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The icing on the cake would be a meeting with Rachel Alexander.
Can’t help but be impressed by Rachel Alexander the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years.
At the start of her 3year old career she won by so far and so easily it looked like nothing could possibly ever beat her.
However she did look all out in 2 later races. The Preakness and the Haskell and it’s debatable if she would have found much more especially in the former.
For me there lies the answer; Nothing has ever come near to getting to the bottom of Zenyatta and if the day comes when the meet I think she’ll simply treat Rachel Alexander exactly the same way as she does every other horse she meets.
Some ask was she up there with Sea the Stars? My opinion, for what it’s worth, is she is way better than him and up there with Sea Bird II. If I’m right she will beat Rachel Alexander hands down and turn the ratings on their heads….140+ filly all day long
In the World Rankings she is rated 1point below Rip Van Winkle which I honestly find laughable.
Anyway fantastic news and bundles of respect to her owner. Man deserves a medal.
Fantastic news!!
Jerry Moss: "I love racing and racing needs stars…"
Too true, Mr Moss. Too true.
Now if we can just get Jerry Moss to say that to Chris Tsui
The icing on the cake would be a meeting with Rachel Alexander.
Can’t help but be impressed by Rachel Alexander the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years.
At the start of her 3year old career she won by so far and so easily it looked like nothing could possibly ever beat her.
However she did look all out in 2 later races. The Preakness and the Haskell and it’s debatable if she would have found much more especially in the former.
For me there lies the answer; Nothing has ever come near to getting to the bottom of Zenyatta and if the day comes when the meet I think she’ll simply treat Rachel Alexander exactly the same way as she does every other horse she meets.
Some ask was she up there with Sea the Stars? My opinion, for what it’s worth, is she is way better than him and up there with Sea Bird II. If I’m right she will beat Rachel Alexander hands down and turn the ratings on their heads….140+ filly all day long
In the World Rankings she is rated 1point below Rip Van Winkle which I honestly find laughable.
Anyway fantastic news and bundles of respect to her owner. Man deserves a medal.
You’ve got to be joking, blow-hard !
It was Benjamin Franklin who said "but in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes."
I would add another:
Had Sea The Stars met Zenyatta, he most certainly have beaten her – of that I have little doubt. I’d have put every last coin on the outcome –
Fist, to even suggest that she is in the same league as Sea Bird II is not only insulting to the nonpareil of European flat racing but, in my opinion, is nothing more than tantamount to sacrilege !
In fact, she might also have had to play second fiddle to Rachel Alexndra had those two fillies went head to head.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
It was Benjamin Franklin who said "but in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes."
I would add another:
Had Sea The Stars met Zenyatta, he most certainly have beaten her – of that I have little doubt. I’d have put every last coin on the outcome –
Fist, to even suggest that she is in the same league as Sea Bird II is not only insulting to the nonpereil of European flat racing but, in my opinion, is nothing more than tantamount to sacrilege !
In fact, she might also have had to play second fiddle to Rachel Alexndra had those two fillies went head to head.
What a load of rubbish.
How we can even begin to analyse how Sea The Stars and Zenyatta would’ve faired against each other is down right ridiculous. This is a super colt who was only put under any proper pressure once and a super mare who, quite frankly, has never been whipped more than once in a home straight.
That said, we couldve found out in November if Mr Tsui had sent Sea The Stars to the Breeders Cup Classic.
Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta WILL meet if Jess Jackson doesn’t decide to retire Rachel Alexandra after the Eclipse Awards. It’s no secret that Rachel hasn’t began any kind of work yet whereas Zenyatta has kept on going.
If they are to meet, the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park has been discussed as a possible option. This was where Zenyatta beat Ginger Punch in a G1 last time she ran on dirt. Google it, You Tube it, She didn’t come out of 2nd Gear that day. One problem though is that we won’t be able to see this race if it does happen at Oaklawn Park. Personally I’d be campaigning for a meeting between the two at Churchill Downs in the race Mr & Mrs Moss had planned to send her to last year on Derby weekend.
Anyone else think that this is sitting up perfectly for a clash of the titans in the 2010 Breeders Cup Classic at Churchill Downs – followed by Zenyatta blitzing the field in the 2011 Dubai World Cup which just so happens to be on a synthetic surface?
So over to you Mr Jackson – what do you do now? Run and hide or set up the filly clash of a lifetime.
But please…..no ridiculous opinions on what would or wouldn’t have happened when STS met the Z Monster. Mikey Smith has never had to get to the bottom of her
Why does it always have to be American tracks. I’d set up a match between STS and Zenyatta at Kempton
To be quite honest, i’m not ready for more boring ‘will they or won’t they meet’ with regards to RA and Z. If the Americans like hiding from each other, then let them get on with it. Hopefully they have one or two decent 3 y/o to compete against either of them.
Why does it always have to be American tracks. I’d set up a match between STS and Zenyatta at Kempton
To be quite honest, i’m not ready for more boring ‘will they or won’t they meet’ with regards to RA and Z. If the Americans like hiding from each other, then let them get on with it. Hopefully they have one or two decent 3 y/o to compete against either of them.
Personally on last performances alone, Blind Luck could be something special but didn’t show her true promise at the Breeders Cup.
The last run at Hollywood Park was special indeed. She could be a 3yo to watch out for
Some ask was she up there with Sea the Stars? My opinion, for what it’s worth, is she is way better than him and up there with Sea Bird II. If I’m right she will beat Rachel Alexander hands down and turn the ratings on their heads….140+ filly all day long
Anyway fantastic news and bundles of respect to her owner. Man deserves a medal.
Indeed, excellant news of Z’s return.
But what form line are you assessing Z’s 140+ rating on Fist?
Value Is EverythingI’ve been Zenyatta’s biggest supporter on these pages for the past fifteen months, but I’m still not sure if I welcome this decision.
Her Breeders’ Cup victory in November at her home track, amidst all the hype and banner waving, was the perfect goodbye and thank-you to her adoring public.
She became the first filly / mare to win the race and went out with a perfect record.
It didn’t feel like see was here today, gone tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I got that feeling with Zarkava and Sea The Stars. Zenyatta will be a 6YO this year and, perhaps it’s the naive logic that this sport has drummed into me talking, but can she possibly be as good this year?
They don’t call her ‘big Z’ for nothing and one could argue that it wouldn’t be too fanciful to believe she could actually be better this year.
Connections should be applauded for making such a bold move and if Zenyatta and Rachel never collide then it won’t be due to their failings. They have made a decision for the sport, as much as anything, and I think that in the back of their minds they want Rachel and will go after her at some stage of the season.
I particularly like the this comment from Jerry Moss "I would say we’re probably going to travel a bit. I’d like to see her run in some dirt races". With the public likely to demand a meeting between the two, I’d say it’s odds-on that they will meet.
This is a good decision for racing and, taking into consideration her love of both the limelight and competing, it’s probabaly the right decision for Zenyatta.
Overall, I’m still not convinced, but I support the decision connections have made and look forward to seeing her on the track.
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Why does it always have to be American tracks. I’d set up a match between STS and Zenyatta at Kempton
To be quite honest, i’m not ready for more boring ‘will they or won’t they meet’ with regards to RA and Z. If the Americans like hiding from each other, then let them get on with it. Hopefully they have one or two decent 3 y/o to compete against either of them.
You call me Blowhard!
a 6 year old could work out why it’s got to be on American track it’s called money stupid!If your bored go post on the Noddy and Big Ears forum….doors right behind you
I agree with what Bosranic has just said; I probably feel that she’s not a girl to just go quietly to the paddocks and have babies, but I do hope that it won’t be an anti climax. Her win was at the Breeders Cup was one of racings magic moments for me; not sure if my nerves can take a repeat of it, but I wish her well.
Zenyatta could wasily be better at 6. She’s never really been tested in any of her races. She’s only raced once against males, it’s time to see what she’s got on a real dirt track in the east. Especially because the older male division in the US actually looks decent for once. Summer Bird, Macho Again (horribly inconsistent, but when he’s "on" he’s fantastic), Rail Trip, Misremembered, Papa Clem (did well on the Triple Crown trail before an injury, returned with a win yesterday), Blame, Mine That Bird, even Gio Ponti are coming back for more. It’s one of the good things about this market, stud fees aren’t high enough to warrant being retired so early.
One of the big complaints about her season last year, besides only racing 5 times compared to Rachel’s 8, was that she never left the California synthetic. It’s common knowledge that the competition out west is generally inferior to those on the eastern tracks. Rachel Alexandra’s owner Jess Jackson has stated many times that he will never race Rachel on a synthetic track. On the other hand, the Mosses have said that they want to avoid NYRA tracks (Belmont, Saratoga, Aqueduct) because of the stress caused by detention barns. Probably that’s an excuse to keep Zenyatta in her California comfort zone. However, I think they’ll be forced to race in New York at least once if they want a dirt prep before the Classic.
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Some ask was she up there with Sea the Stars? My opinion, for what it’s worth, is she is way better than him and up there with Sea Bird II. If I’m right she will beat Rachel Alexander hands down and turn the ratings on their heads….140+ filly all day long
Anyway fantastic news and bundles of respect to her owner. Man deserves a medal.
Indeed, excellant news of Z’s return.
But what form line are you assessing Z’s 140+ rating on Fist?
If you think she isn’t what form line are you basing that on?
How can you talk form line with a filly who no one has come even close to getting to the bottom off?
Sea the Stars was flat to the boards in the Arc so I can work out he wasn’t anywhere near the best I have seen IMO of course. It’s near on impossible for me to work out how good Zenyatta is. How much weight you would have to put on Zenyatta’s back to stop her beating our nearest line which was Twice Over as Rip Van Winkle flopped? 7lbs? 14 lbs? I don’t know but it would be a bloody lot.
You can say she wasn’t beating much but we can’t say Sea the Stars was beaten wonder horses can we? Rip Van Winkle, Mastercraftsman and Fame and Glory all flopped at the end of the day…..Not 1, not 2 but all 3. Conduit got his backside felt in Japan….so our form isn’t exactly anything to write home about
All you can do with Zenyatta is look and judge for yourself and up to now she has proved to be unbeatable. I’ve never seen anything like her and still can’t take in how she can consistently give horses 15 lengths of a start and treat them like selling platers.
We have nothing that compares to her and I mean nothing.
Timeform I respect. On a daily racing for many people they are a must but when it comes to top rated horses they are a mess. They write something down so it must be true.
When Sea the Stars won the Arc every man and his uncle said it was a fantastic performance. I even heard one pundit say after the race he should be rated as one of the best of all time…….definitely a 140 plus horse was the cry
BUT! his proximity to Zarkava’s form was there for all to see so they hit him with a 132.Maybe some disagree with the lowly 136 Sea the Stars ended up with but there is enough doubt there to say he was no wonder horse……..very very very good but not the unbeatable superstar some people reckon he was.
Unfortunately we will never know how good he really was but no one will ever convince me anything he beat was in the same class as Zenyatta……. his fans will say he would have beaten Zenyatta but the fact remains they ran the filly when they didn’t have to while Oxx and co, despite a $3 million carrot said no thanks.
I’ve already got stuck into her for next season’s Breeders with confidence and had a nice sidebet she’ll end up on at least a par with Sea the Stars on Timeform ratings.
No sense talking the talk if you are not prepared to walk the walk.
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I’m amazed to hear stud fees aren’t that good in the USA…are they lower than Europe or are we talking about in comparison to available prize money?
From what John Sherrifs has come out with today it sounds like the plan is…
Mar 1 – Santa Margarita @ Santa Anita
Apr 3 – Apple Blossom @ Oaklawn
Nov – Breeders Cup Classic @ Churchill Downs (Long term goal)Last year she had a lot longer break in not coming back to the track until late May which is a minor worry.
However, after April, dependent on an inevitable rest period, she could go to the Milady (May) or the Vanity (June) on her normal synthetics surface before a prep in the Lady’s Secret (October) which would also be on a synthetic surface.
Or….if they do go down the travel route there is the option of the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga in August followed by the Woodward, also over in New York, in September before the Breeders Cup. The latter could be a little bit tough for a prep race though.
If she were mine, i’d rest her after the Apple Blossom then let her take her chance again in the Vanity as a goodbye to Hollywood Park then move on to the Alabama, Woodward, Classic route before finishing the season in the Gazelle at Aqueduct in November.
One things for sure – she’s going to be running a few more times this year!
I’ve never seen anything like her and still can’t take in how she can consistently give horses 15 lengths of a start and treat them like selling platers.
She was only 15 lengths behind the leader and not the second last horse
Personally, I think Sea The Stars would’ve taken the sting out of her
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