This past Saturday, Rachel Alexandra posted another twenty-length victory over rival 3-year-old fillies in the Grade I Mother Goose Stakes. Twenty minutes later, Zenyatta kept her undefeated record alive by winning the Grade I Vanity Handicap.
Although each victory was impressive in its own way, the quality of challengers in both fields was a tad underwhelming. Top fillies Don’t Forget Gil, Justwhistledixie, and Dream Play all had been aiming for the Mother Goose, only to steer away when word came that Rachel Alexandra would be joining them. Similarly, Zenyatta’s toughest threat in the west wanted no part of rematching her this past weekend; the impressive four-year-old Life is Sweet would rather take her chances against open company in the upcoming Hollywoood Gold Cup.
The avoidance of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra on the part of other top-tier competitors makes a duel between the two of them seem like a must. Unfortunately for the fans, these two ladies excel in almost exactly opposite circumstances. Rachel Alexandra does most of her running on dirt, while Zenyatta’s victories have mostly come on dirt. Moreover, Zenyatta’s connections have said that the detention barns at Belmont and tight turns at Saratoga would compromise her running style.
In both stables, the campaign to force the other come to them is now underway. Jerry Moss, who owns Zenyatta, is using the same strategy IEAH Stables used last year: the logical championship and conclusion of the season is the Breeders’ Cup.
But Rachel Alexandra’s owner has a sour taste in his mouth when it comes to Santa Anita and its synthetic surface. It was there, in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, that Jess Jackson’s two-time Horse of the Year Curlin failed to hit the board for the first time, in the final race of his career. Now Jackson calls Santa Anita’s track “plastic” and vows that under no circumstances will Rachel Alexandra dignify California with her presence.
For now we simply have to wait and see who blinks first. That may come down to which camp stands to lose more by backing down.
To be sure, their respective awards are safe even if they never square off.
- Rachel Alexandra will be crowned American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly no matter what happens from here on out.
- Zenyatta will win American Champion Older Female Horse if she wins the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, and probably even if she does not.
The only way it will matter is if Horse of the Year is at stake–which it could be if (a) both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta win all of their races between now and October, and (b) no definitive front runner emerges among their male counterparts.
Whichever scenario unfolds, Zenyatta’s connections may be forced to confront legitimate foes at some point this season–whether its Rachel Alexandra in New York or the world’s top male horses in the Breeders’ Cup Classic remains to be seen. Their only other option is to simply settle for two consecutive undefeated seasons without ever being crowned Horse of the Year.
Tags: Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing, Jess Jackson, synthetic track surfaces, thoroughbred racing, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, detention barn, fillies, mares
