“I’m not thinking beyond this race.”
Which is to say that Jackson is also considering the Jockey Club Gold Cup on the same day. The JCGC is the centerpiece of New York’s ultimate dress rehearsal for horses which may, or may not, be running in the Breeders’ Cup five weeks later.
“I have to consider all the options,” said Jackson on a national teleconference Tuesday. [After Saturday’s Woodward Stakes vs. older males] she will have 13 races at two and three. We want her healthy and well for a four-year-old campaign.”
Then would Rachel run in a race on neutral ground after the Breeders’ Cup, should the Beldame summit fail to materialize?
“It’s always her decision,” Jackson said.
No one knows how things will shake out for either great filly beyond Saturday‘s events, perhaps not even the camps themselves.
Zenyatta is to have one more race before the Breeders’ Cup; either a defense of her 2008 Ladies Classic title or the ultimate test, a run against the boys in the Classic.
That would depend in large measure on how Rachel does Saturday afternoon and beyond.
The feeling here is that racing fans in general and Rachel Alexandra fans, in particular, had better enjoy Saturday’s Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It just might be the conclusion of the great filly’s extremely ambitious three-year-old campaign.
Should Rachel win the Woodward to become the first three year old filly to win the latter day classic for older horses, Zenyatta might need to ship to the red planet and defeat Martian males before any consideration is given to dethroning the conqueror of this year’s Kentucky Derby, Belmont, Travers Stakes and Whitney.
Not to mention her Preakness victory. A Woodward score certainly would demand that Zenyatta either ship to the Beldame or try to defeat Europe’s best males in the Classic including the extremely talented, multiple Group 1-winning Sea The Stars.
If Zenyatta shipped East for the Beldame and no summit took place, Rachel’s reputation would take a hit for ducking the challenge, the same way Zenyatta’s has because her people choice of an all-California campaign.
“Zenyatta is undefeated, very rare. She’s a champion, a great horse,” said Jackson. On the artificial tracks out West she’s proven to be one of the all time greats.
“John Shirreffs and the Mosses have engaged in a peerless campaign. I wish her well. Maybe [a meeting’s] not meant to be. It takes two to dance.
“Each camp has to take care of their horse. I hope fans appreciate two of the very best racing at the same time.”
With respect to the Beldame, Jackson said that in addition to the horse’s well being, there were “financial considerations,” such as the Beldame’s purse.
Sometime after Jackson committed Rachel Alexandra to the Haskell Invitational, the purse was raised considerably. Was that the case with the Woodward, raised from $500,000 to $750,000?
“If it were only about money Rachel would have run in the Travers, which was a million dollars. We had talks [with NYRA] about it. Raising the purse helps bring competition to the race, and I applaud that.”
Does Jackson have thoughts about owning the two highest North American-based money earners of all time, with Rachel Alexandra joining Curlin in the $10-million earnings club?
“This is the first time I’ve thought of that.”
A win in the 2010 Dubai World Cup would go a long way toward reaching that goal. “But they’re putting in an artificial surface at the new track [a Tapeta surface].
“Curlin was one of the few horses able to win again after running there. That’s a long way for a horse to travel.”
And that trip likely extracted a toll later in the season. Prior to Curlin’s defeat at Santa Anita came less than stunning victories in the Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
***With a win in the Classic, Zenyatta, with current earnings of $2.6-million, would become North America's premiere money-winning female. Rachel’s Haskell win elevated her earnings to near the $2.5-million mark.
With a Woodward win and no potential summit with Zenyatta at Belmont Park, figure that you won’t see Rachel Alexandra until sometime in 2010, when Jackson will “try to give her more hurdles in the process of defining her greatness.”
***Earnings figures corrected 090209. Read comment #1 beneath post
02 Sep 2009 at 01:05 pm | #
This was sent to my personal e mail from Irwin Cohen, Vice-President/Senior Editor of DRF, correcting earnings mistakes in the above post.
Thanks Irwin, will correct original copy. I need to take myself out to the woodshed now.
Zenyatta would not become the leading money-winning female if she won the Ladies Classic, even among North American-based mares.
With just a win in the Ladies Classic, she would have fewer earnings than both Azeri ($4.079M) and Ashado ($3.931M), both of whom earned all their money in NA.
Ouija Board is the all-time leading mare who raced in the US, therefore “domesticized” and on the official earnings list, with $6.3 million (over $2 million of it in three BC starts).
There are three other domesticized Japanese mares whose earnings are more than $4 million.
If Zenyatta were to win the Classic, she would become the leading all-time North American-based female, but would still trail three other foreign-based mares who raced in North America.
02 Sep 2009 at 04:25 pm | #
Mr. Pricci: WTFC’s! Give me the daily double tomorrow, please!
Are you turf writers ever going to get it?
02 Sep 2009 at 04:26 pm | #
Thanks, Mark, for the quick fix and JRP for the blogs, reports and reader forum…
The Woodward Stakes
Post time: Saturday 09/05/09 at 5:50 p.m. EDT at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Purse: $750,000. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. Television: MSG Plus, TVG and HRTV. Radio: WQKC 1450-AM.
Rachel gets post #3 and carries 8 pounds less than her older male rivals…
Zenyatta need not apply. LMAO!
This race will fill the race track stands. Many established fans will see or watch online.
NOT one new potential fan will hear or see this race. None will be curious enough to read about something they have not already been introduced to. It is huge. It is history. The potential to even create new history is huge. Second filly to ever attempt this race. And is the established fav to win it!
For the general public, they offer local am radio? My god, the Paulick-Hope supporters must be peeing themselves right now.
http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/rachel-v-zenyatta-theatre-of-the-absurd/comment-page-2/#comment-16122
Never argue with fools - first, they’ll try to get you down to their level and then defeat you with experience.
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
Folks, this is the depth and density of the stupidity and self-serving attitude regularly shown by this industry.
R.I.P.
02 Sep 2009 at 05:13 pm | #
Wendell,
Was depending on you for the double; there’s your area. I make one free selection a day. Any more and I would be charging money for it. To date, handicapping the feature for nearly three years, still have a positive ROI.
Dennis,
You’re right, no one will see it nationally. Can you imagine no one approaching the National Football Channel and offer--even in instant replay--a half-time racing bonus.
The ESPN deal sure has done lots for racing but not as much as racing has done for ESPN by providing programming when the sports they’d rather carry are dark. “Jockeys” has done more for the sport.
JP