Rachel Alexandra to skip Breeders' Cup

Champion filly Rachel Alexandra will skip the Breeders' Cup because of the synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park, owner Jess Jackson said.

The Preakness champion, however, is training well for Saturday's £180,000 Mother Goose Stakes for three-year-old fillies and could race through her four-year-old campaign, he added.

"She's rested, healthy and ready to run (on Saturday)," Jackson said ahead of the 53rd running of the Grade I Mother Goose at Belmont Park.

Jackson, however, said Rachel Alexandra would not run in the November 6-7 Breeders' Cup because he does not like the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita, ending the chance of a clash there with undefeated mare Zenyatta.

Reuters

if she goes to dubai, she is gonna demolish everything!

Would rather see her face Zenyatta at some point in the US.

true....

I knew if Jess Jackson opened his mouth enough times, something that made sense would come out!

Rachel aclimatising at Belmont

The IFHA ratings for dirt runs since 1 Dec 08:

124 Well Armed (USA) *1st Dubai World Cup*
123 Zenyatta (USA) *1st Milady H.* -> artificial surface, not dirt
121 Mine That Bird (USA) *1st Kentucky Derby*
121 Rachel Alexandra (USA) *1st Kentucky Oaks*
119 Albertus Maximus (USA) *1st Donn Handicap*
119 Big City Man (USA) *1st Dubai Golden Shaheen*
119 Kane Hekili (Jpn) *1st Tokyo Daishoten*
119 Musketman (USA) *3rd Preakness*
119 Summer Bird (USA) *1st Belmont*

AMERICA'S superstar females Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta both landed Grade 1 events on Saturday - on opposite sides of the country.

Preakness heroine Rachel Alexandra produced another commanding performance with a runaway victory in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park, while spectacular Breeders' Cup winner Zenyatta extended her unbeaten record to 11 in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.

And the clash that the whole American racing community is dreaming about might yet happen as Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss said he is keen to take the mare out of California to face Rachel Alexandra.

Rachel Alexandra was stunning in the Mother Goose, a 1m1f event on dirt at Belmont.

Sent off 1-20 favourite - theminimum dividend possible - on her first start since beating the boys in the Preakness, she simply overwhelmed her rivals to score a runaway victory by nearly 20 lengths.

Back against the girls in the $300,000 contest, the Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Medaglia D'Oro proved far too good for her only two remaining opponents after Florida Oaks winner Don't Forget Gil and Hopeful Image were scratched on the morning of the race.

Rachel Alexandra usually races handily but jockey Calvin Borel shrewdly decided to settle her in last place as allowance-race winner Malibu Prayer and Godolphin's Flashing vied for the lead.

Down the back stretch, Rachel Alexandra was more than four lengths back in third as the other pair scorched through hot fractions, covering the first half-mile in an ambitious 44.66s.

But this pace was far too gruelling for these overmatched fillies, and Rachel Alexandra moved up smoothly between them rounding the home turn.

She challenged easily between horses turning into the stretch before drawing away as she liked with the minimum of urging to score in a similar manner to her breathtaking Kentucky Oaks victory.

"She's not normal," Borel said. "She's unbelievable."

Rachel Alexandra covered the 1m1f in a stakes-record time of 1m46.33s as she took her career record to nine wins from12 starts, scoring by an astonishing 19¼ lengths over Malibu Prayer.

"She's something special - she's one for the ages," said owner Jess Jackson.

"She's a champion. I just hope we have enough horses entering the races that we fill them. It'smore exciting when you have more competition."

Over in California, the five-year-old Zenyatta (John Shirreffs/Mike Smith) looked to have by far the tougher assignment on paper as she was giving away at least 13lb to her rivals in the Vanity, where she carried top-weight of 9st 13lb, a huge burden by latter-day American standards.

But she made no mistake, easily beating Briecat at odds of 3-10 in the 1m1f event on the all-weather.

Zenyatta raced in fifth, off the pace as usual about five lengths back before beginning her move on the far turn before challenging eventual third Dawn After Dawn and Briecat on the outside.

Although Zenyatta was cruising, she did not take the lead until the final furlong before going on to score going away by two lengths.

"I was trying to time it where I won by a length," said winning rider Mike Smith.

"She is just amazing," added trainer John Sherriffs. "It's wonderful that other people appreciate this.

"I know Mike wasn't really asking her yet," he added. "He rode with a lot of confidence. She always pulls herself up a little when she makes the lead."

Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss told a radio show on Saturday morning "there's a good chance" Zenyatta would leave southern California to race this year and that he "would very much like" to see her face Rachel Alexandra.

"If the two horses are ready and at the top of their form, I would very much like to see a race between the two of them," Moss said.

Rachel winning the mother goose



Zenyatta winning the vanity at hollywood

Zenyatta winning the gr1 Vanity

Good morning Hibby, you are a STAR!

txs very much ABC first with the news.

Good race 63 kilos on her back.