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.
Rachel Alexandra - Photo by Jim McCue of the Maryland Jockey Club
I’ve posted this on Twitter, placed it in recent articles, and feel very strongly about the matter. Following Rachel Alexandra’s victory against older males in the Woodward on Saturday at Saratoga, the race for Horse of the Year would appear to be over. I realize that might be a bold statement considering there are several huge races left to be run this year. I can’t see how anyone else’s campaign could possibly top what we’ve seen unfold before our eyes. The filly who was once rejected by her mother (Lotta Kim) has reached the top of the mountain as the finest horse in racing in all of North America.
This isn’t just a Horse of the Year campaign, it’s a campaign for all times. Arguably the start to a Hall of Fame career. Every time she runs, decades worth of history come crashing down like so many dominoes. She lays waste to the competition, conquers every track she encounters, and can lay claim to achieving truly unprecedented results.
“…any talk of another horse being worthy of Horse of the Year honors is patently absurd.”
Interestingly, I actually believe that if the Zenyatta camp had travelled east to face Rachel in the Woodward, they would’ve had a very big shot to prevail. Especially considering how the pace setup ultimately played out. The closers (Bullsbay and Macho Again) were rolling late with every chance to catch Rachel. You’d have to think Zenyatta would’ve been coming gamely in the stretch. We must also factor in that Zenyatta would’ve been returning to dirt in a relatively fresh condition.
I just don’t see what Zenyatta can do now to surpass what Rachel has done this year? There would’ve been an opportunity to keep pace by moving up the class ladder and taking on older males in the Pacific Classic, but that didn’t happen. We KNOW that Rachel is the dominant horse of the U.S. east of the Mississippi. Zenyatta? Well, the picture’s a little cloudy for her. She’s a champion and undefeated mare who deserves a great deal of respect, that much is certain.
Don’t you have to feel though that the older male division in California has been somewhat ripe for the taking? I thought Zenyatta would’ve made a lot of sense as a logical contender in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Sadly, we’ve never had the chance to find out. Hopefully that changes in the future, but even so it might be a case of too little too late.
Even if Zenyatta manages to win the Classic, and let’s assume for a moment that she does win in electrifying fashion against top flight competition, would that be enough to leapfrog everything Rachel has accomplished already? Not in my mind. Of course, this doesn’t even factor in that Zenyatta might run into a horse like Sea the Stars in the Classic. As much respect as I have for her, the 2009 campaign so far does not stack up favorably against the accomplishments of Rachel.
Too strong an opinion? Perhaps, but let’s review that list of accomplishments for Rachel:
Runners who have flattered Rachel with NEXT OUT Stakes wins: -Just Jenda ( G3 Monmouth Oaks)
-Sarah Louise (G3 Victory Ride)
-Gabby’s Golden Gal (G1 Acorn)
-Take the Points (G2 Secretariat)
-Flashing (G1 Test)
-Summer Bird (G1 Travers)
-Joins elite company becoming one of the few 3-year-old fillies in history to defeat Grade 1 older males over a mile or more.
-Faced males in 3 of those 5 Grade 1 races, won ‘em all.
-Perfect 8 for 8 record in 2009, all stakes races.
-Has defeated the winners of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Whitney Handicap, Stephen Foster – all while winning the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell, and Woodward for herself…and that’s just the last 5 races going back to May.
(read that point above one more time)
-For any other horse (colt or filly) defeating the Kentucky Derby winner would’ve been the centerpiece of their 3-year-old campaign. For Rachel it’s just one of many such moments, and arguably not the biggest or the most memorable. Think about that. That’s really saying something. Just to help you remember how special that moment and the buildup to that historic ride was, take a little walk down memory lane once again:
-Has won Grade 1 races this year at 5 different tracks: Churchill Downs (KY Oaks), Pimlico (Preakness), Belmont Park (Mother Goose), Monmouth Park (Haskell), and Saratoga (Woodward).
-There were 3 more stakes victories starting the campaign in early 2009. Take note of this as it’s the first point in the discussion that Zenyatta’s ’09 campaign draws even by comparison. It’s the basement of Rachel’s accomplishments but currently the ceiling of those Zenyatta has earned thus far in 2009. I think that last sentence bears some reflection.
The thought that all of the above happened in the 3-year-old campaign of a single filly is so unbelievably spectacular that I’m not sure even Horse of the Year renders it full justice. Remember that after all this, she’s still not even a mare yet! It boggles the mind to think of how she might develop if given proper rest to prepare for a 4-year-old campaign.
“…any talk of another horse being worthy of Horse of the Year honors is patently absurd.”
Well, maybe that is a little harsh, but it’s hard to argue with the list of accolades listed above.
Any argument favoring someone else for Horse of the Year is bound to contain speculation about what might happen in the future, or is based on memories from the previous year. In contrast, Rachel’s case is built on events that have actually happened this year. There’s no might or if about them. She’s earned it all on the track.
Rachel Alexandra defeated a field of 7 older males to take the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga on Saturday afternoon, virtually locking up Horse of the Year honors with yet another history defying stretch run. It may not have been by double digit lengths this time, as had been her trademark against fellow 3-year-old boys and girls, but at the end of the day it may have been her most impressive performance yet.
As anticipated, the pace setup for the race was extremely challenging for the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro. She found herself on the lead being forced to set punishing fractions of :22 and :46 through the opening splits. As the field turned for home, it appeared that the great filly might have bitten off more than she could chew. Macho Again and Bullsbay had taken aim and were unwinding as the field raced to the wire.
Flash back to the moment immediately after her victory in the Haskell. Jockey Calvin Borel indicated that he “didn’t know how great Rachel was” because we had yet to see how she would respond when another horse looked her in the eye in the stretch. Well friends, we got about as close to that on Saturday as we’re likely ever going to see.
As Macho Again looked poised to surge past her for the score, Borel suddenly found more. Like the courageous champion she is, her ears perked and her eyes ablaze, horse and rider determined that history would not be plucked from their grasp within sight of the wire. Somehow, someway, she dug down and found more.
What followed was a moment for all time. The 3-year-old filly crossing the wire in a Grade 1 “distance” race against older boys. Clearly, she must’ve read my“win one for the Vintner” post before heading to the paddock. I tried to warn the boys what they were in for, even going Shakespeare on them get their attention, but they must not have listened.
She has now blazed a trail through history not once, not twice, but THRICE in momentous races. The Preakness, the Haskell, and now the Woodward. I said this over twitterimmediately following the race and I think it bears repeating. “Any discussion of another horse deserving Horse of the Year honors is now patently absurd.”
Not to take anything away from other runners, but the accolades for Rachel are simply off the charts now. It’s beyond my comprehension how anyone could even make a case for another horse as Horse of the Year? I suspect such sentiments would be fueled by disdain for her connections, or blind love for another horse. I understand those feelings quite well – it’s just that they’re flat out wrong in my opinion.
True, the Breeders’ Cup “championship” awaits, but I can’t imagine any single race being able to stack up to what this horse has done on the track throughout the year.
What we’ve just witnessed was a unique moment in history that we might not be lucky enough to live to see again. Yes – it was that special. Just like her victories in the Preakness and the Haskell. There’s a reason these types of races don’t happen every year. Rachel is an absolute one-of-a-kind freakazoid of nature.
So what lies next for her majesty? Owner Jess Jackson has hinted at shutting her down for the rest of the year, presumably so he can bring her back fresh for her 4-year-old campaign. My guess is that after a grueling victory like this, where she had to lay it all on the line to prove her greatness, she’s likely had enough – at least for now.
I keep thinking they’ll send her to Dubai next year to race in the World Cup, once again following the path that Curlin blazed for the Jackson/Asmussen camp in ’07 and ’08. It’s important to keep in mind though that Dubai is switching to a synthetic surface. We all know how Jess Jackson feels about them.
The victory makes her a perfect 8 or 8 in 2009, including 5 consecutive Grade 1 victories stretching back to the Kentucky Oaks, which ironically was the race that first brought her to the forefront of the sport’s consciousness. Additionally, she’s now boosted her lifetime earnings to just under $3 million ($2,948,354).
Of course, the possibility of a matchup with Zenyatta in the Beldame courtesy of TVG-Betfair is still out there. I just don’t see it happening as it doesn’t seem like either camp is particularly interested. The Breeders’ Cup is still out there as well, but Jackson has been adamant that he wants no part of the “plastic Classic.”
Ironically, Rachel wasn’t the only horse stringing together her 5th amazing victory against top level competition. European sensation Sea the Stars was equally impressive taking the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The victory left racing fans from across the pond speechless searching for races to compare with the performance. The Arc most likely awaits Sea the Stars next, but his connections also have designs on the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Not a bad Saturday, eh? We just saw the two most magnificent specimens in all of horse racing the world over turn in monster performances. Up next we’ve got Colonel John on Sunday at Del Mar.
After much deliberation,”team Rachel” has officially announced that the next start for the super-filly Rachel Alexandra will be on August 2, 2009 at Monmouth Park, NJ in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. Other races being considered included the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park, and the “Del Cap” at Delaware Park. The move signals an end to the mystery surrounding where she would surface next. Would it be against fillies or colts? The answer, depending on which 3-year-olds show up for the Haskell, could technically be both.
Looking at the options, my selfish choice would’ve been the Del Cap, if only because the proximity of Delaware Park to my home makes it a very convenient choice of destinations. All things considered though, the Haskell is definitely the right call.
Asmussen and Jackson basically had two choices as I see it, as the Coaching Club American Oaks couldn’t have been a very serious possibility given the likelihood of another drastically reduced field. There simply aren’t any 3-year-old fillies out there seemingly capable of taking on Rachel at the moment. That means the next step had to be either proving herself over older fillies and mares (the Del Cap), or going up against the boys again. They know what they’ve got in this horse and if they have any plans of seriously competing for Horse of the Year honors while skipping the Breeders’ Cup Classic, then they need to win BIG races. And you KNOW they’ve got such plans. The Haskell, quite frankly, was the biggest of the options on the table.
One of the more tantalizing aspects of this development to consider is that if Rachel were somehow able to prevail in both the Haskell and the Travers (held August 29 at historic Saratoga), I do believe she’d become the first filly in history to sweep the two races. But such talk amounts to getting way ahead of ourselves for the moment. For now Rachel will be squarely focused on the matchup at hand, which should include a showdown with “the other Bird” in Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird.
A victory by Rachel over Summer Bird and the boys in the Haskell would solidify her credentials as the champion 3-year-old of this year’s Triple Crown crop. She’d be the only runner amongst the Classic winners to be able to lay claim to victories over the other two. Stop and think about that for a moment. Even my beloved Curlin couldn’t say the same following his spectacular 2007 campaign.
In a perfect world, facing older fillies and mares in the Del Cap might’ve made a good deal of practical sense. Trouble is (for the Del Cap at least), the timing of the Haskell also makes it all the more attractive. Being held on August 2nd as opposed to July 19th grants Rachel two full extra weeks of rest and preparation.
As an interesting aside, anyone else find it ironic that both the Del Cap and the Haskell are run on Sundays? So much for my whole “Take Back Saturday“ idea, huh?
In other related news, Jess Jackson seems to have purchased himself another Medaglia d’Oro filly for an as yet undisclosed price, acquiring the impressive Dashing Debby following her stakes victory at Calder on the “Summit of Speed” undercard. While the filly herself has some obvious promise, one can’t help but hope that Curlin develops a little bit of a “thang” for the Medags girls. All in good time, big fella. All in good time.
So with the recent Rachel development in mind, it looks like we’ll be saddling up to visit Monmouth Park the first weekend in August. It’s been a long time coming for this visit. I’ll share with you all that I’m still wrought with guilt for having not been there to support Curlin in one of his defining moments (the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic). I can’t help but think that on some level, despite having won that Classic, Jackson and Asmussen are itching for some redemption in the Haskell given Curlin’s lackluster performance in that race 2 years ago. And who knows? They gave out Bobbleheads of Big Brown at Monmouth this year. Is there enough time to put together a nifty Rachel themed promotion? If they do a Rachel bobblehead at some point, they’d better make sure they get that distinctive blaze right! I’d pull out all the stops for this one if I were Monmouth.
A fairly large sized crowd (13,000+) were on hand to see Rachel in what amounted to a “public workout” at Belmont in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park late in June. Here’s hoping those of us that love this horse can rally and give her as strong a showing of support as she steps into the ring to face the boys again. Let’s top that number, people. Hell, let’s “knock it out the park!” Once again, in true Jerry McGuire style, I’ll ask:
“Who’s coming with me?!?!?!?”
One parting thought:
As I sit here with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game playing though, I must confess that I’m starting to warm to the notion that we really do need Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders’ Cup. I know, I know. I wrote that whole “In Support of Jess Jackson” piece when the news first broke, and I stand bye those words, even if it sparked some disagreement. It’s not that I’ve changed my mind, necessarily…I guess it’s just finally dawning on me that we are missing out on an “opportunity”, and that you only get so much of that oft-overused o-word in a lifetime’s worth of experiences. I digress.
All the more reason to make sure we capitalize on the opportunity at hand to watch Rachel in the Haskell, right?
What a Saturday we’ve just witnessed! Where on earth shall I even begin? As many of you know, this weekend we loaded up the family and completed a roughly 500 mile round trip journey to witness Rachel Alexandra’s return to racing in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park. Ostensibly, the trip was a birthday present for my wife, who has grown quite attached to Rachel since watching her romp in the Kentucky Oaks in early May. I use the term ostensibly here because, let’s be honest, you don’t have to twist my arm to get me to the track.
With that in mind, we loaded up the family and rolled into New York city at roughly 1 Am Saturday morning. Reveille was bright and early so that we could rise with time to do some morning handicapping, take in breakfast, and head out to Belmont for the day’s events. Little did we know what we were in for.
At first glance, the prospects for the day seemed rather bleak. As the scratches and changes for the day’s card were announced, it became clear that Rachel would be facing only two other horses in the Mother Goose. Presumably (and forgive me if I’m mistaken here as with 500+ miles logged in the last 36 hours, suffice to say there hasn’t been a good deal of time available for fact checking) the Preakness championhad scared away most of her competition. Eyebrows were raised that the race was even being run, but then again, given the healthy crowd on hand (which from my vantage point seemed quite larger than Curlin drew for his turf debut in the Man O’ War last summer) that was largely there just to see Rachel- it seemed the correct decision to leave the race on the card.
Then, Rachel made her appearance. I believe my “tweet“ at the time was something to the effect of “My god, just look at her!” As unbelievably good as she appeared on Preakness day last month, she looked even better on Saturday. I didn’t think that was humanly (equinely) possible, but somehow she looked bigger, stronger, and more majestic. I blurted out “you guys are braver than me!” to the jockeys aboard her competitors, and then sprinted back to our seats near the finish line to watch the race unfold.
After witnessing Rachel’s absolutely dominating performance, I think it’s safe to say that’s the last time 3-year-old fillies will be willing to take her on. Seriously…it should probably be illegal. They simply stand no chance against her. Then again, beyond a late run from Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird in the Preakness, neither did the 3-year-old boys.
Now, in all fairness her competitors helped her out a bit by running insanely fast early on. Malibu Prayer and Flashing set ”suicide fractions” of :22.57 and :44.66 to open the race, but Rachel was every bit as good as advertised when asked for her run. She simply inhaled her rivals once she made her move and then busted loose in jailbreak fashion to open up a 19 1/4 length victory in a stakes record time for the 1 1/8 mile race of 1:46.33.
And you know what? Watching her run, she could’ve gone faster if either her or jockey Calvin Borel had wanted to do so. But why waste too much energy today when their are bigger and better things on the horizon?
You can’t mention Rachel’s future without two topics coming up right away; The Breeders’ Cup and a potential showdown with Zenyatta. For now, both remain unlikely as owner Jess Jackson maintains that Rachel will not run on the “plastics” under any circumstances. Instead, races such as the Travers and the Haskell seem likely targets for her next effort.
Speaking of Zenyatta, “slow cheetah”was not to be outdone, running fantastically as well. In typical Zenyatta style she made it all look easy in whipping her 11th consecutive field to take the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.
It might not have looked as sexy as Rachel’s victory, but Zenyatta was carrying a daunting 129 pounds. That’s no small task. You won’t see a runner breaking track records carrying that kind of weight. The important thing to note was that it still looked effortless for her. Even with all that weight on her back it still looks like she’s just toying with the competition. What a beast!
Just as the other 3-year-old fillies seem powerless to stop Rachel, the older fillies and mares seem utterly incapable of stopping Zenyatta (“you cannot stop her, you can only hope to contain her!”)
Clearly, these two runners are the best in the business at the moment, and the horse racing world waits with baited breath wishing, hoping, and praying that somehow, someday we’ll see them face each other.
About that potential Zenyatta/Rachel matchup that will continue to be the elephant in the room all year…a thought struck me on the way home that I just couldn’t shake. Think on this for a moment, if you will.
Should we be pushing for a matchup between these two?
Is our sport really not big enough at the moment for the greatness of each?
We don’t exactly have a very deep pool of greatness to choose from. I think it’s worth remembering that if/when they do meet up, that one of them would have to lose. I guess at some level, in my heart of hearts, I don’t really want either of them to go through that. True, Rachel’s doesn’t have the whole “undefeated” mystique that Zenyatta does, but she’s certainly on a roll that I’d hate to see stop. Likewise, it would be incredibly special if Zenyatta could finish her career undefeated.
I guess I can dream for now that if it ever does takes place, the two hit the wire in a dead heat. That’s the way I’d write this story if it were my book. Two valiant competitors, each with their own breathtaking style – giving one another all they can handle. An agonizing photo finish. And in the end, victory for each. Oh well…a guy can dream can’t he?
I’ll end on this note. You guys know how strong my love of Curlin remains to this day. Check this out and tell me I don’t have the best wife in the world? Somehow she managed to obtain both Jess Jackson’s and Steve Asmussen’s autographs as they prepared to send Rachel to post. When she first considered even bringing the hat, I tried to tell her that she’d never get the chance and that to even try was folly. Good thing she didn’t listen to my advice! As if that weren’t enough, thanks to a discussion with another Rachel fan from our Facebook fanclub, we managed to use Big Jerome in the 2nd leg of the late Pick 4 (Lisa, if you’re reading this – I’m talking about you, buddy! Great call!). That choice coupled with the timely disqualification of a runner in the final leg of the sequence led to a nice Pick 4 score that ended the day on an even higher note than had already been achieved.
So yes, apparently a guy can dream…and sometimes those dreams come true! :)
You’ve got to hand it Jess Jackson. The man sure knows how to keep things interesting. Following his official announcement today that his filly Rachel Alexandra will not run in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita this October, the horse racing world is once again buzzing with passionate debate. Already folks are lining up on one side or the other. Depending on where you stand, his decision was either totally correct or tragically flawed.
Given my history of affection for his previous champion, it’s probably not surprising that I’m in the former camp.
Allow me to explain in detail.
First things first. Not a single day has gone bye since last October that I haven’t remembered with disgust the sight of watching Curlin, the world’s undisputed best dirt horse, struggle over a turf impersonating Santa Anita Pro Ride in the 2008 Classic. As a testament to his courage, heart, and talent, he managed to get to the front as the field straightened out for the stretch, but it was only for a fleeting moment. Within seconds he was being blown past by the likes of eventual “champion” Raven’s Pass. In my mind, for fans of Curlin and for horse racing, this was an absolutely unforgivable crime.
I said it last year, and I’ll say it again now:
“Artificial surfaces produce artificial (dirt) champions.”
It’s really as simple as that.
Now, looking back at Jess Jackson and his decision: Put yourself in the man’s shoes. Despite it being a veritable money pit from a profitability standpoint, the man brought back the 2007 Horse of the Year “for the fans”, and raced him around the world from Kentucky, to New York, to Dubai. He was victorious everywhere he went. What was the thanks he had in the end? Oh yeah, that’s right: “Hey Jess, now you have to ship your horse to California to run over a plastic surface!”
Great, grand, wonderful. Way to ruin our precious little field trip!
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?”
Rachel put those concerns to bed by romping from gate to wire, holding off the Kentucky Derby winner to become the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness. Moreover, she instantly established herself as the most popular 3-year-old in the nation, as well as the most talented.
Fast forward to today, and it’s amazing that suddenly Jackson is a villain for not wanting to run his horse in (presumably) the Breeders’ Cup Classic? What? I seriously don’t get this.
The infamous “keyboard cat” of youtube fame plays off a true villian
Wouldn’t she be facing boys again in the Classic? Wouldn’t she also have to tackle a new surface? How is that not MORE alarming than the worries expressed prior to the Preakness? Sometimes I think folks just love to hate. Give ‘em any excuse in the world, and they’ll seize on it. Truth be told, Rachel has been on synthetics before. She’s got a victory at Keeneland at the Allowance level, but the Pro Ride at Santa Anita is an entirely different story.
Need another consideration? What about her running style? She’s basically a front runner, with the ability to press/rate if the situation demands. My question for fellow handicappers is this: When considering the chances of a speedy type such as Rachel, aren’t you more comfortable with such a runner on a true dirt surface than a synthetic surface? To be fair, it’s not like front runners DON”T win at Santa Anita. They do…in fact sometimes they win in bunches, but typically you expect a synthetic race to be run closer to a traditional turf race – with a bit of a cavalry charge finish. My suspicion is that if Rachel had to fight for the lead every step of the way, as she did against Big Drama in the 2009 Preakness, that she’d probably fade in the stretch. I’ve no interest in seeing that, personally, and I’m sure Jess feels the same way. It’s not fair to the horse, it’s not fair to the purity/integrity of the game and the “championships” themselves, and it’s certainly not fair to those that love her and want to see her put in position to succeed.
Consider for a moment the role of the owner in all of this. In other sports, such as football, we praise coaches who “get the most of their athletes” by “putting them in position to win.” Sending Rachel to run in the Classic over the Pro Ride at Santa Anita would not be consistent with “putting her in a position to win.” In fact, in my mind it would be more like playing someone out of their natural position.
“Oh, what’s this? Manny Ramirez moves in from Left Field to play Shortstop! This ought to work out well for the Dodgers!”
Obviously that would be crazy, right? Well, perhaps with the right Performance Enhancing Drugs…nah, never mind. It’d be sheer lunacy. Heck, even the picture below of Manny walking to his outfield position through shortstop just looks wrong.
Or, think of it this way. If you follow pro football transactions, and specifically along the defensive line, you’ll hear teams talking about needing a “3 technique tackle”, or a guy who can play Defensive End in a base 3-4 defense as opposed to a 4-3. True, you get a few “tweeners” who seem suited for both, but bye and large players tend to succeed when they are put in the correct position and given the best chance to succeed.
For example, Tom Brady will likely once again be the top player selected in many of our Fantasy Football drafts in the coming months (provided the owner holding the 1st pick wasn’t burned by his injury last year). He’s one of the top quarterbacks in the game (if not THE top). But you’d never stick him in at Running Back though, would you? You’d never ask him to suddenly play middle ‘backer, either. That would be insane. Why? Because you’d be asking him to play out of his natural position.
Tom Brady; Great quarterback, probably a crappy linebacker
Rachel Alexandra’s natural position is taking a field gate-to-wire over a true dirt surface. That’s where she excels. That’s when she’s in the “best position to succeed.” Why on earth should someone be forced to place her anywhere else? Just because it’s “the Classic?” I only ask that for all those who are determined to blame Jackson for “ruining the Breeders’ Cup” by refusing to run her, that you have the same level of anger directed at the Breeders’ Cup for their decision to force the hand of owners who aren’t interested in bringing their dirt horses to run for plastic championships. In my opinion they’ve now cost us 2 potentially brilliant champions in both Curlin last year, and Rachel this year.
…And all for the lure of the marketing dollar. That’s what this is really all about anyway. The only reason the race is at Santa Anita again this year is so the BC could schmooze it up with local businesses and sell more infield real estate See, personally, as a fan of racing, I could give a rats ass about that stuff. I don’t really care how much Nextell is ponying up (no pun intended) for an advertising booth. What I care about is seeing championship caliber racing. If you look at it that way, if we’ve sold out the true spirit of top quality racing for the almighty marketing dollar, then I’m actually happy if this entire decision blows up in their collective faces.
Seriously….I can’t let this go….didn’t it just feel hideously wrong to anyone but me when handicapping the “dirt mile” last year when it wasn’t even going to be run on dirt? There’s just something basically wrong with that, no matter how you slice it.
Jackson took one for the team last year. He sent his horse like he was supposed to. He gave it the old college try. It didn’t work. What’s that famous saying folks like to trot out from time to time to sound uber-intelligent? “Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.” Well, sounds to me like Jess has learned from the mistakes of the past, and he’s determined not to repeat them. After all, you don’t become as successful and wealthy as he is without having a keen ability from a decision making standpoint.
Several weeks ago in the Daily Racing Form, Steven Crist pondered whether it was time to revive the idea of permanently moving the Breeders’ Cup to a “neutral” site like Churchill Downs. I couldn’t agree more. Especially if we’re going to pretend that the Classic is our biggest race and should have a major say in determining who our overall champion is.
“Artificial surfaces produce artificial (dirt) champions.”
It’s official. Owner Jess Jackson has announced that the talented and immensely popular filly Rachel Alexandra will not be running in the 2009 Belmont. This sets up perfectly for jockey Calvin Borel, who will now retake the mount of Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird in his quest for an all-Calvin Triple Crown. Sadly, for bloggers like me with a penchant for gratuitous military history references, this negates my ability to discuss the potential rematch between The Derby and Preakness winners as “June 6th, a date that will once again live in infamy” (which I’m fairly certain is an oxymoron considering that once something is truly “infamous”, it’s rather impossible to become infamous once again…you either are infamous, or your not, but I digress).
First, let me say that I tip my hat to Jess Jackson once again. You know that he wanted to showcase his filly in the Belmont, and it probably pains him to have to decide against running her. However, this move proves that he’s not just in this for fame and glory. Like I’ve said before, the man made all the right moves with Curlin, and once again he appears to be doing so with Rachel Alexandra. In fact, the only move he’s ever made that I’ve disagreed with is one in which he really had little choice anyhow; sending Curlin to Santa Anita to run in the ’08 Breeders’ Cup…and it’s important to note that he made the decision to send him for us, the fans, so that we would be able to see him on the sport’s biggest stage. In other words, while I had a hunch (and no doubt Jess did himself as well) that wouldn’t go well, one can certainly understand why the decision was made.
The decision to rest Rachel Alexandra has already sparked quite a bit of passionate discussion on the net. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, or any other web application out there designed for such discussions, horse fans are talking. Of course, they’ve been talking longer than just today. The past few weeks being filled with opinions from one side of the spectrum to the other regarding Rachel, the Bird, and everything in between. What troubles me though is some of the recent discussion, and I’ll outline why.
The first genre of discussion that bothers me goes something like this:
“I’m glad Rachel isn’t in the Belmont, she’s a filly and would’ve risked being hurt.”
Look, I totally sympathize with horse fans who don’t want to see anyone hurt. Nobody wants to see that. It’s not that concern that worries me so much as it is the hidden inference that somehow fillies are inferior to colts. Do we really need any further proof that this is simply not true (at least as a blanket statement)? They said the same thing about the Preakness, and then Rachel went out and dominated. I don’t recall hearing anyone in France being concerned that Zarkava was facing boys in the world’s richest turf race, the Arc de Triomphe. How’d that one turn out? How about Goldikova last year in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile?And is there anyone who really thinks after the Milady that Zenyatta wouldn’t thrash the California boys at Hollywood, Santa Anita, or Del Mar? I just don’t get it. Surely not all fillies are created equal, so when you’ve got one who is clearly heads and shoulders better than most runners on the planet why should she be held back? Because she’s a “she”? See, I worry sometimes that folks are masking latent sexism behind a thin veil of legitimate concern over injuries/well being. The truth of the matter is that anyone at anytime can get hurt. If we apply this logic across the board, then clearly following Barbaro’s injury we should have stopped all colts from running as well.
The next line of comments goes something like this:
“I’m going to be soooo mad if Mine That Bird wins the Belmont, because that will mean Rachel robbed us of a Triple Crown!”
Huh??? I almost have to throw up in my mouth a bit when I hear this. Almost. Do people even think before they speak? She “robbed” you of a Triple Crown? For starters, let’s not forget that the Belmont hasn’t been run yet, so hold your horses (no pun intended) on anointing Mine That Bird even a theoretical Triple Crown winner. Da’ Tara, Birdstone, and Rags to Riches come to mind in recent memory as clear cut examples of why you never assume a Belmont’s outcome before it’s official. More importantly though, did Rachel Alexandra somehow cheat in the Preakness? Did I miss something? I’m just trying to understand how she “robbed” anyone of anything? If she “robbed” anyone, it was other network programs, as television ratings for the Preakness were through the freakin’ roof. You’d think people would be smart enough to see a star who is exactly what we need when they see one, but apparently not.
Didn’t Mine That Bird have a fair shot to beat her in the Preakness? Didn’t Rachel have to break from the extreme outside, set fairly fast splits being contested all the way, and then hang on in the stretch to win? That’s not robbing, that’s earning, and last time I checked, a horse needs to EARN a Triple Crown. That’s what makes it special. Otherwise we might as well just poll the public for who they’d like to see win and simply declare that horse the winner without ever racing. I can see Dennis Green now, banging on a table and telling reporters to “crown their asses, then!” when asked questions concerning the Chicago Bears. Same goes here. You want a Triple Crown so bad that you’re angry when a horse legitimately defeats a hopeful? Then crown their asses before the race and don’t even bother running.
Also, if I may sidestep for just a gosh darn moment…..where the hell were these people in ’07 when Rags to Riches came out of nowhere to “rob” Curlin??? That was MUCH closer to grand larceny than anything Rachel’s done.
When pressed, most of these people reference the fact that we “haven’t had a Triple Crown winner in 30 years” and that they’d “like to live to see one.” Oh really? Wow…didn’t realize they were so into history. Forgive me, then. It’s just that, well, you know…there are still plenty of folks alive who remember watching and wagering on the last Triple Crown winner. On the other hand, how many folks have you run into out there that remember Nellie Morse in the 1924 Preakness? Yeah…didn’t think so. If you’re going to reference history, then at least acknowledge that 85 years is a hell of a lot longer than 3 decades to wait to see something happen. Then again, we do live in the age of “instant gratification”, more’s the pity.
Look, I’ve got nothing but respect for Mine That Bird now either. He’s a magnificent colt that we ought to see for years to come, considering he’s a gelding. It’s just that I refuse to see him as some victim of a heinous crime. I remember the cat calls from all the Curlin haters back in ’07. “Curlin got beat by a girl!” Yeah, well, so did Mine That Bird, and the girl that beat him wasn’t as fresh as the girl that beat Curlin (nor was Mine That Bird as worn down as Curlin was). Personally I don’t consider the “beat by a girl” thing to be anything but the most childish of equine put-downs, as it never seems to apply to the horses that were truly beaten by open lengths (i.e., did you ever hear anyone say “Tiago got beat by a girl!” or “Hard Spun got beat by a girl!” ? Nope, it was always directed at Curlin…hell, at least he was competitive against a girl. How far back were Hard Spun and Tiago in the ’07 Belmont by comparison?).
The last line of thinking that really grinds my gears goes like this:
“Rachel was exhausted in the Preakness, there’s no way she could get the mile and 1/2 of the Belmont.”
When I hear things like this, I wish I was instantly teleported to a face to face handicapping tournament, winner take all, as obviously these folks think that every race is totally equal and not unique at all.
Yes, Rachel was struggling a bit at the end of the Preakness. How that is supposed to directly translate into defeat or an inability to get the distance of the Belmont is beyond me. Are the two races supposed to be apples to apples? Have folks even considered that the entire pace setup could not only be completely different between the two races, but also explains rather clearly why Rachel was a bit tired at the end of the Preakness?
Consider the following stats. Here are the opening 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile splits between the ’08 Belmont and the “09 Preakness. Something should jump off the page at you regarding the half mile times in particular, even if you’ve never so much as thought about pace handicapping:
See that? Two full seconds faster in the opening half mile of the 2009 Preakness! And why was that exactly? Well, several reasons. In the 2008 Belmont, Da’ Tara got an easy lead. Even on the race replay you can hear the call that the opening half mile was set in a “sensible” time of :48.30. That’s what happens when you have a longer race, and a loose horse on the lead. The pace of longer races tends to be slower than that of shorter races, hence why horses who show speed routing can’t always be trusted to do the same when sprinting, whereas horses that show speed sprinting often will show similar (if not improved) speed routing.
In the ’09 Preakness, Rachel had to earn it every step of the way. She broke from the 13 hole, and had no choice but to gun for the lead or risk being hung wide on the turns. Anyone familiar with playing the Maryland tracks knows full well how vitally important positioning on the turns, and in particular the first turn, can be. Of course, Big Drama happened to be along the rail, and likewise was in a situation where he had to go for it right out of the gate. The result was a speed duel. Typically, if you see two horses eyeball to eyeball with each other through hotly contested opening fractions, you can expect them to start coming back to the rest of the field in the stretch, thus opening up for an off-the-pace runner. It’s a testament to Rachel Alexandra’s class that this did not happen, and that the only runners able to make any headway against her were Mine That Bird, and to a lesser extent Musket Man. That’s what made her win so impressive. It shouldn’t have happened. Most horses would not have pulled it off. In fact, her opening splits were closer to those set by Xchanger and Flying First Class in the ’07 Preakness (1/4 in :22.83, 1/2 in :45.75), and obviously neither of them wound up in the Superfecta.
So yes, she was struggling towards the end, but what exactly was she supposed to look like? Even Chip Woolley, trainer of Mine That Bird, admitted that his colt was fresher by virtue of only really having to run the last 3/8 of a mile of both the Derby and the Preakness. I’m sorry that she didn’t look as majestic as Big Brown in the ’08 Preakness, but she had a bit of a saltier field and a tougher trip to overcome. Eyes can be deceiving though. Again, apples to apples this most certainly is not.
Each race is unique, and one must resist the urge of looking at the ’09 Preakness replay and simpliifying by saying “yup, in another furlong Mine That Bird would’ve caught her.” Would he? Perhaps, but then again the entire race would’ve been different. The only thing you can be assured of is that if THAT EXACT running of the Preakness happened again, but went a furlong further, that perhaps Mine That Bird would have caught her. That’s it. That’s the only certain conclusion one can make. The rest is pure speculation or opinion….not that their’s anything wrong with either, necessarily, it’s just that when they are repeated as fact folks can get the wrong ideas. I’m just saying keep that in mind when you hear folks spouting off (and yes, that includes me and indeed this rant right here).
Similarly, we must resist the urge of DEMANDING a rematch between either Rachel and The Bird in the Belmont, or Rachel and Zenyatta at some later date. Would those races be exciting? Most definitely! But we can’t reduce ourselves to the plebians in the Colliseum, demanding that Caesar show us another round of gladitorial combat. Let the horsemen do what’s right for the horses, and let’s hope that we’re lucky enough to see them in their prime again before they are gone.
In conclusion, here’s hoping Rachel enjoys her much deserved time off. Rest up, baby girl. There are big plans for you both this summer and beyond. Personally, I’m hoping Jess sends her to Saratoga. I can think of no other track more befitting of an appearance by the queen herself. Now, if we could just get Zenyatta’s people to come face her….
In a move that could potentially change the entire racing season if not the sport for years to come, owner Jess Jackson has purchased the super filly Rachel Alexandra, who won the Kentucky Oaks last Friday by an astounding 20 1/4 lengths. And guess what? Not only might she run in the Preakness, but it sounds like Curlin and her might have some matters to attend to in the near future.
I’ll start with the tantalizing prospect that it’s still technically possible that Rachel Alexandra might race in the Preakness. That’s probably a bit of a longshot, and Jackson will no doubt receive plenty of advice against such a decision, but I’ll go on record as saying I am hoping and praying for the opportunity to see her run against the boys two Saturday’s from now. I don’t think any of them can touch her. She might be vulnerable to some colts unwilling to let her loose on the lead, but you get the feeling this is the type of filly who can adjust her tactics and overcome just about any adversity that is thrown at her.
Coming off her amazing victory in the Kentucky Oaks, I was left thinking that no horse had impressed me that much since Curlin. I feel confident in assuming that all of you understand how serious such a statement is for me. Never in a thousand years did I think that she might be acquired by the same connections as Curlin and given a chance for the Preakness! Now that this has happened, it could be the highlight of the entire season. I’m going to go on record saying another thing….and it’s something I haven’t said since ’07 with Curlin.
Not only would I predict a victory from Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, but I’ll go one step farther and say she’d win the Belmont as well, and we’d all be left wondering “what if” they had run her in the Derby? On that matter, I’d like to be on the record as saying that considering the condition of the track on Derby day, I think the Oaks was the right call. Plus, the way she drew off in that race has to have had a positive effect on her psychologically. I’m sure she already knew, but if there was any self doubt in her at all she knows that she’s the real deal know.
It would seem we are quite lucky to have a horsemen like Jackson in control of Rachel’s destiny at the moment. He was unafraid of putting Curlin into challenges, be they the Triple Crown races, the Classic (on any track condition), or overseas racing in Dubai. He ran him on dirt, in the mud, on synthetics, and on the grass. Across the world they travelled, winning major races at tracks like Pimlico, Belmont, Saratoga, Nad Al Sheba, Churchill Downs, and Oaklawn Park. He gave us back the defending Horse of the Year for a 4-year-old campaign because he wanted to give the sport back it’s stars. He seems dead serious about this, and I think he’s absolutely right.
One of the main challenges we face is the fact that our most popular thoroughbreds become flashes in the pan as they are gone as quickly as they arrive, in most cases to early high priced retirement. You just KNOW Jackson is game to send her against the boys in either the Preakness or the Belmont, and being the kind of guy he is, I’m willing to bet he’d like her to win ‘em both. Provided she’s ready, of course, and came out of the Oaks in sound condition. I can’t imagine she didn’t, considering Calvin Borel never asked for anything as she won for fun by a million lengths (well, not quite a million, but about as close as horse can come that figure).
On the subject of the, shall we say, “private” matter…Last week we tossed around the notion half-jokingly that Curlin ought to be bred to Zenyatta’s mother, Vertigineux, and that the offspring might be named “Verticurl.” At some point after that posting, I decided that since I’m prone to making Vercingetorix references whenever the name Vertigineux comes up, that perhaps a better name might be “Curlingetorix”. With the suggestion that Jackson is interested in one day breeding Curlin with Rachel Alexandra, might I suggest the names “Curlixander the Great” for a colt, or “Curlixandra” for a filly? Sound like champions to me.
While we’re on the subject of theoretical possibilities such as the offspring of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, ponder upon this for a moment. What if (and this is a big what if, but based on what we’ve seen thus far certainly not an impossibility) she went on to become both a Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in her own right? Could you imagine the pedigree of their offspring? Classic winners on both sides? Preakness winners on both sides? It’s mind blowing. Admittedly I know far too little about breeding thoroughbreds to be able to talk informatively about the pros and cons of such a pairing, so for now I’ll confine myself to dreaming about the possibilities that exist.
I say send her to Baltimore, Jess. Let her show the boys who the top 3-year-old in the nation is. For me their is no question. It’s Rachel all the way.
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