Rachel Alexandra to skip Breeders' Cup

Rachel replay,must be good work if you can get it! Hope the commentator is ok after this.

1/20 was a reasonable price. lol

Zenyatta off to Del Mar - Rachel clash unlikely

USA: The chances of a clash between America's two superstar females Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta appear to have receded again after Zenyatta's connections nominated a Grade 1 event at Del Mar for the mare's next outing.

However, they also suggested she could end her career by taking on the colts in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November.

Either way, Zenyatta will not meet Rachel Alexandra there, as the three-year-old's owner Jess Jackson has ruled running her at the Breeders' Cup owing to the artificial surface at Santa Anita.


Rachel Alexandra, stunning winner of the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont on Saturday, has now been shipped to Saratoga and will be staying on the east coast dirt tracks for the remainder of the season.



Zenyatta, on the other hand, is now set to run in Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on August 9 after taking her unbeaten record to 11 in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Owner Jerry Moss stated his enthusiasm for taking Zenyatta outside California to tackle Rachel Alexandra in a clash the whole of the US is eager to see.

But for now at least, it seems a case of never the twain shall meet, although Zenyatta's trainer has not outlined plans beyond Del Mar, leaving the door open for a trip to New York before the Breeders' Cup, where she was such a spectacular winner last year in the Ladies' Classic.

According to the Daily Racing Form, Shirreffs is leaning towards staying at home before the Classic, "unless Mr. Moss felt like we needed to go to New York".

The Classic would probably be Zenyatta's final race before going to the paddocks in 2010.

"If you're going to run against the boys, you might as well do it in the big one," Shirreffs said. "And the Breeders' Cup is at Santa Anita."

Of a potential clash with Rachel Alexandra, Shirreffs added: "I think what you have are two great fillies racing at the same time, but they are on different paths.

"One is a three-year-old, and there is a five-year-old. It depends on what happens in the next few months."

The Daily Racing Form also reported Rachel Alexandra to have come out of her breathtaking victory at Belmont Park in good shape.

She was taken to Saratoga on Sunday morning ready for the summer meeting at the upstate New York track as connection mull over their options.

Races mentioned for the Preakness winner include the $1 million Delaware Handicap on July 19, the Coaching Club American Oaks back at Belmont on July 25 and the $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park on August 2 against males.

Scarcely 12 hours after her record-setting victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose at Belmont Park, Rachel Alexandra stepped onto a van that carried her up the Northway to Saratoga Race Course, which will be the base for her summer campaign.

“She ran a big race,” said trainer Steve Asmussen of the three-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who set a stakes record of 1:46.33 for the nine furlongs, along with establishing the largest margin of victory (19¼ lengths) in the 53-year history of the race. “I think (jockey) Calvin (Borel) said it best – she’s not normal.”

Asmussen, still wearing one of the 10,000 pink “Rachel Alexandra” bracelets that were given away on Saturday, said he had watched the replay of the Mother Goose several times, and was still bowled over by the ease of her victory.

“The best way to describe it is that she’s got an extremely high cruising speed,” said Asmussen of the filly, co-owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable and Harold McCormick. “But obviously, we’ve known that about her for a long time.”

Rachel Alexandra, who extended her record to 9-2-0 from 12 starts with earnings of $1,798,354, arrived at Saratoga mid-morning and took up residence in Curlin’s former stall in Asmussen’s barn near the Oklahoma training track.

“She shipped great,” said assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who accompanied Rachel Alexandra to Saratoga. “She’s settled into Curlin’s old stall, which is now her stall, right next to my office.

“She recovered very well,” added Blasi. “She seemed strong yesterday and was starving when we fed her last night, and ate everything this morning, as well.”

Several possibilities exist for Rachel Alexandra’s next start, including the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for three-year-old fillies at 1¼ miles at Belmont Park on July 25, the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy for three-year-olds at nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 1, and the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational, also for three-year-olds, at Monmouth Park on Aug. 2.

Following one of those, the scenario could next include the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes for three-year-old fillies at 1¼ miles on Saturday, Aug. 22, the $1 million Shadwell Travers for three-year-olds going 1¼ miles on Saturday, Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course, or even the Grade 1, $400,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares, three-years-old and up, going 1 1/4 miles on Sunday, Aug. 30.

Asmussen declined to engage in any speculations.

“I’m well-versed in that with the Curlin-Big Brown thing last year,” he said. “I’m just going to worry about her health and happiness, and then we’ll sit down and decide what’s best for her.”

Calvin Borel loses the ride on Mine That Bird

USA: Calvin Borel has lost the ride on Mine That Bird, aboard whom he produced such a daredevil performance to record a shock 50-1 victory in the Kentucky Derby.

According to the Daily Racing Form, Mine That Bird will have a new rider when he makes his next appearance in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park on August 1.

Owners Mark Allen and Leonard Blach have opted to replace Borel as the rider could not commit to riding Mine That Bird all the way through to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Borel jumped off the Kentucky hero in the Preakness to partner superstar filly Rachel Alexandra, who beat Mine That Bird into second at Pimlico.

He regained the ride for the Belmont, and was criticised for his display there when the gelding finished third.

Borel was expected to ride Mine That Bird at Mountaineer, but he and his agent Jerry Hissem were evidently unwilling to give a firm commitment.

Borel is also linked to the Ian Wilkes-trained colt Warrior's Reward, who is being targeted at Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes the same day.


"I'm not going to bad-mouth Calvin or Jerry because they've done me a lot of good," said Allen, speaking in the Form.

"Heck, they won the Derby for me. But I'm not going to let them hang us out the way they did before the Preakness, waiting until the last minute to tell us we needed another rider.

"I'm going to do what I have to do, just like they have to do what they have to do."

Borel is due to ride Warrior's Reward in the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, where Dubai stalwart Asiatic Boy is due to run in the Suburban Handicap.

Mine That Bird and Warrior's Reward are both being aimed for the Travers Stakes, Saratoga's $1 million ‘midsummer derby' on August 29 August.