Saratoga Race Course
"Oklahoma Track" at Saratoga, where Rachel will be training this summer.
Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Rachel Alexandra announced today that she will be shipped out of her Churchill Downs (KY) base ahead of schedule to a more northern climate at Saratoga (NY) in the next week or so.
Rachel Alexandra worked out early this morning around 6:30 am, but the heat had already crept up to 81°F.
“It’s a ridiculously hot morning, you know. That’s a big concern. It’s time to get out and go north. I think we’ve got to get out of this weather," said trainer Steve Asmussen,"She acts like the rest of us do right now – it’s hot. Her weight’s good and she’s very sound, and her strength is good. But it’s hot. We’d all feel better if it was about 20 degrees cooler.”
Even though the high today in Louisville will be near 95°F, the humidity made the heat index over 100. Unfortunately, tomorrow the temperature will escalate further.
Saratoga Race Course is located in upstate New York, and is expected to have temperatures about 10-15 degrees cooler than Churchill Downs. Specifically, she will be based out of the "Oklahoma Track" which is about 1/3 mile from the main course, and is used for warmups and training. The Saratoga Race Course would be an ideal spot for Rachel to stay because two of her possible next races are there: the Ruffian Handicap (on 8/1/2010) and the Whitney Handicap (on 8/7/2010).
Rachel trained there last summer, too.
They are right about moving Rachel, the heat/humidity, along with the overall hear index in Louisville has been unbearable, and it's been that way since June 10th. I would hate to see Rachel shorten up distance, since they are trying to increase the distance for the Breeder's Cup. Next race is August and if they are spacing them 6 weeks apart, that gives her one more race after that before the Breeder's Cup. I think they will wait to see how she trains before deciding which race she will run in. I've heard Quality Road, SuperSaver, Mind That Bird, amoung others - maybe First Dude are pointing to the Foster and I read on another blog that the "BIG Z" (50 foot women) could run in the Ruffian - I don't believe they will ship her (she lost weight last time). Has anyone heard what horses are pointed toward the Ruffian?
ReplyDeleteFrom everything that I have read, I do not think they will ship the Big Z anywhere outside of CA until the Breeder's Cup. I read that they were considering either the Ruffian or the Whitney for our Rachel. Again, since I am such a novice at racing, I don't know how many races she would have to run to be in prime condition for the Breeder's. I do know one thing for sure: I am 45 minutes from Saratoga and will be up there to see my baby!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update!
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about the Big Z, they don't like to run her on dirt unless they have to or she's ran on the track before with success (Apple B.). Usually horses coming to dirt do well the first time, but don't seem to run as well the next time if they try dirt back to back. I'm 1 1/2 hours from Churchill and I've got Breeder's Cup tickets.....and I can hardly wait. Z's and Rachel's running style are completely different. Z runs off pace and saves her energy for the last, after the front runners have soften each other up....Rachel runs up front and most horses don't have alot left in the end....that's what makes her so amazing...she still has unbelieveable speed at the end. I've seen her run twice at Churchill and she is truely wonderful to watch....poetry in motion............so smooth.
ReplyDeletePixie,
ReplyDeleteIf Rachel ran in the Ruffian instead of the Delaware would you take this as a sign that they might run Rachel in the Lady's Classic instead of the Breeders Cup Classic this November?
Also, I'm starting to think that Rachel's schedule this year makes it likely she'll race again next year. Any thoughts? --Mike
@mvlach (Mike): WARNING: My guess is as good as yours, but here goes:
ReplyDeleteJess Jackson has publicly stated he want to run her in the Classic. That was the reason for the figure eight noseband because they wanted to rate her so she would go the 1-1/4 distance of the classic. But now, she lost her first 2 races before finally winning one in her former Rachelesque way. Nevertheless, I still think the Classic is their goal.
Last year, JJ progressively tested her:
1) the colts (Preakness)
2) easy win with fillies(Mother Goose)
3) the colts (Haskell)
4) older males (Woodward)
The Woodward surprised some because he totally skipped the next logical progression: older females. However, notice that JJ seems to advance her to the next step depending on how impressive the prior win was.
This year, because Rachel only won one race, he might not follow the same challenging pattern of last year. Whether she runs in the Lady's Classic or the Classic will depend on each successive race she runs this year. They have the policy of "let Rachel decide".
On that note, I will be just GUESSING, but to answer your question: No, I don't think running her in the Ruffian will be any indication of her running in the Ladies Classic. The Ruffian is the choice over the Delaware not because of the distance, but because it is Grade 1 and because it is the right timing (his 1-1/2 month pattern so far this year). The grade might not matter as much as the timing: the Delaware might be just too soon after the Fleur de Lis. JJ knows that Rachel was run a bit too much last year and he doesn't want to repeat that.
Actually, the conservative progression is that her next race be with Grade 1 fillies & Mares (Ruffian), then if she wins that, the following one will be with Grade 1 males (Jockey Club Gold Cup), and if she wins or even finishes in the money in that, she will be entered into the Classic. That is the conservative progression but there is a lot of "ifs" there. JJ might decide that her win in the Fleur de Lis and her workouts thereafter are impressive enough to warrant running her with males sooner (like the Whitney)... you never know. Nevertheless, JJ is a very competitive man and if Rachel keeps winning, he'll enter her in the Classic.
Your second question is also mostly an unkown. IF she stays sound and uninjured and relatively competitive, then YES, I think Jess Jackson will run her next year. The only reason why owners retire uninjured great horses who are on top of their game is for the money aspect. They simply get more money from breeding than from racing. But Jess Jackson is not a normal owner. He is a BILLIONAIRE... not only that but he is OLD... which means he doesn't care as much about gaining money as he does about having FUN in his twilight years. Rachel, if she is still winning decently (coming in the money) and uninjured, will race next year. (In my own opinionated opinion... I think yours is as good as mine!)
Pixie, I appreciate your humility in your comments. What you say makes sense. I like your perspective on progression. Whatever race she runs in next (and I now think it will be the Ruffian) how she runs will be critical in where they run her next. If she wins by 5+ lengths in a hand ride then she's probably off to racing the male horses. If she struggles in a win or gets beat then the next race will be more modest. Thanks for all you do on this site.
ReplyDelete@mvlach, thanks to YOU for your support in posting comments here! I also see you defending attacks on our girl on Youtube and I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteDear Pixie and other Rachel fans: Can I just say that I read many of the current blogs and I cannot believe the venom that is being spewed out there about Rachel. Vic Zast wrote a perfectly neutral blog last Sunday about both RA and Z in which he compared and praised both horses, and some of the resulting comments were unbelievably nasty, not only attacking Rachel, but also making disparaging personal comments about Mr. Zast. There were even some attacks against the great Ruffian! I guess Internet blogging is not for the faint of heart, and I hesitate sometimes to participate since I am not that knowledgable about racing (except for all things Rachel). But I will be more proactive in "voicing" my support as Mike does. After all, she's WORTH it!
ReplyDeleteRachelAlex
ReplyDeletethe Rachel-bashing is atrocious. Many Zen fans are bitter that Rachel won Horse of the Year.
You can expect that from Zen fans. What really bothers me is when Rachel won her last race, they didn't talk about her getting back to form (or the 108 BP under a hand ride), but that maybe it was a fluke.....what????? She has improved with each race. No credit was given to her, and the weather was dangerous(they had heat warnings for people and animals)...and she was hand ridden with Calvin standing up well before the finish signaling her to just gallop out. I was there and she galloped out like she could have gone alot further, yet all they talked about was that she was slowing down at the end..............why would you push your horse in conditions like that when you are already winning by a huge margin (not only good BP but Fractions as well). She finish just off the stakes record, in those conditions, all under a hand ride. I just don't understand why they are critical about her and nothing but priaise for Zen for a lack luster performance in the Apple B. If they think it is getting people involved in the racing sport, all it does is put a bad taste in the mouth of racehorse fans and I believe that is why there is so much bashing on the blogs. I have heard a couple of newscasters defend Rachel and they are bashed by the other newscasters. It is just a shame that they can't praise them equally. When all is said and done Zen never did what Rachel did as a three year old and in horse racing so much worth is put on the 3 yr old campians when the horses are just delevoping to see if they are truley great and can withstand the campigan. I hope racefans will start complaining to these networks, it doesn't help horseracing, it could hurt it in the long run. If Zen doesn't travel, she may not get horse of the year this year either and you will hear the same thing from her fans. Jerry Moss kept saying they were going to travel with her this year and I don't think that will happen.....traveling is one of the test to find out how truley great your horse is...traveling takes it toll on horses, they all loose weight (Rachel lost over 150 pd last year but still had the heart to win) it's part of determining what horse has meet and withstood all the challanges of the year's campigan. Cigar traveled, ran in slop, etc....I just wish Zen would to see if she is truley great. If they don't how do you measure her to the other greats that did?
ReplyDeleteSorry, the first part of my response got cut off. I was talking about HRTV and TVG sportscasters. I taped Rachel's last race and watched it again when I got home.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Zenyatta's connections don't realize how great she is. She could well be the greatest mare of all time, but we will never know (given the competition she usually runs against.)
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