Reigning Champions
June 28th 2009 03:07
It's reigning champions.
Who is the better out of the two undefeated females, Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra?
(photo: AP. This is as close as they ever get to Rachel Alexandra, shown here leading around the home turn in the 2009 Preakness Stakes).
Zenyatta as an older female has proved durable over several seasons and returned in 2009 where she left off in 2008.
While Rachel Alexandra toys with her opposition - apart from her narrow(ish) win against the males in the Group One Preakness Stakes - she has just completed her seventh straight victory when winning (ever so easily) the Group One Mother Goose Stakes of 1 1/8 miles by a staggering 19 1/4 lengths. And in doing so breaking the record for the Mother Goose Stakes running 1: 46.33 and bettering the previous record which was set in 1994 by Lakeway. Calvin Borel eased her down so much in the straight that perhaps Secretariat’s record of 1: 45 2/5 for the distance may have been threatened had she been tested. Nothing seems to trouble this super filly - instead of racing on the speed as she had done at her previous wins her two rivals concocted a way of defeating her by taking the race out at breakneck speed with the first 6 furlongs being run at a sizzling 1: 08.86. But Rachel just camped off their speed and gave them windburn in passing.
Rachel Alexandra has now a combined winning margin of 63 3/4 quarter lengths from her seven victories.
"How about that! I am a modest guy. I was hoping for maybe ten lengths. She is a special filly, she is a champion, she is a lady. We don't know where her bottom is. She has beauty combined with speed, so fast. I think she's the best three-year-old, right now. She just broke a track record and she wasn't even asked." - Jess Jackson as told to The Thoroughbred Times.
Zenyatta gave weight and a 2 1/2 length beating to her rivals in the Group One Vanity at Hollywood Park. The US Champion Older Mare will not relinquish her crown without a fight.
Both stables anticipate the prospect of a clash between these two racing superstars. Jess Jackson is adamant that Rachel Alexandra will not race on a synthetic surface and that Zenyatta will have to travel east for them to race.
“Hopefully, we will meet somewhere. If not the Breeders’ Cup [on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park in November], maybe it will be somewhere else. I think time will tell on something like that, and we will go from there.” - Jerry Moss, owner of Zenyatta, as told to The Thoroughbred Times.
My opinion is that the versatility of Rachel Alexandra may be the deciding factor in any race they contest. Zenyatta will be out the back and set to produce her withering finish - while Rachel Alexandra may be on the speed, smothered just behind the speed, or even shoulder to shoulder with Zenyatta out the back. The pace of the race dictates her racing position. This is a decided advantage.
2009 Mother Goose Stakes won by Rachel Alexandra:
2009 Vanity won by Zenyatta:
Who is the better out of the two undefeated females, Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra?
Rachel Alexandra leading for home in the Preakness
(photo: AP. This is as close as they ever get to Rachel Alexandra, shown here leading around the home turn in the 2009 Preakness Stakes).
Zenyatta as an older female has proved durable over several seasons and returned in 2009 where she left off in 2008.
While Rachel Alexandra toys with her opposition - apart from her narrow(ish) win against the males in the Group One Preakness Stakes - she has just completed her seventh straight victory when winning (ever so easily) the Group One Mother Goose Stakes of 1 1/8 miles by a staggering 19 1/4 lengths. And in doing so breaking the record for the Mother Goose Stakes running 1: 46.33 and bettering the previous record which was set in 1994 by Lakeway. Calvin Borel eased her down so much in the straight that perhaps Secretariat’s record of 1: 45 2/5 for the distance may have been threatened had she been tested. Nothing seems to trouble this super filly - instead of racing on the speed as she had done at her previous wins her two rivals concocted a way of defeating her by taking the race out at breakneck speed with the first 6 furlongs being run at a sizzling 1: 08.86. But Rachel just camped off their speed and gave them windburn in passing.
Rachel Alexandra has now a combined winning margin of 63 3/4 quarter lengths from her seven victories.
"How about that! I am a modest guy. I was hoping for maybe ten lengths. She is a special filly, she is a champion, she is a lady. We don't know where her bottom is. She has beauty combined with speed, so fast. I think she's the best three-year-old, right now. She just broke a track record and she wasn't even asked." - Jess Jackson as told to The Thoroughbred Times.
Zenyatta gave weight and a 2 1/2 length beating to her rivals in the Group One Vanity at Hollywood Park. The US Champion Older Mare will not relinquish her crown without a fight.
Both stables anticipate the prospect of a clash between these two racing superstars. Jess Jackson is adamant that Rachel Alexandra will not race on a synthetic surface and that Zenyatta will have to travel east for them to race.
“Hopefully, we will meet somewhere. If not the Breeders’ Cup [on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park in November], maybe it will be somewhere else. I think time will tell on something like that, and we will go from there.” - Jerry Moss, owner of Zenyatta, as told to The Thoroughbred Times.
My opinion is that the versatility of Rachel Alexandra may be the deciding factor in any race they contest. Zenyatta will be out the back and set to produce her withering finish - while Rachel Alexandra may be on the speed, smothered just behind the speed, or even shoulder to shoulder with Zenyatta out the back. The pace of the race dictates her racing position. This is a decided advantage.
2009 Mother Goose Stakes won by Rachel Alexandra:
2009 Vanity won by Zenyatta:
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