And out of those I see Cool Coal Man, Bullsbay, and Macho Again as any real type of competition for RA… maybe Take The Points.
In reality, this make seem like a cake walk for her though!
I like to see champions stretch out here…more then 1 mile and 1/8…I remember when races were 2 miles long! Who could do that? I like RA but I love Zenyatta, she is 5 and still has her winning ways. I wish they would race each other but that would be dreaming I believe…
If more owners would keep their horses racing after the age of 3 it would help the industry tremendously in my opinion…Look at the following Curlin had…I loved Invasor but he got injured, too bad…Look at some of the Steeplechasers McDynamo ran until he was 10 I think…YIKES! and was still at the top of his game so…
The San Francisco Chronicle actually cites one better:
The most recent U.S. 3-year-old filly to win a significant race against older males was Surfside in the Grade 2 Clark Handicap in 2000.
Perhaps the NY Daily News should dig a bit deeper next time 
I don’t think “Pass The Point”, trained by Eoin Harty, sounds like he’s a go for the Woodward and is better off going to the Grade 1 Forego Stakes:
“Do we want to go in the Forego, or do we want to take on Rachel Alexandra?” trainer Eoin Harty said.
Past the Point put a scare into Curlin in last year’s Woodward Stakes, finishing second. He could go in this year’s Woodward, but he is also under consideration for the Forego Stakes the same day, Sept 5.
Why did NYRA bump up the purse from $500k to $750k when they say they won’t typically do so to attract any particular horse? It appears they were concerned that the Penn Derby at $1 million was enough of a threat that they had to - per P.J. Campo the Director of NYRA.
Again the field likely assembled for the Woodward:
As of yesterday, NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes listed Whitney winner Bullsbay, Cool Coal Man, Asiatic Boy and Tizway as Rachel Alexandra’s likely opponents, with Macho Again a possibility.
Tizway has previously earned a 102 Beyer Speed Fig in his race prior to the Whitney … Cool Coal Man had taken the Albert the Great Stakes at Spa on Aug 10th and earned a 107 Beyer Speed Fig … Bullsbay broke 105 for his Whitney victory …
By comaprison Quality Road for all the ballyhoo with his track record in the Amsterdam was given just a 103 Beyer Speed Fig and Summer Bird has for his career a 106 BSF as the highest from the Haskell and Mine That Bird’s career best BSF is just 105.
So relatively speaking the Travers in reference to previous strength would be no more challenging with talent then the Woodward - the exception being the distance.
But she’s pretty much handled all the boys that will be at the Travers 
Should be interesting with Bullsbay, Macho Again, and Cool Coal Man having there own season rivalry racing at the same races for the most part against each other. Now throw RA into the mix, while all formidable matches for her. I think she will do just what she did with boys her own age. She’s mature enough to handle it, there is no intimidation or lack of experience going on with her. Her only loss SHOULD come with an injury. Speed figures and workout times, she’s got these “older” boys easily with energy to party after
Another note, I hope JJ finds his HOY and super filly this year. And next year get a little more experimental, with turf and distance. She won’t have TOO much to prove, provided she still faces Zenyatta this year.
See if she can go the distance and face the boys or older mares in the distaff
Linny cited this in a prior posting - Asiatic Boy may go to Del Mar instead
Per trainer Kiaran McLaughlin:
“We will nominate (Asiatic Boy) to the Pacific Classic (gr. I), which will be run on the synthetic the day after the Woodward, to give ourselves an option. Nobody really wants to face Rachel Alexandra these days, and to think we have to give her eight pounds is a little tough on us older boys. But we’ll discuss our options and keep them open.”
“She’s beat everybody that’s gotten in the gate with her this year,” McLaughlin said. “Luckily, I haven’t gotten in the gate with her and don’t look forward to getting in the gate with her with Asiatic Boy. She’s a great filly. The word ‘great’ is thrown around too often in our industry, but to me she’s one of the great ones and she’s great for the sport, and it’s nice that Mr. (Jess) Jackson chose some of these spots to show how great she is. He said he’s hoping to run her next year as a 4-year-old, and that’s nice to hear, but I don’t look forward to running against her ever, with anything.”
Darn! Now my WB and I are gonna have to start drinking that kendall-jackson cabernet savignon.:lol:
Does anyone foresee a “Rachel Alexandra” cabernet or burgundy? Or maybe a champagne!
I hope RA wins, and conditions for longer distances and comes back next year…where’s the Breeders’ Cup next year and is it on synthetic turf?
[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;4332983]
I hope RA wins, and conditions for longer distances and comes back next year…where’s the Breeders’ Cup next year and is it on synthetic turf?[/QUOTE]
Churchilll Downs… I think there was already a quote up somewhere that mentions JJ saying he will gladly promote RA to the 2010 BC to be run on dirt.
Someone will find it I’m sure
Who was that?
Who was the champion filly:confused: who, bolted through the infield fence:eek:, broke her back:o, and had to be put down?
Looks like Asiatic Boy WILL run in the Woodward despite reservations:
In the end, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum decided to stay home and run in the Woodward.
"We’re going to stay here,’’ McLaughlin said Friday afternoon. "[the Pacific Classic at Del Mar is] a 12-horse field and it’s a long way to travel to a track we’ve never run on. There’s pros and cons - more pros than cons - to both but we’re going to stay here.’’
The Woodward, run at 1 1/8 miles is a weight-for-age race. Under the conditions of the race, older males carry 126 pounds. Rachel Alexandra gets a five-pound weight allowance for being a 3-year-old and an additional three pounds for being a filly, meaning she will carry 118. McLaughlin isn’t thrilled with the prospect of facing Rachel.
"The old saying you don’t duck one horse but this is little different than just a horse,’’ McLaughlin said. "But things happen.’’
In case anyone is wondering why Dry Martini - winner of the Suburban - isn’t being mentioned it’s because Barclay did not even nominate Dry Martini to the Woodward and instead is pointing the gelding to the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 3.
A good one from the Whittier (CA) Daily News and Art Wilson - ‘How can anyone doubt this filly?’
Trainer Tim Ice, who will saddle Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird in Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, is not one of the filly’s critics.
In fact, he can’t believe there still are people out there who claim Rachel Alexandra, whose connections decided to skip the Travers in favor of the $750,000 Grade I Woodward Stakes on Sept. 5, hasn’t proved her greatness yet because she hasn’t beaten top-flight competition.
“I ask you, what do you want her to beat?” Ice said. "What does she have to prove? She’s beaten everybody that they’ve put in the race with her, so to say that she hasn’t beaten anything would be a knock against thoroughbred racing because she’s beaten the Kentucky Derby winner (and) she’s beaten the Belmont winner.
"People don’t understand. If they’re going to say she hasn’t beaten anything, these are all horses that are Grade 1 winners. And to say she hasn’t beaten anything, to me, it makes no sense.
“Rachel Alexandra is what she is - she does it so easy, that maybe it just seems like she hasn’t beaten anything, but the horses that she’s beaten are top-notch horses. I think it’s a shame that people have that idea that she hasn’t beaten anything.”
Kiaran McLaughlin, who will saddle Charitable Man in the Travers, agreed.
“She’s beat everybody that’s gotten into the gate with her this year, and luckily I haven’t gotten into the gate with her and don’t look forward to getting into the gate with her with Asiatic Boy (in the Woodward). She’s just a great filly,” he said.
[QUOTE=Carol Ames;4333740]
Who was the champion filly:confused: who, bolted through the infield fence:eek:, broke her back:o, and had to be put down?[/QUOTE]
Were you referring to Exogenous?
Just don’t mention that John Henry was a gelding.:eek::uhoh:
[QUOTE=WhiteCamry;4342213]
Just don’t mention that John Henry was a gelding.:eek::uhoh:[/QUOTE]
But only because he was bad to the bone (babababa BAD).
[QUOTE=Horseforthecourse;4339317]
Were you referring to Exogenous?[/QUOTE]
I believe she fractured her skull - survived about a week or so, then put down.
“I ask you, what do you want her to beat?” Ice said. "What does she have to prove? She’s beaten everybody that they’ve put in the race with her, so to say that she hasn’t beaten anything would be a knock against thoroughbred racing because she’s beaten the Kentucky Derby winner (and) she’s beaten the Belmont winner.
True, but she hasn’t beaten anything at over 9.5 furlongs (and barely pulled that one off). Nor has she carried the same weight as the boys although she’s a larger horse than many of them. Prove she can beat other G1 winners at 1.25 miles AND at equal weight. Then I’d consider her great.
[QUOTE=rcloisonne;4342446]
Prove she can beat other G1 winners at 1.25 miles AND at equal weight. Then I’d consider her great.[/QUOTE]
Until then she’s just “fair”? 
I don’t think ‘greatness’ can require a particular distance in the resume as that would suggest no sprinter no matter how impressive could ever do enough to be considered worthy. I’m certain she’ll be tested at 1 1/4 but just not at the present.
As for “equal weight”, to be exceedingly clear so that no one fails to grasp this point: it has never been at the discretion of the track to withhold weight when shes taken on the boys.
The rules of weight assignments are as clear as day with everyone aware of them. Her weight break in the Preakness, Haskell and impending Woodward are the same that would’ve applied to Genuine Risk, Winning Color or Personal Ensign before her.
The wagering authorities would launch an investigation frankly if Jess Jackson said “and we shall ask to have 4 more pounds assigned”. You just cannot - and would not - do that.
I for one am glad she didn’t race in the Travers Stakes based upon the outcome. We can only rely on past performances but (1) she relishes and thrives on a muddy track, (2) she defeated Summer Bird handily in New Jersey, and (3) there were no rabbit-like horses in the field … even if people think she could be someone mislead by one; further (4) Summer Bird would’ve defected from the field.
Had she won The Travers the same old chatter of “who did she beat” would’ve echoed around. The Woodward takes it to a new level when none of the Travers entries will even take on older males until the JCGC at the earliest.
NYRA is pretty optimistic and while there interest in there I doubt they’ll hit the target they wish for …
Everything hangs on Rachel Alexandra, who is scheduled to run Saturday in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes.
Saturday, gates at the track will open at 7 a.m. and remain open, something only done the day of the Travers Stakes in years past.
“We had between 23,000 and 24,000 turn out for Curlin (who won the Woodward last year),” said Charles Hayward, president and CEO of NYRA. “We hope to draw somewhere between that and the 40,000 who came the day of the Whitney this year.”
The Woodward post-position selection is Wednesday: A field of seven is expected for the Woodward, and along with Rachel Alexandra the race should include Bullsbay, Macho Again, It’s A Bird, Past the Point, Asiatic Boy, and Cool Coal Man.
Rachel breezed 4-furlongs this Monday morning (8-31) in 49.09 seconds at the OK training track
With regular rider Dominic Terry aboard, Rachel Alexandra went in fractions of 13.50 and 25.50 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.29, according to Daily Racing Form.
“She looked very relaxed,” trainer Steve Asmussen said minutes after Rachel Alexandra completed the work, which took place just before 6 a.m. on Monday. “She’s a beautiful horse. She really is.”
I just don’t think she’d have a problem with 1 1/4 or even 1 1/2… if she could train for it! Secretariat ran 2:24, not because he was talented, but because he was talented and WORKED VERY HARD. It’s wrong to take a distance horse like Rachel and work her five furlongs every other week and keep her to 1 1/8! It kills me! That’s not training, that’s maintenance for a horse of her caliber! Just imagine what she could do, based on what she has accomplished!
Rolling out the red carpet …
Still no evidence yet that ESPN (or even Bravo! for that matter) will pick up the Woodward on tv - and so just TVG & HRTV - which is such a lost opportunity.
Anyhow … Saratoga and NYRA are going all out:
The first 25,000 fans through the door will receive a free Rachel Alexandra button to commemorate the occasion.
In celebration of her first appearance at Saratoga Race Course, the streets of downtown Saratoga Springs will be lined with specially-designed Rachel Alexandra banners.
NYRA stores at the track will also sell Rachel Alexandra T-shirts and caps, with net proceeds from the sales to benefit Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure. T-shirts in ladies and girls sizes are pink with “Rachel Alexandra” lettering in navy blue, while men’s T-shirts are available in gray with pink lettering. The caps are pink.
The Paddock Tent and the At the Rail Pavilion, all ladies and children will get a half-price buffet at $24.50, and everyone of drinking age in either location will also receive one complimentary glass of champagne.
