Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta
In perhaps the most hotly debated Horse of the Year vote in history, Rachel Alexandra did what no horse has been able to do on the race track; defeat Zenyatta – the undefeated mare and Breeders’ Cup Classic champion.
Rachel Alexandra became the first filly since the roaring ’20′s to win the Preakness, became the 2nd filly in history to win the Haskell, and then became the first 3-year-old filly to defeat Grade 1 males going over a mile of ground on the dirt since the late Jurassic period.
Amazingly, what would typically be a signature moment for any 3-year-old filly, a dominant 20+ length victory in the Kentucky Oaks, ranks as just one of many highlight moments in Rachel Alexandra’s 2009 campaign. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro went a perfect 8 for 8 on the year, including wins at Pimlico, Monmouth Park, Belmont Park, and Saratoga.
Take nothing away from Zenyatta, however. In an Eclipse Award ceremony highlighted by talk from Tom Durkin of dominatrixes, the most dominating lady perhaps to ever step foot on the track need not feel slighted. With the news this week that she will return for a 2010 campaign, we can look with renewed interest towards an eventual showdown between the two uber fillies.
In the words of good friend and regular reader/commentor Tencentcielo “…we all won.”
Indeed – and now the upcoming races for 2010 come squarely into focus.
Hats off to both ladies for their amazing performances in 2009. It’s been an honor to witness them on the race track.
Come on Big Man-in the end it is all about winning-just lIke Bama Did. Rachel won all year long-against the girls, 3 times against the boys and she had the BEST year.
Zenyatta is great too, but sports is about winning-screw that co-horse of the year BS-I want a winner and this year-my pick-RA takes it.
Now lets settle it on the track–big man!
She won by a larger margin than I expected and was the unanimous choice for 3 year old filly. I couldn’t believe someone actually voted 1 single vote against Zenyatta in the Older filly/mare division!
Now we can look ahead to what this year holds in store…bring it on! (:
Horse of the Year was stolen!! The only way to set things right is for Zenyatta to punk Rachel Alexandra on the racetrack. What a disgrace.
Rachel Alexandra won the 2009 Horse of the Year!!! I am happy, but sad that Zenyatta lost. Both are fantastic fillies and we have been blessed to witness their triumphs. Either could have been chosen!
May they remain healthy in 2010! God bless both Rachel Alexandra the Great and the Mighty Zenyatta!
Please tell me why these two need to go head to head. They are different in style. They made racing fun last year on both coasts. I think it is a stupid idea.
The ‘APPLE BLOSSOM’ is where ZENYATTA and RACHEL ALEXANDRA will hopefully settle who is the actual queen of racing!!! April 3 at Oaklawn and it will be on the dirt! NO EXCUSES – NO SYNTHETICS – JUST TWO HORSES – HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE OTHER ENTRIES SO THAT THIS DOES NOT TURN INTO A ‘MATCH RACE’ — BUT THE RACING WORLD WILL HOPEFULLY BE WATCHUNG FOR APRIL3!!! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN OF RACING!!!
I thought the votes would be closer. I don’t know any horse that would have come from as far back as she did in the Classic and pass a field of G1 horses with ease. It is still one of the most impressive races I have seen.
what a year!! and what a great year to come! i agree that the apple blossom may have the two greatest females racehorses alive as entries . i do not believe it will be a match race..that would be foolish..there will be other entries..maybe not a big field but there is still money and prestige to be had for others willing to put it on the line.
Be careful what you ask for.
If it’s not a match race, there’s no guarantee these horses will finish one-two and fi they don’t, THEN what?
Or they BOTH could get beat, and THEN what?
To have both horses knocked out of the box in the same race would be a hard pill to swollow for fans everywhere.
match races are dangerous.i don’t think anyone in their right mind would endanger their prized racehorse in that fashion.
if one loses then they lose! if they both lose so be it..are they to have a match race to make the fans happy?
personally i would like to see them both race ,with other horses,a couple of times..any given sunday..some will win and others will not win..this is why we call it horse racing.
If making the fans happy is not a consideration, then why do they have to race each other at all?
Why can’t each horse follow the course that is best for her especially since it would be very difficult to come up with a neutral track ?
It’s easy to say, when one loses, “oh, that’s horse racing”, but the reality is that any race between these two is expected to determine once and for all which is the superior animal and it’s unlikely that the fans and the owners are going to accept any outcome that does not answer that question.
they are both great and yes they do race for the fans,money and prestige.match racing is a really bad idea.if as i said they race not once but a couple of times it will be good for everybody.
why do you feel that it will be settled in a match race? remember ruffian? bad idea.
there is no respect in losing only in not trying..i believe we will see them both race in fair fields more than one time.how is that bad for racing?
I maintain that if they do face one another on the track, that the outcome I’m most interested in seeing is a dead heat. It would take a miracle for that to happen, but don’t ya just get the feeling something like that would happen?
Or, as others have pointed out, what usually happens when we focus on 2 runners in a “field” (I bracket that with quotes as it might be impossible to assemble anything like a full field to face them until the Breeders’ Cup) – some other horse jumps up and wins the thing, folks having forgotten to tell him/her that he/she wasn’t supposed to have a chance.
yes kevin i too would love to see a dead heat..how cool would that be..hey there is still money for other brave horses to finish behind the two greats. anything can happen..that is what makes it fun no? if we knew ahead of time what fun would it be?
Absolutely, belles!
And think – we’ve got the Lecomte and the Holy Bull coming up….plus Friesan Fire and General Quarters this Saturday down in Louisiana. Can’t wait – I’ve got that itch and am ready to get this season rolling!
i know..my old buddy ff..i really liked the general too.i am at a loss for derby picks..no larry jones..liking laus deo..may be giving up on the grey’s..ubs’s. winslow could be good but i really liked the son of medalio’dora. excuse the spelling
bellesforever said
“why do you feel that it will be settled in a match race? remember ruffian? bad idea.
there is no respect in losing only in not trying..i believe we will see them both race in fair fields more than one time.how is that bad for racing?”
I’m no fan of match races, but there will a lot of disappointed people if one of them gets blown out in a crowded field.
As far as multiple races go, that’s the best, but what are the chances that will actually happen?
Unless there’s big money involved, I can’t see either of these fellas serving up a re-match after his horse “proved” to be the best, and if Zenyatta bombs on dirt, I’m not so sure Moss would want one anyway.
I am saying this now, Tend beats both GQ and the “Fire”.
I like Tend over General Quarters and Friesan Fire as well, tencent. I figure they will each be sympathetic favorites on the board and Tend will be the logical play based on odds.
CONGRATULATIONS to my baby, RACHEL ALEXANDRA, and ALL who stood by her — Jackson, Hal Wiggins, Calvin Borel, Scott Blasi, Asmussen, Dominic terry, et al. She DESERVES TO WIN THE HORSE OF THE YEAR 2009 Award. Now she is UP THERE among the Greatest of the Great– Busher, Twilight Tear, Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Forego, Skip Away, etc. She even has HER VERY OWN RIVAL — Zenyatta. Afterall, all the Greats have one: Affirmed has Alydar, SeaBiscuit has War Admiral, etc.
I just wish JERRY MOSS, that old PRICK, acknowledge RACHEL WON THE HOY 2009 and STOP making back-stabbing comments that Rachel “won by proxy” and that Zenyatta is perfect and “never lost to anyone.” HOW RUDE!! He should LEARN SOME MANNERS, and just SHUT UP if hes got NOTHING GOOD TO SAY.. and what he said were INSULTING both to RACHEL ALEXANDRA and her Supporters… He knows RACHEL won FAIR AND SQUARE, so whats with the SOURPUSS ATTITUDE ?? He even needs to THANK lots of people, coz his OVER-RATED MARE, ZENYATTA got nominated for the HOY. If this were an ordinary season, Zenyatta WON’T EVEN BE MENTIONED (much less voted) for HOY. With the kind of LESS-THAN-STELLAR performances of Zenyatta in 2009, she’s lucky SUMMERBIRD turned up lame in the Japan Cup, or else its NOT JERRY MOSS but TIM ICE who would be there at the Eclipse Dinner. Rachel is Rachel, and she is NUMERO UNO. Zen or SummerBird are just the ALTERNATES.
Honestly, MOSS got nobody to blame except himself for missing the HOY two years in a row. Too late for REGRETS now, Jerry. JUST DO IT. Run after Rachel and WIN. IF YOU CAN DO SUCH A THING, THAT IS….
I think if Rachel and Zenyatta meet it should be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at CD this year in 2010. That way they’re going up against the best of the best, on a dirt track, and the distance of a mile and a quarter. That won’t only prove if Rachel or Zenyatta is better…. but who really is the BEST.
Brenna said:
“I think if Rachel and Zenyatta meet it should be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at CD this year in 2010. That way they’re going up against the best of the best, on a dirt track, and the distance of a mile and a quarter. That won’t only prove if Rachel or Zenyatta is better…. but who really is the BEST.”
By that logic, if another long shot horse beats both of them, is that horse “the best”?
One race will not prove anything, especially if Zenyatta can’t cut it on a dirt track or Rachel can’t do a mile and a quarter.
The only way to determine who is “best” is a series of races on various
surfaces at various distances…
@tvnewsbadge – I put forth a similar comment over on TVG last night – referencing the idea that they may have to face multiple times to “settle” the issue – and it’s possible they could split decisions – leaving us right back where we are now.
Pasturelands, you are definitely the rude one. Rachel Alexandra won by proxy. By the way, didn’t Rachel, almost get beat by Mine that Bird? One more jump and she’s 2nd place to a one-trick-pony! A horse that will never win another graded race as long as he lives. Rachel beat a low level class of 3YO’s and a bunch of mediocre older males in 2009. It all looked good on paper, but the quality just wasn’t there this year until the Breeders Cup. Zenyatta beat the best horses in the world on the biggest stage. That is a fact. Do you actually think Rachel could beat Gio Ponti? One of the greatest Turf Horses in North America this last decade, who was peaking into the Breeders Cup on Synthetics! Anyone who knows horseracing knew this. Gio Ponti was the biggest overlay in quite some time! But the Big Gal beat him…. Now the connections for Rachel are starting to make excuses to not run against Zenyatta, saying Rachel isn’t going to be ready for quite some time. Their simply afraid to race against her, just like they were back in November at the Breeders Cup Classic. In a neutral course at the “Classic” distance Rachel is going to get mowed down like every horse Zenyatta has finished off in her life. Rachel wouldn’t even finish second in such a race, because she will be too spent trying to hold off the big girl. Now, about the Moss’s. They didn’t buy a horse after he or she was proven like what Jackson did with the Curlin, and the filly Rachel. The Moss’s purchased Zenyatta as a yearling and nurtured her to her greatness. They didn’t buy an undefeated champion, they developed one and you should show them more respect instead of trash-talking these people who have put so much into horse racing. That is why this year Eclipse Award HOY was a farce. A total act of miss-justice that will only be corrected when they both meet and “Rachel the Pretender” gets beaten by the truest and most deserving HOY Champion, the great Zenyatta. Never will there ever be a horse like Zenyatta. Her soft demeanor, her showmanship in the paddock along with her tenacity down the stretch.
BMC Racing sez
“By the way, didn’t Rachel, almost get beat by Mine that Bird? One more jump and she’s 2nd place to a one-trick-pony! A horse that will never win another graded race as long as he lives.”
Also the only horse to take on the Triple Crown series and finish in the money in all three races, and as you noted, the only horse to take it to Rachel.
Any other horse would be celebrated for that, but Mine That Bird’s problem was that neither he nor his connections could overcome the class snobbery that prevails in so much of the horse racing community and equine media that dictates only rich “blue bloods” and their horses are worthy of respect.
Whenever I hear someone trash MTB, I’m always reminded of a play on that great line in the James Bond movie “Goldfinger” where Bond tells Goldfinger (regarding the villains star racehorse) “Well, he’s certainly better bred than his detractors”.
well i thought that the bickering would be over after hoy was decided..guess i thought wrong! i do not think rachel will be racing anytime soon.i do think we will see the two greatest stars in racing race this year..oh be still my heart! i think it will be great for racing and i hope we can all sit back and watch realizing what an honor it is to be a racing fan right now!
i know i do not want to see either of the ladies lose but that is horse racing.. how does that diminish the loser?
please can we all stop taking potshots at the queens of racing?? there is no honor in that..no one can argue that one or the other woulda coulda mighthave in races that didn’t happen..what we can do is root and cheer for them both..did i hear anyone mention that there are some big prep races for a little race called the kentucky derby?