Mott-trained Unrivaled Belle in the La Troienne Stakes on April 30, that Borel had ridden the filly perfectly.

Rachel Alexandra finished second to Zardana, trained by Zenyatta's trainer John Shirreffs, on her seaonal debut, in the New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds on March 13.

The race was to have served as a prep for a meeting with unbeaten Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on April 9, a race valued at $5 million had both horses run.

But the much-anticipated meeting did not take place, and Zenyatta easily won the Apple Blossom for a second time.

Only 4 opponents for tonights race card

Back to winning ways?