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for those that may want to see zen’s workout yesterday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6_qq3GIzR0 you can compare it to a gallop two days prior where she was a bit full of herself http://www.youtube.com/user/tvgnetwork# … dIu1FeN9x8
kind of typical zen, loaf around a bit and then move on the turn. i’ll miss that sight…..anyhow, they’re definately working on keeping her focused past the wire at HP, that’s really the only concern i have as she will have to go a bit farther down the stretch to get to the wire at Churchill. baffert is said to be doing the same with Lucky.
some photos of the fella for those who follow him.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114 … yright.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114 … yright.jpg
he’s supposed to be a barn favorite and is said to have a great personality.
should also add that unlike Z, he doesn’t much care for carrots. i will ask if he likes beer
as far as i know he’s just in light training, hasn’t had any official workouts here in the U.S.new video of z and LIS today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PrdLMKYi1U
gonna miss LIS.
it was nice after z won on saturday that mike smith rode her up the track for a curtain call. warning – turn down your volume first http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z2LZU0boRE
i didn’t think about it at the time but it may be the last race she runs there. since the Breeders’ Cup is on dirt this year i don’t think she’ll prep for it by running in the Zenyatta Stakes, although it would have been funny to see her run in a race named after herself.
….it was on, then it was off, now it’s on again – Rachel Alexandra vs the big Z for 5 million USD. my favorite line,
"I’ve never had so much trouble giving $5 million away".
http://www.drf.com/news/article/110719.html
Apple Blossom showdown back on
By Jay PrivmanThe Great Race between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta is back on, Charles Cella, the owner of Oaklawn Park, said Thursday. According to Cella, the race will now be pushed back six days from its original date, and the connections of both horses have agreed to meet.
"The Apple Blossom Invitational has been renegotiated. Both principals are on line and have pledged to me they will enter their horses and race," Cella said. "The date will be Friday, the 9th of April. All other conditions remain the same."
The Grade 1 Apple Blossom will be at 1 1/8 miles. If both horses run, the purse is $5 million. Otherwise, it reverts to its original $500,000.
On Wednesday, Jess Jackson, the majority owner of Rachel Alexandra, said in a statement that Rachel Alexandra would not be ready for the original date of the Apple Blossom, April 3, and that his request to have Apple Blossom moved back one week had been denied by Oaklawn Park.
Cella on Thursday said he had been in touch with the owners of both horses over the previous 24 hours. The two horses have never met.
"I’ve never had so much trouble giving $5 million away," Cella said. "We’ve got a solid commitment, assuming, of course, their health continues."
Jerry Moss, the co-owner of Zenyatta, on Thursday said he told Cella that he’d be willing to have the Apple Blossom moved back to April 9 "if that’s what’s needed."
"We had a conversation about that today. We’re still hoping the race happens," said Moss, who owns Zenyatta with his wife, Ann.
Jackson, in his statement on Wednesday, also said he had been in contact with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association over a proposed series of races with Zenyatta.
"The whole thing was a big surprise to us," Moss said. "We knew nothing about it. We absolutely were not a party to any of it. We’d like to see in writing what’s intended. We had returned from New York (Wednesday). I went with my wife to the dentist. We got back in the office in the afternoon and saw what was being written. That was the first we knew about it.
"There were some reports that we had no comment. No one even tried to get a comment from us. I know we’re out on the West Coast, and it’s a big distance, but it’s not as if we’re on the moon.
"As far as we’re concerned, our focus is on Oaklawn, and we’re still hoping that happens."
Zenyatta is scheduled to make her first start of this year in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap on March 13 at Santa Anita. She worked six furlongs at Hollywood Park on Thurday morning in 1:13.80, breezing, for trainer John Shirreffs.
"We still planning on the Santa Margarita," Moss said. "It’s a month away. Zenyatta worked today and worked very well. We’re feeling good about where things are now."
Moss said plans beyond the Apple Blossom had yet to be finalized.
"We always go race to race," he said. "We’ll look at our horse after each race and then make a judgment. We’ve got these two races picked out. Beyond that, it would be premature to comment. But our plan, like last year, is to point for the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year. That’s not a change in our philosophy. Since the Breeders’ Cup this year is at Churchill Downs, we will be traveling."
Zenyatta has not raced since capturing the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita.
Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, is based at Fair Grounds with trainer Steve Asmussen. She has not raced since winning the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga five months ago.
now i won’t argue with anyone who wants to call her a big ol’ goofball but i take exception to you calling her ugly.
as others have stated, lots and lots of speculation here. her last three official workouts:
Zenyatta 01/06/2010 HOL Fast All Weathe 4.0 f 48.00 H 5
Zenyatta 12/21/2009 HOL Fast All Weathe 4.0 f 49.40 B 19
Zenyatta 12/07/2009 HOL Fast All Weathe 4.0 f 50.40 B 8she is seen galloping regularly and shirreffs said they have not changed her feed. all in all a rather unorthodox way of letting a thoroughbred down and one that has a lot of people at the track scratching their heads. add to that they said that they have not yet decided on a stallion to breed her to.
since rachel alexandra is still on holiday it’s doubtful they’re waiting on a race with her, who knows how long she’s out for. there is even a rumor that the z is nominated for the dubai world cup. all in all it’s been rather fun following all of this. i get her workout notices and will post if/when she works again.
i’m also of the opinion that they’re keeping their options open – she could retire, she could race again
She’s never had dressage training – she just started doing "her thing" last year at Del Mar. The race before the Breeders’ Cup she starting doing something that resembled one tempis. One of my favorite quotes about her is from fellow jockey Garrett Gomez after last years Lady’s Secret:
“Zenyatta is just amazing," he said. "You can’t say anything negative about her. She just keeps winning. She’s a huge thing. She just kind of gallops around there and keeps galloping at a quick pace. I watched Mike Smith warm her up, and he didn’t. He walked her back from the sixteenth or eighth pole and they just stood there. She seems to have some quirks about her. She’s a funny thing, but she sure runs fast.”
I always knew when someone was seeing her for the first time at the track because they would get concerned when she started pawing, strutting, bunny-hopping and were really worried when she wasn’t warmed up in the way they were used to seeing. I will truly miss this beautiful, goofy, quirky mare.
A favour. If you read this before you get off to the races, can you get a good photo of Mine That Bird? Failing that, any chance of one of Joanne Kelly?
not a picture but you can watch him in his stall – he has his own camera http://showvivor.oaktreeracing.com/cam/
he’s a funny, curious horse.
