[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4356304]
Today’s Saratoga Special (pdf) has plenty of Rachel coaverage - including the cover photo.
Again the race replay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsBJVuGAr78
As suggested before, I think Jess isleaning towards this being her last of 2009 although they are game for the Belldame against Zenyatta if she shows up:[/QUOTE]
Ol Calvin and RA will get your blood pumping ------- what a great race!
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4356304]
As suggested before, I think Jess is leaning towards this being her last of 2009 although they are game for the Belldame against Zenyatta if she shows up:[/QUOTE]
As the DRF cites tonight: Rachel ‘not likely’ to run again this year
“Not likely,” Jackson said Sunday in his box seat at Saratoga when asked if Rachel Alexandra would run again in 2009. “She had a campaign since winter, this is the fall. She’s raced more races in two years than most fillies ever run. She’s done things that no fillies have ever done. She deserves a rest.”
Now that Rachel Alexandra has defeated older males in the Woodward, [b]Jackson acknowledged that a showdown with the undefeated mare Zenyatta was less appealing to him.
“It was never high on my agenda because I don’t think Zenyatta wants to run in the East and we’re not going to run in the West,”[/b] he said. “They have a hell of a horse, and if she finishes up never defeated that’s a great result to shoot for.”
I suspected she had finished. Good for her.
Holy sh*t!!!
What I don’t understand is the folks on this board whining and whining about 1 1/4- some are acting like there is some elite group of colts and fillies that are racing in dozens of Grade I stakes races at 1 1/4 and nothing else. What you’re not getting is that the same horses that are running at that distance- Mine That Bird, for example- are the ones she is beating in the other races. In other words, when horses stretch to 1 1/4 or even 1 1/2 such as the Belmont Stakes, it’s a stretch for them as well. All of the top distance dirt horses in the country are usually racing a shorter distance. Every now and then they run 1 1/4, and someone has to win. Suggesting it could never be Rachel is just silly. And running longer obviously does NOT actually mean the horse is great. After all, how many of these horses go 1:10, 1:11 for 6 and then hit the Derby finish under 2:00? They’re all slowing down, or averaging more than 12 s/f. Much more likely they run 2:03 and change. So those are your Grade 1 winners at 1 1/4. Mine That Bird. Not running 11 or 12 second furlongs to average, and not winning against older colts. And Belmont Stakes winner Da’Tara, defeated soundly by Rachel this weekend, showed that he has good speed too- going out in 22 4/5. But where Rachel could do it and keep going and then fight for the finish, where was Da’Tara? That glorious distance running colt you all pine for?
I think it’s foolish to pretend there are any colts that are consistently averaging 12 s/f on the dirt at a mile and a quarter, and equally foolish to assume Rachel could not add another furlong to her wins, when she isn’t exactly a sprinter.
I’ve been trying to come up with an articulate post since we got back from the track late saturday, and still the best thing I can come up with is, as Virginiabred said, Holy Sh*t. The crowd was simply electric, there’s no other word for it. What a marvelous and new experience for me, to be in a crowd so united in enthusiasm for this superstar of the sport I so love. The collective giggle when Sam played the field onto the track with “She’s always a woman to me” was endearing.
For those who think she can’t stretch out- I disagree. I think she may be learning that she doesn’t have to be a barnyard in front to get the job done. You can see her turn the afterburners on every time she catches another horse in her sight- she did it at the top of the stretch when Bullsbay made a run at her, and again just at the wire when she caught a glimpse of Macho Again. Add to that that she’s highly unlikely to run those sort of fractions in a longer race, and that she actually does seem to have some ability to rate, and I think you have a formula for a horse who can in fact do it all, distance wise. She’s got speed to spare, a vicious competitive streak, and heart enough for several horses.
That aside- I know it is the domain of all sports fans to argue about coulda shoulda wouldas, but come on- haven’t we all been waiting for the horse that would give back a good name to the sport? She’s here. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we missed it because we were too busy arguing about her connections/future legacy/potential short comings? There were grown men with tears in their eyes on saturday, screaming their fool heads off right along with young girls who’d never been to a racetrack before.
Let’s sit back and enjoy this, folks. It’s truly something special.
It was a treat to be at the track and see the race live. I was a little surprised the crowd wasn’t larger (but thankful–no lines at the betting windows:)). But a beautiful day and a great race. I landed a nice spot for pictures, but I don’t think I got any good ones. If they turned out better than I think I will post a link.
[QUOTE=Rubyfree;4359779]
It’s truly something special.[/QUOTE]
I am soooo on board with that!
[QUOTE=kcmel;4359974]
It was a treat to be at the track and see the race live. I was a little surprised the crowd wasn’t larger (but thankful–no lines at the betting windows.[/QUOTE]
The numbers have been somewhat all over the place although this year’s Woodward drew larger crowds then it did last year with Curlin. The official numbers - with ALL days having great weather - of this past weekend:
Fri Sep 4 Attendance: 16,325
Sat Sep 5 Attendance: 31,171 (Woodward Day)
Sun Sep 6 Attendance: 50,113**
Mon Sep 7 Attendance: 29,589 (Labor Day and last day of the meet)
[i]** Winter cap giveaway day, so numbers reflect spinners
Other Saturdays:
Sat Aug 29th Saratoga Attendance: 34,221 [Travers Day]
Sat Aug 22nd Saratoga Attendance: 25,263
Sat Aug 15th Saratoga Attendance: 29,287
Very jealous of all who were there in person. Count yourselves lucky to see one of the true racing greats of almost any generation!
And I am with the camp that believes we haven’t come close to seeing her “bottom”. She just beat older males for heaven’s sake! That is not only not comtemplated, it’s Just. Not. Done.
Girl Power indeed!!
Yeah, those numbers seem about right. Similar to a typical Traver’s day. But much larger than a typical Saturday before Labor Day, when it is usually pretty quiet. I guess I just expected more chaos!
Andy Beyer concurs that Rachel is almost assured to be HOTY, however he too would love to see the Zenyatta camp be as sporting as Jackson and “take a risk” by shipping her to Belmont Park for a race with RA.
Andy Beyer Monday Sep 7th -“A Showdown For the Ages” (excerpts)
Zenyatta is a fresh horse, after running only three times against soft opposition this season, while Rachel Alexandra has been through a grind, running eight times in the last seven months. After earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in the Haskell Stakes of 116, she recorded a 109 at Saratoga on Saturday. Her form may be on the downgrade, while Zenyatta could very well be pointing toward a peak effort. Advantage: Zenyatta.
Jackson has been the consummate sportsman in his management of Rachel Alexandra, picking tough spots such as the Woodward so that the filly can show how good she is. And it would be extraordinarily sporting for him to risk horse-of-the-year honors in the Beldame. Meanwhile, Moss and Shirreffs have so far avoided any serious challenges this season for their mare. They have avoided racing against males. They have acted as if their main goal is not to lose and not to jeopardize the mare’s perfect record. If that was their aim, they could have retired her last season. But if they are in this game because they like the excitement of the sport, how could they resist a showdown with Rachel Alexandra?
I just loff RA - dumbarse that I am about racing - she tears me up everytime I watch her race :yes:
[QUOTE=Rubyfree;4359779]
I’ve been trying to come up with an articulate post since we got back from the track late saturday, and still the best thing I can come up with is, as Virginiabred said, Holy Sh*t. The crowd was simply electric, there’s no other word for it. What a marvelous and new experience for me, to be in a crowd so united in enthusiasm for this superstar of the sport I so love. The collective giggle when Sam played the field onto the track with “She’s always a woman to me” was endearing.
For those who think she can’t stretch out- I disagree. I think she may be learning that she doesn’t have to be a barnyard in front to get the job done. You can see her turn the afterburners on every time she catches another horse in her sight- she did it at the top of the stretch when Bullsbay made a run at her, and again just at the wire when she caught a glimpse of Macho Again. Add to that that she’s highly unlikely to run those sort of fractions in a longer race, and that she actually does seem to have some ability to rate, and I think you have a formula for a horse who can in fact do it all, distance wise. She’s got speed to spare, a vicious competitive streak, and heart enough for several horses.
That aside- I know it is the domain of all sports fans to argue about coulda shoulda wouldas, but come on- haven’t we all been waiting for the horse that would give back a good name to the sport? She’s here. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we missed it because we were too busy arguing about her connections/future legacy/potential short comings? There were grown men with tears in their eyes on saturday, screaming their fool heads off right along with young girls who’d never been to a racetrack before.
Let’s sit back and enjoy this, folks. It’s truly something special.[/QUOTE]
Terrific post! Yes. Yes. Yes. :yes::yes:
Watching her run gives me chills. The last horse I got this emotional over was Cigar, and I cannot help but entertain the notion that Rachel might have been able to beat him. She certainly could have given him a time of it.
My non-racing husband was napping on the couch while I watched the Woodward; when the filly hung on for the win, I jumped up and screamed “YES!!!”
Scared the daylights out of him!
One of the best comments I’ve seen in response to NTRA President, Alex Waldrop, the supposed marketing arm for the sport who called for Jackson, et al to rethink Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders’ Cup:
I would worry less about what Rachel is going to do during the Breeders Cup and I would worry more about what the NTRA is going to do to promote racing and Rachel in 2010. How about doing something now with ESPN to make sure Rachel is getting national exposure. And since she is running next year how about getting the marketing together to take advantage of the greatest filly ever running in 2010.
So on the money!
Sometimes you truly wonder if anyone who knows one iota about marketing is actually in charge. While I could see some tracks grumbling about promoting Rachel who will never likely see her grace their paddock - Emerald Downs, Turfway Park, Santa Anita , etc - there is a greater need for the sport collectively to sell it.
I really have to wonder if Man O’War was to come back again if the NTRA could manage to promote even that correctly.
Meh. I just don’t get excited about fillies as a rule, and for me for a horse to REALLY be a legend, etc., they have to get the weight on. I do fault Secretariat’s owners for chickening out of the older, higher weight classes and as such will never rate him as highly as Man o’ War or even consider him to have raced as hard or impressively as Citation. RA carries the weights like she was a normal filly, which she’s patently not. Either stretch her out or put more weight on her. In her races against males, the second-place horse has been well within the margin of weight difference, suggesting an even-weight race would have a different outcome. And at this point I really would not consider it right to race her against three-year-old fillies at even weights.
And I really don’t see how Zenyatta’s owners could hope for HOTY or anything other than Older Female. RA’s schedule has been much, much more challenging. About the only way they could possibly manage an HOTY coup would be to put Zenyatta in the Classic and have her beat males at 1 1/4 miles, and they’ve never put her in anything that difficult. (Though if they did and she did, the HOTY race would suddenly be very interesting. I would STILL be inclined to say RA because, weights or no, she’s had a much more challenging campaign.)
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4365097]
One of the best comments I’ve seen in response to NTRA President, Alex Waldrop, the supposed marketing arm for the sport who called for Jackson, et al to rethink Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders’ Cup:
So on the money!
Sometimes you truly wonder if anyone who knows one iota about marketing is actually in charge. While I could see some tracks grumbling about promoting Rachel who will never likely see her grace their paddock - Emerald Downs, Turfway Park, Santa Anita , etc - there is a greater need for the sport collectively to sell it.
I really have to wonder if Man O’War was to come back again if the NTRA could manage to promote even that correctly.[/QUOTE]
Oops. . .double post in my attempt to edit; of course I am removing the one with the mistake!
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;4365097]
One of the best comments I’ve seen in response to NTRA President, Alex Waldrop, the supposed marketing arm for the sport who called for Jackson, et al to rethink Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders’ Cup:
So on the money!
Sometimes you truly wonder if anyone who knows one iota about marketing is actually in charge. While I could see some tracks grumbling about promoting Rachel who will never likely see her grace their paddock - Emerald Downs, Turfway Park, Santa Anita , etc - there is a greater need for the sport collectively to sell it.
I really have to wonder if Man O’War was to come back again if the NTRA could manage to promote even that correctly.[/QUOTE]
If we could have one day, one race, featuring all of the legends (let’s say for the sake of argument it’s the Blood-Horse top 100 of the 20th century - yes, I know it would be a starting gate like no other ever designed), NTRA would fuss and nitpick and be distracted by the details to the point where they’d end up derailing it entirely.
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