Dear Rachel, you like apples?

[Tim_T]

How ya like them apples. Be glad it wasn't Zenyatta! That is the most overrated horse of the year I have ever seen! RedneckShadrap, you asked a valid question, looks like you were right to be curious.

[redneckshadrap]

"She needed the race more than anything. I wanted to let her run her race early but they wanted me to wait. I wanted to go on past the speed horse early; I'd have got by her anytime and my filly could have gone on, but they wanted me to wait and not get into her until the 16th pole" quote from Borel...


Calvin Borel did a bad job on a good run.He let a long shot dictate the race. He kept looking over his left shoulder and Zardana made a crushing move to his blind side....One thing I learned about some of these races....Is a great jockey will ride the horses race regardless of what instructions he has if he believes he's going to be a winner. A good jockey will ride the owners race....sometimes that doesn't always pan out...

Mike Smith picked up where he left off. He didn't take that race for granted. He rode Zenyatta picture perfect.

All that being said....I think both horses owners now know who the best horse is....Zenyatta is Cigar material in my opinion. Rachel won the Preakness....Which of those sides would you like to be on.....???

Lady Z is #1

[redneckshadrap]

Guess we will now never know. Rachel Alexdria's owners have pulled her from the race in April. Can't figure those folks out at all...

[redneckshadrap]

I understand now.

Not really.....??/

[Tim_T]

Billy, my friend was talking about the fact that she was beaten by Zenyatta's lesser known stable mate and related it. He said that would be like somebody losing to Ali's sparring partner, all the while saying you are better than Ali.

[redneckshadrap]

Thing that baffles me is the statement by Borel after that race.

If you have the horse to do it.....DO IT!.....

[elnutsmalljaws]

Rachel is the better Mare. 180 plus day layoff, questionable training coming into the race, speed to both the inside and outside of her and she is a MUCH better horse with a target to run at versus being on the front end. She ran a very impressive race to hang if there for second. i personally loved the fact that she lost because when Z and R race she will get that much better odds and my money will be returned in a much larger fashion. Rachel is the better Mare, not by much but she is better.

[Tim_T]

Rachel is the better Mare. 180 plus day layoff, questionable training coming into the race, speed to both the inside and outside of her and she is a MUCH better horse with a target to run at versus being on the front end. She ran a very impressive race to hang if there for second. i personally loved the fact that she lost because when Z and R race she will get that much better odds and my money will be returned in a much larger fashion. Rachel is the better Mare, not by much but she is better.

You might be right Elwood, but I just don't see it. 15 for 15 is what it is. Zenyatta won the Classic, and Rachel didn't even visit the track.

[redneckshadrap]

I'm just wondering if Calvin's statement was accurate.

She had that target once Zardana passed her...But if you'll watch the stretch run you can see her head jerk when Calvin started laying the whip to her....That's something she's not used too....

[elnutsmalljaws]

You might be right Elwood, but I just don't see it. 15 for 15 is what it is. Zenyatta won the Classic, and Rachel didn't even visit the track.

We are looking at 2 different mares that will NEVER get a fair race. Z is California based synthetic track, Rachel is Dirt track proven and eastern based. Z does not run her best on dirt and Rachel by not going to the Classic and the fact that she does not like the synthetic. If they ever do meet then the loser will have an out because unless they create a half dirt half synthetic track this year then they won't ever meet no matter what the purse money is. If the classic last year was on dirt and not in souther california, which I don't think there are any tracks left in california that are dirt, then I don't see Z coming west. This year I think the classic is at Churchill and Z won't be coming to run this far west and on a surface that she does not like in Rachels back yard on a track that she DESTROYED them in the Oaks last year. They are 2 of the best of all time, no doubt, and that is coming from a guy that has been winning money on the horses for over 23 years. The only thing I know better than the FNF, other than being a dad and husband and professional patient, is betting on horses. These are 2 of the best of all time but Rachel ran the better races last year, note Horse of the Year award honors that she received even though Z won the classic. Z did not beat anyone in the classic. the horse that ran second in the classic had won a couple grade 1's on turf but never proven on dirt or synthetic and he runs second. you throw in a couple of europeans that had never shown nothing at a mile and a quarter and a couple of overated 3 year olds with the derby winner being the most overrated horse in a LONG time and what did she beat. The derby winner last year came out of running 4th in a no good race in new mexico or somewhere out there with a garden calvin borel up the rail ride to beat a nothing field. Rachel destroyed them in the oaks by 20 the day before and would have won the derby by 10 EASY lengths and 15 if she wanted. 2 great mares but Rachel is the better mare, not by much, but is better. 180 day layoff and not very good training leading up to the race and she ran a hell of a race to finish 2nd. Even as bad a jockey as Borel is, and he is not very good, Rachel makes him look great. My 237 lbs on her back and she wins most races spotting the rest a 100 plus pounds.