'Rachel Alexandra': back to work in 2010

[Glimmerglass]

Back in training (Nov 24, 2009)

Rachel Alexandra, the superstar filly who has been taking it easy on the Churchill Downs backstretch for the last seven weeks, has returned to the racetrack for the first time since arriving here Oct. 7 from Saratoga.

Owned primarily by the Stonestreet Stables of Jess Jackson and trained by Steve Asmussen, Rachel Alexandra jogged a very easy mile Monday and Tuesday, both times going late in the morning when traffic is very light on the main track.

“She was ready to get out there and do something, finally,” said assistant trainer Scott Blasi. “She’s put on a lot of weight, looks beautiful, traveling great. We just wanted to get her back out there a few days because she’s so familiar and comfortable with the track here at Churchill.”

Blasi said Rachel Alexandra will ship to Fair Grounds in New Orleans after the Churchill meet concludes on Saturday, “although we haven’t made a final decision on exactly what day.”

Jackson and Asmussen have said they intend to race Rachel Alexandra as a 4-year-old, with a more serious training regimen to begin sometime after she arrives at Fair Grounds, where Asmussen’s top horses are stabled every winter.

Tuesday morning, with Dominic Terry up and while accompanied by a stable pony ridden by Blasi, Rachel Alexandra came out onto the 5 1/2-furlong gap Tuesday at about 9:30 a.m. She proceeded to jog once around the one-mile track, staying on the outer perimeter until exiting the same gap she entered. Blasi said the filly likely will continue to have the same sort of easy training schedule until leaving here.

Rachel Alexandra had done little more than graze and stand in her stall until about 10 days ago, when she began walking under tack on the shed row each morning.

[Glimmerglass]

She’s now at the Fair Grounds (New Orleans) to begin training:

Asmussen said that he has no immediate plans to work Rachel Alexandra.

“Nothing’s scheduled,” he said. “She won’t work for a long time. She’s only galloped four miles since she has been under tack.”

Rachel Alexandra joins Friesan Fire, the 2009 Louisiana Derby winner, in Asmussen’s barn.

Roll tape: video of her arrival 11/28/09 (1 min 30 seconds)

Side notes:

Once thought to be the big girl on the block about this time last year, Stardom Bound, made her big return in the 114th running of the Grade 1 Gazelle Stakes. She finished 5th.

And the original trainer of Rachel Alexandra and who led her to the smashing victory in the Kentucky Oaks, Hal Wiggins, called it career Friday Nov 27th. He did so with a most unexpected final start and victory:

… his final starter, High Spirit, posted an improbable victory at 26-1.

High Spirit paid $55.60 after rallying from well back to win the first-level allowance race under Terry Thompson. Predictably, Wiggins was mobbed by friends and well-wishers in the winner’s circle. The victory was the 872nd of his career.

Earlier Friday, Wiggins said could think of nothing more appropriate than winning a race with Calvin Borel as his training career wound down. Thursday, Borel gave Wiggins his 871st training victory when Lady Durly rallied up the rail.

“I’ve got an old black-and-white photo of Calvin and I together in the winner’s circle at Delta Downs in 1983,” said Wiggins. “I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s done over the last two or three years.”

Borel’s feats have been well-documented: Among other major accomplishments, he has won two of the last three runnings of the Kentucky Derby and is the regular rider of the superstar filly Rachel Alexandra.

It was Wiggins who gave Borel the mount on Rachel Alexandra before she was sold following her victory in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks. And it was Wiggins who joyfully greeted Borel in the Churchill Downs winner’s circle after the fourth race Thursday, when Lady Durlyn went last-to-first with a winning “Bo-rail” ride.

Wiggins, who turns 67 on Monday, is retiring to the Houston area with his wife, Renee. His commission from the sale of Rachel Alexandra is allowing him to comfortably retire.

“Renee’s already in our new house, and I’ll pack the car and leave Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Wiggins.

[Glimmerglass]

Not sure why Sports Illustrated chose the title for the article profile (there is a wonderful female runner known as Gozzip Girl out there) but so be it:

SI magazine Dec 7, 2009 “The Gossip Girl”

(It’s a fairly length article on her and the connections)

In addition author Mark Beech made the case for Rachel Alexandra as SI’s Sportsman of the Year see SI.com/sportsman, although for 2009 it went to NY Yankee’s Derek Jetter.

[clint]

Great article; thanks for posting that.

[Glimmerglass]

The Fair Grounds eager to retain their current star resident as a runner in early 2010 has reworked a race newly named the ‘New Orleans Ladies’ set to go off March 13, 2010 with a fat $200,000 purse for the 1 1/16-mile distance. The race however is ungraded.

The New Orleans Ladies is the richest race of the Fair Grounds season for fillies and mares and serves as a counterpart to the New Orleans H. (G2) for older horses, which will be run on March 27.

Also, not reported widely is news that Jess Jackson actually made a very interesting proposal to Mr/Mrs Jerry Moss with Zenyatta just before the Breeders Cup. Per Tim Wilkins (Times Union) who spoke to him last week (12/4):

Jackson said he made an offer to have Rachel and Zenyatta run against each other in the best two-of-three series — one race on dirt, another on turf and a third on synthetic.

“I talked to Mr. (Jerry) Moss (Zenyatta’s owner) right before the Breeders’ Cup,” Jackson said by cell phone. “But, he declined. He said he felt that they wanted to retire her. It will probably never be resolved.”

I’ve said it before - clearly Jess Jackson will try Rachel (as he did with Curlin) on the turf at least once in 2010.

[cloudyandcallie]

Thanks for that interesting update.
Sounds like Mr. Jackson is a very sporting man.
And that the best of 3 races may be the world series of horse racing!:lol:
Both great girls but I still prefer Rachel and her owner, who ran her against the boys first.

[Falconfree]

I really hope she does run in NO in March. That is not too far a drive, and we would have the excuse that we are there to visit Hubby’s grandmother. I would LOVE to see her run.

[Glimmerglass]

TIME magazine “Top 10 Sports Moments in 2009”

#5. Phenomenal Filly: Rachel Alexandra wins the Preakness Stakes (in particular)

(Note: No other equine accomplishments made their list)

[Glimmerglass]

Per the DRF 1-2-10 “Rachel targets February work”

After getting New Year’s Day off, Rachel Alexandra went back to the track Saturday, resuming her routine of jogging a mile and then galloping a mile over the Fair Grounds main track.

The series of gallops is designed to lead to workouts in early February, training for a not-yet-decided 2010 campaign for Rachel.

“With the cool weather today and the off day yesterday, she felt very good,” trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday. “She’s traveling great and did exceptional.”

Off since her victory in the Grade 1 Woodward on Sept. 5, Rachel Alexandra has been starting back slowly. She began with slow jogs in the mornings - traveling the wrong way on the outer part of the track - and has progressed into the routine of jogging a mile followed by galloping a mile.

The steady routine was interrupted in December by torrential rains in the middle of the month and the holidays at the end of the month.

“With the holidays behind us, we hope the weather will allow us to continue uninterrupted,” Asmussen said. “Conservatively, we are looking to the first of February to work.”

[linquest]

Is RA going to be at Fairgrounds through March? I just moved to NOLA and have not made an excuse to visit the track yet. I’d love to see RA in the flesh. Anyone wanna come with? :winkgrin:

[Glimmerglass]

Despite the bad weather at Fair Grounds she’s on track to do her first breeze on or about Feb 1st. This week she has gone out and jogged one mile, then gallop a mile per the DRF 1-20-10.

Regarding her fitness and when she’ll be ready:

In her spirited Wednesday [Jan 20] gallop, Rachel looked like she could drag exercise rider Dominic Terry the 530 miles to Oaklawn in a matter of a couple hours.

“It’s too early to say yet,” Asmussen said, asked his opinion of whether Rachel could be ready for a start at the Fair Grounds meet, a potential stepping-stone to the Apple Blossom. “If you’re actually going to do what’s best for the horse, you just don’t know yet.”

It does look like Steve Asumssen & Co. is looking to plan out multiple meetings with Zenyatta plus have a solid season - none of this rarely used like a Bugatti in a car collection nonsense:

Asmussen said he hopes Jackson and Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta’s owners, will get together and map out a series of two or three races through 2010 where the two champions could meet.

“I don’t think you can just hand-pick one race to compare them,” said Asmussen.

Asked how many times he would like to see Rachel Alexandra race during 2010, should her campaign develop under ideal conditions, Asmussen said that six or seven starts would seem suitable.

[Zevida]

I was really hoping they’d plan an eight race campaign for Rachel so if she is able to stay undefeated this year as well, she would break Cigar’s record. Of course, Zenyatta’s got a five race head start on her for that record!

[Glimmerglass]

Back to work - Jan 31, 2010!

First official work in 2010 at the Fair Grounds

… posted her first official work of the year on Sunday over Fair Grounds’ fast dirt, breezing a half-mile in :52 with regular exercise rider Dominic Terry aboard.

“I even asked for a touch slower but for her that’s just physically impossible,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to Rachel Alexandra’s trainer, Steve Asmussen. “Dominic did a good job. He had to trick her into going that slow but right now that’s what’s best for her.”

Rachel Alexandra entered the track at the half-mile gap at 6:25 a.m. (CST) with Terry up and led by Blasi aboard his pony.

[Glimmerglass]

She’s getting back into her wicked pace of training and dragging the exercise rider along!

Feb 6, 2010 workout at Fair Grounds - half-mile in 50.60 seconds

As Rachel Alexandra circled back to Blasi after galloping out, she reared twice, as though she didn’t want to be led off the track.

“Her energy level is unbelievable,” said Blasi. “She’s a happy horse.”

Rachel Alexandra hasn’t raced since her victory in the Grade 1 Woodward on Sept. 5. Since arriving at Fair Grounds at the end of November, she has been asked to do a bit more in her training each week.

After weeks of walking a mile and galloping a mile, Asmussen gave Rachel Alexandra her first work of the year on Sunday, Jan. 31., a half-mile in 52. Saturday’s move came six days later and Asmussen has scheduled her next work for Friday or Saturday, depending on the weather.

I think she’ll be ready for a start in March - as planned - likely there at the Fair Grounds and then good for the Apple Blossom Invitational.

[DickHertz]

I guess it’s far fetched to propose their own “Triple Crown” for the ladies?

A race in June in the west on poly, a race in late summer on dirt in the midwest or east and the last race being the Ladies Classic.

I’d rather see them face each other 3 times than in early spring only to hear the Rachel camp make excuses about it being too early in hindsight. Let them each get a prep or two in and then have a series of 3 races to settle who is the best mare in most of our lifetimes.

[ivy62]

I would lilke to see them meet each other several times during the year, so it is not one race and someone wins and someone doesn’t…That would make for aother fantastic year of racing…And maybe give some other owners a thought about not retiring everyone at 3! I wish them safe home always…but I love Z!

[dutchboy]

Rachel Alexandra brought me back to watching racing again. She is such a spectacular girl and I am so excited to hear that she in training and getting fit. What a horse!

[DickHertz]

[QUOTE=DickHertz;4667688]
I guess it’s far fetched to propose their own “Triple Crown” for the ladies?

A race in June in the west on poly, a race in late summer on dirt in the midwest or east and the last race being the Ladies Classic.

I’d rather see them face each other 3 times than in early spring only to hear the Rachel camp make excuses about it being too early in hindsight. Let them each get a prep or two in and then have a series of 3 races to settle who is the best mare in most of our lifetimes.[/QUOTE]

“Dick, did you talk to Jess Jackson or did he read your post?”

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/rachel-alexandra-connections-propose-racing-series/

$10 says Alex Wald-dope will figure out a way to screw it up and not make it happen !!!

[Glimmerglass]

Rachel’s 4-yr old start has been mapped out - 2010 debut, as expected and cited above, will be at Fair Grounds

Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra will make her first start of the year in the March 13 New Orleans Ladies in preparation for her scheduled race against Zenyatta in the April 9 Apple Blossom.

Owner Jess Jackson told Fair Grounds officials Thursday night that Rachel Alexandra would be pointed to the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies, created by the Fair Grounds this season in the hope that Rachel Alexandra would use the race to begin her 2010 campaign.