Comments on: The Rachel Alexandra Rant; no Rachel in the Belmont http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/ THE ODYSSEY OF A HORSE RACING ENTHUSIAST AND AMATEUR HANDICAPPER Fri, 18 May 2012 13:40:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward; Win one for the vintner! « THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/#comment-5775 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:17:47 +0000 http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/?p=1349#comment-5775 [...] already proven the naysayers wrong by shattering popular opinion and defeating fields full of stakes winning 3-year-old colts.  A win against the older boys in the [...]

]]> By: In support of Jess Jackson’s decision to skip the Breeders’ Cup Classic « THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/#comment-5323 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:27:09 +0000 http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/?p=1349#comment-5323 [...] Now we’re left with a perplexing situation.  Just weeks ago, folks were declaring their “concern” that Jackson would have the audacity to run Rachel Alexandra in either the Preakness or the Belmont.   “My god….has he lost his mind??? Doesn’t he realize she’s just a filly?” [...]

]]> By: The fairy tale continues; Rachel Alexandra heads to the Mother Goose « THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/#comment-5277 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:31:21 +0000 http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/?p=1349#comment-5277 [...] majority of folks realize this, and that this probably fueled the disappointment many expressed when owner Jess Jackson decided to skip the Belmont and instead rest Rachel for her summer/fall campaign ahead.  I found this quite vexing, as I [...]

]]> By: Belmont 141 Picks « THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/#comment-5199 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:59:54 +0000 http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/?p=1349#comment-5199 [...] The Rachel Alexandra Rant; no Rachel in the Belmont [...]

]]> By: Don Swanson http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/2009/05/29/the-rachel-alexandra-rant-no-rachel-in-the-belmont/#comment-4937 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:22:47 +0000 http://theaspiringhorseplayer.com/?p=1349#comment-4937 “WE (the racing fans) were the ones Jackson did that for, and we did ask. I’m thankful he chose that route, just as I’m thankful that he will rather take a challenge than assemble some statistical stardom nobody but a few dozen breeders gives a crap about”

From a purely handicapping perspective I was rather glad that Curlin ran the BCC because he didn’t figure on poly after a so-so performance on turf and the alternatives Raven and Henry were easy enough to get. In the Arl Million, Spirit One got a surface just fast enough for him to win. Worked out well for me.

Rachel Alexandra was simply the fastest horse in the Preakness and solid value at 9-5. She was going to decline the figure off a faster pace as most horses do (it’s called the class factor) but the advantage was large enough to overcome whatever pace she had to run. That doesn’t figure to be the case in the Belmont. They won’t run because she doesn’t have the same advantage in the Belmont and the Preakness was clearly an all out effort.

I take a handicappers guess that given the race record and pedigree, most of the high end breeders will wait to see before dropping USD 75K on Curlins “legacy”.

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