Incredible horse! Incredible race…
Wish I had been there!
Please share any photos if you went.
TVG did a great job too of coverage.
Holy crap. HO-lee crap. I’ve been watching horse racing for 25+ years, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a horse quite like this.
Off track? Didn’t matter.
Pressure on the lead and having to rate? Didn’t matter.
Fast fractions? Didn’t matter.
Three wide into the stretch? Didn’t matter.
She won by 6, just a few ticks off the track record. My jaw is still on the floor. The TVG commentator said she was a freak, and I wholeheartedly agree.
I have seen glimpses of such brilliance in other horses over the years, but either it was a brief flash of brilliance in the midst of a solid, respectable career, or they were injured quickly and we never got to see if their performances were a fluke–or if they were.
Holy crap.
I cried
I really did. This filly moves me.
I agree, I was moved myself!
How great was she in the paddock and post parade too (they all were)…I can’t imagine any of my OTTBs being that good!
Go baby!!!
What’s not to like about this race? Apparently the glam photo spread didn’t go to her head. [Vogue, Aug. 2009.] Just goes to show that you can be a Rhodes scholar and a photo puss at the same time.
Texang73 and I were drinking a NV Veuve Cliquot in anticipation of this astonishing win, but tell me, why are we astonished? Not to worry–if she could, RA would piaffe off of the track to “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”?
On to the Travers???
Bring it on, baby.
Thank you!
Couldn’t get the live video but I am so jazzed! I am sooo interested in racehorses that are “superstars” for whatever reason and RA is in that category. She’s an amazing racehorse and a pure pleasure to watch. Please, please, JJ, keep her racing and in the public eye. Horse racing needs her!
I love that filly.
Video in now on You tube
The video just made it to You tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVQ-oPTxsGo
Any chance she might race at Saratoga? I’d love to go see her race.
She is awesome!
Thanks for the video link! Gorgeous.
RA
I’m speechless…just speechless. Rename her to be Really Amazing. I loff, loff these racehorses. She’s a freak, a super freak ( hip bumping and lots of high fives). RA, you’re the bomb!!!
Wow.
I agree - hard to not get emotional watching that one. In recent years the “game” has become watching a good one and running off to the breeding shed… completely forgetting what the goal is- to breed a race horse, please when its staring you in the face don’t rush it off to try to duplicate the “unduplicatable”- what you are striving to produce is standing right in front of you. A superior race horse. A treasure. If/when she makes he career transition to broodmare she is not likely to reproduce herself - she is the pinnacle and should be treated as such. I hope to see her race as long as she stays sound - and I hope it’s at least several more years.
She is approaching Ruffian like status. A win in the Travers may propel her beyond. And physically she appears to be very similar.
Let me say it again- just WOW.
She has to be voted 2009 Horse of the Year
I can’t see anyone else being close…
[QUOTE=Joanne;4278996]
The video just made it to You tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVQ-oPTxsGo
Any chance she might race at Saratoga? I’d love to go see her race.[/QUOTE]
Calvin says yes, they are going to Saratoga.
Calvin’s decision to stick with RA just looks better and better.
She truly is an amazing filly, and horses that run like that always bring tears to my eyes - in the good way! :sadsmile: I too hope that they let her have a good career, and let’s see where she can go! Stunning!
[QUOTE=Lori T;4279211]
Calvin says yes, they are going to Saratoga.[/QUOTE]
He really loves that filly, doesn’t he? It’s so obvious, the way he points to her after the race, encouraging the crowd to cheer not for him, but for her. And he was petting and loving all over her.
[QUOTE=Mara;4279296]
He really loves that filly, doesn’t he? It’s so obvious, the way he points to her after the race, encouraging the crowd to cheer not for him, but for her. And he was petting and loving all over her.[/QUOTE]
True.
On the bloodhorse replay it shows him galloping out, bringing her to a nice walk then cantering back. So calm, so manageable, so professional. Have you ever noticed the really, really good ones are so so good at taking care of themselves. They eat well, they sleep well, they rarely waste energy being rank. Just above and beyond in so many ways.
I haven’t read much about what Asmussen has to say - honestly he probably is more concerned about just staying out of her way than anything else.
With luck … i.e. Rachel comes out of this awesome performance well … she seems likely to return in the Travers. :yes:
So, in short, we have a filly who has utterly and completely dominated the girls of her age, is a classic winner against the colts with another Grade I win against the boys (and the Belmont winner to boot), and seems hungry for more. Monster seems too tame a word.
As much as I adore, love and respect Zenyatta, she has to square off against Rachel Alexandra – or at least thrump the boys, too – to lay claim to Horse of the Year. Sorry, dear one: Your connections have to let you step up and face the big men so that you can send a “neneer neneer neneer” back across the country at RA.
