Many of the Rachel-critics come from the Zenyatta group of fans. I like Zenyatta the horse (who is currently number one in the NTRA polls), but a few of her fans can become quite obnoxious in their critical attacks on Rachel. To set matters into perspective, let's do a simple comparison of Rachel's and Zenyatta's Speed Figures for the past 2 years:
BEYER SPEED FIGURES
Rachel Alexandra Zenyatta
2010 (4 y.o) 2010 (6 y.o)
Fleur de Lis 109 Vanity 103
La Troienne 103 Apple Blossom 95
New Orleans Ladies 100 Santa Margarita 102
2009 (3 y.o) 2009 (5 y.o.)
Woodward 109 Breeders Cup Classic 112 (highest)
Haskell 116 (highest) Lady's Secret 97
Mother Goose 111 Clement Hirsch 99
Preakness 108 Vanity 104
Kentucky Oaks 108 Milady 103
Fantasy 101
Fair Grounds Oaks 103
Martha Washington 100
Speed figures show different aspects for different running styles. Speed figures for front-running horses like Rachel give us a glimpse of her capabilities because she usually gives her best effort regardless of the competition (thus, at times winning by a head and other times winning by 20+ lengths). Speed figures for deep closers like Zenyatta show how tough (or weak) the competition is because she usually gives just enough effort to win. You will not usually see deep closers winning by 20 lengths. The above comparisons of their Beyer Speed Figures are simply to show that, regardless of the competition (whether they be former claimers or not, as in the Fleur de Lis), Rachel still performs like the champion that she is and should not be gauged by her competition, as a deep closer like Zenyatta would.
It is interesting to look at the career best BSF for the two. Both Rachel and Zenyatta had their career best speed figures last year: Rachel at the Haskell and Zenyatta in the Breeders Cup Classic. Rachel's was higher by 4 points. To give you an idea of how high a speed figure of 116 is, let's do a comparison with the Beyer Speed Figures for Haskell winners going all the way back to 1991:
2009 Rachel Alexandra (116)
2008 Big Brown (107)
2007 Any Given Saturday (113)
2006 Bluegrass Cat (106)
2005 Roman Ruler (108)
2004 Lion Heart (109)
2003 Peace Rules (109)
2002 War Emblem (112)
2001 Point Given (106)
2000 Dixie Union (111)
1999 Menifee (110)
1998 Coronado’s Quest (110)
1997 Touch Gold (114)
1996 Skip Away (113)
1995 Serena’s Song (110)
1994 Holy Bull (115)
1993 Kissin Kris (108)
1992 Technology (108)
1991 Lost Mountain (107)
Historically over the past 18 years of the running of the Haskell, Rachel Alexandra achieved the highest BSF over females and males. Please look over the list of well respected horses she beat. Some of them are legends in their own right. But she topped them all. Stop and think about it. That was last year, but she is now older, bigger, stronger, and already picking up speed in each and every succeeding race this year. What will the future bring? More excitement for Rachel fans I'm sure!
Excellent article. It's also significant that Rachel's 108 in the Fleur de lis was under a hand ride in extremely hot weather while Zenyatta was full out with Smith hitting her nine times in the stretch.
ReplyDeleteCriticism of the Fleur de lis is not valid. The time and speed figure indicate it was a great race. Great horses thump weaker fields and that's what happened.
Thanks, Pixie.
ReplyDeleteThe more I read, the more I learn, so this is very educational for me. It won't make a lick of difference to the chauvinistic Zenyatta zealots, however.
On another note, there is a red carpet event in Saratoga on July 30th. honoring Rachel and showcasing the publishing of a book called "Rachel, Girl Power--Running Against Bullying". The book addresses the issue of the bullying of children, and a portion of the sale will donated to anti-bullying foundations. (Do nasty blogs qualify as bullying???) The author, publisher and artist are all local to the Saratoga area, and the event will showcase the book as well as the accomplishments of Our Girl. Yours truly will be going and it will be nice to be amongst people who are fans, not foes. Also, NYRA has announced a giveaway day on August 8th for Rachel baseball caps.
It's just nice to hear about some positive things going on regarding our sweetie.
Pixie,
ReplyDeleteRachel turned in the 116 BSF in the slop (and it was major slop - they had a couple of horses that went down in earlier races that day)....do you know if and what horses, you listed above, ran the Haskell in the slop? Normally BSF are lower in slop (unless the horse is a known "mudder"), either dry or slop it doesn't seem to matter to Rachel. Zen fans will always put Rachel down. Has Zen ever ran on an off track? I know she scratched last year at Louisville (Kentucky Oaks Day) because of it. Her fans talk about Rachel not running on (as JJ puts it) wires and tires, but she did run on it at Keenland and it didn't seem to bother her, but I can't find where Zen has ever ran on an off track. If she hasn't, that could be why I have heard some people refer to her as one-dimensional.
I have one other question, Rachel is no small horse, but Zen is huge. I thought I heard a sportscaster say she was 17 3. Northern Dancer was huge as well, but was he even that big????
Sorry, I have one more question....what was the distance that QR ran when he posted the BSF of 121? Was it 1 1/8?
ReplyDeleteOkay, today I'm full of questons....Rachel posted 108 BSF in the Preaskess and the Kentucky Oaks....15 days apart, has Zen ever ran races that close together and if she did, what were her BSFs? One other point, in 2009 and 2010 Rachel has never had a BSF less than 3 digits. Don't know of many horses that have done that.....
ReplyDeleteZenyatta is 17hh. Let's not make her bigger then she really is. ;p
ReplyDeleteJeanetta,
ReplyDeleteThanks, when they said that, I thought I had to of heard it wrong, but watching her last race, the horse she was dueling in the stretch looked like a sheltland pony next to her.
lol I know! I would say most of the racehorses out there are 16.0-16.2hh. I think St. Trinians might be smaller then that though! The fact that such a small horse almost beat Miss Amazon is amazing.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should make a database of all of the racehorse's heights (and be accurate with it, I know a lot of people exaggerate their horse's height by a couple inches).
That would be awesome.
I completely agree (: The people on NTRA are especially malicious. And the worst part is they don't even make sense most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know the weights of some top horses as well as heights.
That way it would be easier to put weight assignments into perspective. I've never really understood why people make such a big deal of a 1200 pound horse carrying 3 pounds more than the others. That's like an extra 0.002% body weight added on.
Say two 120 pound people had a race, but one of them was wearing a bracelet. It doesn't really make sense to say that person was significantly disadvantaged.
Since Zenyatta is so big, I imagine she has something like 100-200 pounds on her rivals... I bet she barely even feels the extra weight XD
Yes that would be great, and I woukd also like to see a chart that not only shows their BSF, but the distance of the race. Can a horse can post a higher BSF over a shorter distance? It would seem that they could run a mile in faster fraction than a mile and eigth or do they factor in the distance to get the overall speed?
ReplyDeleteZen was only a couple of lengths behind her in the far turn and it took her to the wire to catch her...does anyone know what Zen time was in the last furlong? She doesn't seem as fast as she was when she was younger. And they avoid the males and probably continue to do so until the Breeders Cup.
Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the weight difference. They kept talking about how much weight Zen was carrying, but she was also twice the size. Rachel was carrying high weight in her last race as well, but the horse she rated off of was about the same size......but they didn't mention it.
@ rachel fan: Quality Road ran the BSF of 121 in the 1-1/8 mile, unfortunately. I do have to concede that QR is a very exceptional horse and quite possibly would beat Rachel at 1-1/8.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, he lost TWICE last year at 1-1/4 mile on a sloppy track both times. We don't know if it was the longer distance or the sloppy track that made him lose. Rachel may still have a chance at the Breeders Cup because it is 1-1/4 mile, and if it rains, Rachel (who is not phased by slop) could trump them all!!
Zen ran the final 1/8 in 11.60.
ReplyDeleteWhat have been QR BSF's for 2010..... Just wonderig if he is constantly posting high BSF figures.
ReplyDeleteThanks mvlach. If Zen ran it in 11.60 being pushed all the way and Rachel ran her last 1/8 in 12.88 with Calvin standing up way before the finish and slowing her down....if and when they meet....Zen better better be alot closer than 8 lenghts from Rachel during the race (the distance M Smith has quoted) or she will be no where close to R at the end. Is Zen turing in slow fractions in the final 1/8?......I thought she was runnig much faster fractions at the end.
QR had the #1 fastest for OVER a mile, and #3 fastest for a MILE and under:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.drf.com/drfLeaderBoard.do?category=beyer
He can run and win in a variety of distances. Scary.
What a shame that they were is such a hurry to get him loaded into the gate at the Breeders Cup last year...... Thank God he wasn't permanetly injured.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the site, that's helps alot.
Quality Road is a great horse and is deserving of HOTY so far BUT if Rachel's camp can tap into that speed she exhibited in the Haskell and Mother Goose last year then she'll give QR all he wants and more. I guarantee RA will make QR's camp nervous when they line up together in November.
ReplyDeleteQuality Road would be rightly favored but Rachel definitely has a chance. I think we're going to see 2 races where Rachel is in the 110--115 Beyer range and that can beat QR if he's not totally on top of his game. I'd actually like to see them take a shot at him before the Breeders Cup at 1 1/8 miles, although I don't think that will happen. I could see her stalking him and making a real run at him at the quarter poll.
ReplyDeleteHave you all seen the muscles on Rachel's hindquarters lately? (Look closely at her recent workout pictures and compare them with last year's). She is more beefed up than last year. I think if she continues to train well, she will be able to do BETTER than 116 of last year.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder if that is why they used the crossover nose piece...to contain her and make her work harder to build those muscles. JJ isn't conderned with losing a couple of races if it betters her in the long run......he is pointing her toward the breeders cup....to win.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing. I'm about 2 hours north of Churchill and I will "pray to the rain gods" for the Breeders Cup but the kind of downpoor usually happens in April - May time frame, not usually in Novemeber. BNot the kind of ran that would make the track slop, but you never know, stranger thngs have happened.
ReplyDelete@rachel fan: I should clarify what I said earlier about the rain. It was only speculation that she would win if it rained. I really hope there isn't rain because that would make spills and injuries more likely.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think Rachel might be able to win it fair and square on a fast track!