From the ArcaMax Publishing, Sports Update Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/sports/s-572640-676318
They both won easily during the weekend and a showdown between super
fillies Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta will be one of the highlights of
the racing season -- if it ever takes place.
Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness
Stakes, won Saturday's $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old
fillies at Belmont Park. Zenyatta remained undefeated with a
convincing victory in the $250,000 Vanity Breeders' Cup Handicap at
Hollywood Park.
A meeting between the two has been high on the racing agenda since
Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by nearly 20 lengths and the
anticipation intensified after she defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mine
That Bird in the Preakness.
But Rachel Alexandra's owner, Jess Jackson, made it clear last
Wednesday his filly will not race on an artificial surface, ruling out
a bid in November's Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita, a
race Zenyatta won last year over the same surface.
Regardless of plans for Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta could opt to run
against males in the $5 million Classic, rather than try for a repeat
in the filly-mare event.
But Saturday, Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss told Sirius XM Radio's "Down
the Stretch" there is "a good chance" a race can be found elsewhere in
which the superstars could compete. He said a key consideration is
giving Zenyatta a chance to win Horse of the Year honors -- a title
she lost last year to Curlin.
"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.
Graded stakes for significant purses where the two might meet include
the July 19 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park, the Aug. 2 Go for Wand
at Saratoga and the Aug. 29 Personal Ensign, also at the Spa, or the
Ruffian Handicap in September at Belmont.
The weekend results make it clear the two stars have no other worthy
rivals.
Rachel Alexandra, facing only two rivals, surged to the lead at the
quarter pole in the Mother Goose and reprised her Kentucky Oaks
performance, this time winning by 19 1/4 lengths. Malibu Prayer and
Flashing were second and third. The Medaglia d'Oro filly, trained by
Steve Asmussen and ridden by Calvin Borel, bettered two stakes
records. The time of 1:46.33 erased the mark set by Lakeway in 1994
and the margin of victory bettered the record of 13 1/2 lengths set by
Ruffian in 1975.
"Believe me, she's not normal," Borel said. "I'm telling you, she's
unbelievable. I nudged (her) on the turn for home around the quarter
pole but that was it. To make sure she'd get something out of it and
do something for me. She is, I don't know, like a Secretariat or a
Seattle Slew. I've never been on one like that in my life."
Out west, Zenyatta put in her typical performance despite carrying 129
pounds, rallying from fifth to win easily, by 2 1/2 lengths over
pace-setter Briecat. Dawn After Dawn was third.
Zenyatta covered the 9 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:48.15
under Mike Smith.
"She's a big, strong horse and obviously we weren't afraid of the
extra three pounds," said winning trainer John Sherriffs. Zenyatta won
the Milady in her last start under 126 pounds.
"She's a champion and that's what champions do," Sherriffs added. "You
can't run from it. Embrace it."
Smith watched Rachel Alexandra's victory on a trackside TV before
going to the paddock to take a leg up on Zenyatta. "I thought she ran
dynamite," he said of Rachel Alexandra. "Maybe down the road we can
have a little race together. It would be nice and it would be great
for racing, I believe."
Other races that could affect the Ladies' Classic Division:
-- Euphony stalked the pace in Saturday's $125,000 Iowa Distaff at
Prairie Meadows, got by the leaders entering the stretch and won by 1
length over pace-setter Bear Now. Day of Victory finished third.
Euphony, a 4-year-old daughter of Forest Wildcat, ran the 1 1/16 miles
on a fast track in 1:42.71.
-- Dance For Us rallied from last of eight to win Sunday's $250,000
(Canadian) Bison City Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies at
Woodbine. The bay daughter of Monashee Mountain came wide in the
stretch to take aim at the leaders, got the lead at the sixteenth pole
and held on to win by a nose over Flashy Got Even. High Mist was the
early leader and finished third. The odds-on favorite, Retraceable,
was never in the mix and finished sixth. Dance For Us ran the 1 1/16
miles on the all-weather track in 1:44.59 for jockey Chantal
Sutherland.
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Other races with potential impact on the $25.5 million Breeders' Cup
World Championships Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita:
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$5 million Classic
Seven-year-old Jonesboro continued his winning ways with a
pace-stalking victory in Saturday's $300,000 Prairie Meadows
Cornhusker Handicap, drawing off at the end to win by 1 3/4 lengths
over Shadowdancing. The favorite, My Pal Charlie, was third.
Jonesboro, a Kentucky-bred son of Sefapianio, finished the 9 furlongs
on a fast track in 1:48.01 under Clifton Berry. In the past two
months, Jonesboro also won the Texas Mile and finished second to It's
a Bird in the Lone Star Park Handicap. "Maybe he has gotten better as
he's gotten older," winning trainer Randy Morse told the Des Moines
Register. "If he has, I like it. He ran a great race. It's a pleasure
to have a horse like this … But if you look at his races, he had a
lot of seconds and thirds to some awfully good horses throughout his
career. He's been a little bit unlucky." Jonesboro has won 14 of 40
career starts and earned nearly $1.4 million.
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$3 million Emirates Airline Turf
Fame and Glory got to the leaders with a furlong to run in Sunday's
Irish Derby at the Curragh and went on to win by 5 lengths over
stablemate Golden Sword. Mourayan was third. The race lost an element
Saturday when Sea the Stars was withdrawn because of the yielding
ground. Fame and Glory, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Johnny
Murtagh, ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.87. Winning trainer John Oxx said
Fame and Glory now will tackle the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown July 5,
where he is expected to meet Breeders' Cup Turf champion Conduit.
In France, Spanish Moon rallied from mid-pack to win Sunday's Grand
Prix de Saint-Cloud by 1 1/2 lengths from the filly Alpine Rose.
Shining Moon, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred son of El Prado, ran the 1
1/2 miles on ground rated "soft" in 2:27.4. Spanish Moon reportedly is
targeting the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
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$2 million Turf Mile
Rahy's Attorney led from gate to wire in Saturday's $300,000
(Canadian) King Edward Handicap at Woodbine, winning by 1 length over
Sterwins. The favorite, Baletti, checked in third. Rahy's Attorney, a
5-year-old, Ontario-bred gelding by Crown Attorney, ran the 9 furlongs
on firm turf in course-record time of 1:44.73 with Slade Callaghan up
for trainer Ian Black. "He always tries," Callaghan said. "I told Ian
after that last race that they would have to run a track record again
to beat him. It just so happens that he got the track record this
time. At the top of the lane, he dug in. He saw the horses on the
outside and he gave me everything he had. He's just a fantastic
horse."
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$2 million Bessemer Trust Juvenile Fillies
Decelerator was just the opposite in Saturday's $100,000 Debutante
Stakes at Churchill Downs. After stalking the pace, the Dehere filly
engaged Wild Forest Cat at the top of the stretch and battled to a
game victory, a neck in front under the wire. Kinsolving was third.
The stewards looked at some bumping in the stretch and let the result
stand. Decelerator, with Julien Leparoux up for trainer D. Wayne
Lukas, ran the 6 furlongs in 1:11.28 on a fast track. "She's a gutsy
filly," Lukas said. "You know, she hadn't run since May and I didn't
do a lot with her, as you could see by the works. If she was short,
she'd be short. I wanted to save a little something for that little
place in northern New York (Saratoga). We'll come back in about 30
days and go in the Schuylerville," he said, referring to the July 29
Spa fixture for juvenile fillies.
Midst dueled for the early lead in Sunday's $150,000 (Canadian) My
Dear Stakes at Woodbine, opened up a lead heading into the stretch and
held off Franny Freud to win by 1 length. Elated Moon was third.
Midst, a Florida-bred daughter of Closing Argument, ran the 5 furlongs
on the all-weather track in 56.73 seconds under jockey Patrick
Husbands.
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$2 million Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf
Composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Dar Re Mi won Saturday's Group 1 Pretty
Polly Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland, earning a berth in the
Breeders' Cup. The 4-year-old Singspiel filly set a slow pace over
yielding turf, then held on to win by a head over Beach Bunny. The 1
1/4 miles took 2:14.04. Look Here, also being pointed to the Breeders'
Cup, finished third with a late run.
Black Mamba came from last of four to win Sunday's $150,000 Beverly
Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park, finishing a head better than
Charming Legacy. The pace-setter, You Lift Me Up, finished third.
Black Mamba, a 6-year-old, New Zealand-bred mare by Black Minnaloushe,
ran the 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 1:59.72. Garrett Gomez rode for
trainer John Sadler. "Her style is to close and she doesn't really
have a dimension when she can lay up close," Sadler said. "Less horses
didn't help us." He said the mare's next target is the Beverly D. at
Arlington Park on the Aug. 8 International Festival of Racing card.
Mary's Follies used a late rail move to upset Saturday's $150,000
Boiling Springs Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park. The
More Than Ready filly got home 1/2 length ahead of Kiawah Kat, with
Obsequious third. With Stewart Elliott in the irons, Mary's Follies
covered the 1 1/16 miles over "good" turf in 1:41.2 in her first race
on the grass. "This really opens up a whole new door for this horse,"
said winning trainer John Forbes. "We'll have to sit down and map out
a plan with her. She certainly seemed to like the turf today and right
now I can't say whether she'll stay on turf or not." She now has won
half her six lifetime starts and has a two-race winning streak.
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$2 million Sentient Sprint
Kodiak Kowboy reasserted his leadership in the Sprint division with a
4-lengths victory in Saturday's $200,000 Donald LeVine Memorial
Handicap at Philadelphia Park. With Gabriel Saez in the irons, the
4-year-old Posse colt sat off the early pace, then took charge in the
stretch and won easily as the heavy favorite. Cassoulet was a
delicious second and Cherokee Country third. Kodiak Kowboy got the 7
furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.38. Trainer Larry Jones said his
horse will head for Saratoga, with the Forego as his main target
there.
Ez Dreamer led all the way to a huge upset in Saturday's $125,000 Iowa
Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows. Sent off at odds of 24-1, the
4-year-old, Arizona-bred In Excess colt sailed home 3 3/4 lengths
ahead of his closest rival, Sok Sok. Semaphore Man was third and the
favorite, Bold Start, finished next-last of six. Ez Dreamer, with
Glenn Corbett up, ran the 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:08.26.
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$2 million Sentient Filly & Mare Sprint
Porte Bonheur swung four-wide at the quarter pole in Sunday's $150,000
First Flight Handicap at Belmont Park and was just up in time to win
by a nose over Spritely. Turn Away was third. Porte Bonheur, a
4-year-old, Kentucky-bred Hennessey filly, ran 7 furlongs on a fast
track in 1:22.45 with Ramon Dominguez up.