Are you really telling me that I should watch her past races?

Because if you are, you are way off base here. You aren't even remotely close to having a clue.

Her race Friday, she went 24.3, 48.4 and 112.2. Take a close look at EVERY start of hers prior to this last one, below.



Not in any single race did she go as slow as 24.3, except possibly the Oaks (the first 1/4 not shown).

Notice her half mile splits? Her slowest prior to the La Troienne was 47.4, a FULL SECOND faster that yesterdays race, and that came when she was a two year old, for crying out loud.

Take a look at her 3/4 splits. Friday she went 112.2.

The only time she went slower was her previous race! Again, she did not roll early, and she got beat.

Have you noticed yet, that by far her three most impressive wins last year, the Mother Goose, Preakness and Haskell, she set or pressed wicked fractions that are virtually unheard of by a horse in winning performances?

I can't even begin to understand how something so obvious eludes so many people.

Does this make any more sense to you now?

Who would have beat her if Unrivaled Belle was scratched ?

ah, thanks. that's what i get for going by what was written!


but you're absolutely right-taking away her best ability makes absolutely no sense. i almost feel sorry for asmussen having to put up with that pompous owner with the bright ideas.





almost

:tro::tro::tro::tro:

Maybe RA isn't as good as people thought? A 3 horse field in the Mother Goose, slop at Monmouth and the 2 monsters Macho Again and Mine That Bird were her last 4 dominating performances. To blame Borel who had her on the lead in a 48 and 4 first half seems insane. If she went 46 and change - when she gets caught it would have also been his fault. If she was the type of horse that people have claimed she is - why does she need an absolutely perfect set up?

She looked cooked after the woodward. That race took lots out of her.

:tro:

you hit the nail on the head. her best race was the preakness, she loves the mud so the haskell was a given.(summerbird is a 10 furlong horse) she wanted no part of the travers at 10 furlongs and ran against bullsbay and macho again who proved the ability they have with yet another crummy effort yesterday. she was dressed up in almost every race but the preakness. yeah, she had a good run but these people that made her some sort of super horse have to face reality this year. it was not that hard to see this coming. shes a good horse but shes no zenyatta.

So he was supposed to hustle her up? He let her do her thing.

This isn't some 50k claimer and prior to the last two races, Rachel was certainly held in higher regard than Bertrando (certainly no knock on that horse). This is Rachel Alexandra...reigning HOY...the next coming of Ruffian. She got eyeballed in the lane. Pure and simple. And you are blaming the jock for not rushing her through faster fractions on a track that was playing against speed all day?

I don't know why English is such a hard language for people.

This is a filly that when setting very fast fractions, ran her opposition off of their feet. Any horse within a short distance of her on the turn usually ended up at the back of the pack, while at the same time, most closers really couldn't make up much ground on her.

What I'm trying to say is that that running style is what suits her best. She may or may not be at the same quality level she was last year, but until she's allowed to run the type of race that made her so great last year, we'll never really know why she's lost twice this year already.

And I never said to 'hustle' her. Or, as you say, just let her do her thing. Something that you are very wrong about. If you saw any of her races last year, it should be really obvious that her thing is to go fast early and keep going. Do you think 48.4 is a good example of that?

You may have a point. I'm anxious to see them use those tactics next out. Cheers.

I strongly feel we will see a different rider next time.I think Calvin did nothing wrong,I just think Dickhead(Jackson) will switch,since he thinks he knows everything.

That would be a public relations nightmare and the bonehead move of the year. Calvin put on an absolute clinic today and now the media is focused on him.

It's not like the main track was a conveyor belt the past two days.

Would it be accurate to call Jess the Jerry Jones of horse racing? Or is one worse than the other? If that settling idea is Jess', I'm betting it has to do with thinking that'll be necessary against Zenyatta at 1 1/4. If you go and confuse or sour your filly, she's got bigger problems than conserving energy for that particular stretch battle. I really don't know that I'd put all my money on outkicking Zenyatta in a gut check down the lane. If she's gotten that close to you, you're screwed already. She's 17 hands with a massive stride, and that momentum's a killer. There's no point in doing an eyeball to eyeball duel.

Ya see, people like you are what makes me think the human race is mostly retarded.

Are you really equating 47.2s and 47.3's as a 2yo and early 3yo to 48.4 as a 4yo?

You don't think 47.2 very early as a 3yo isn't a ton faster than 48.4 now???

I mean, seriously. WTF?

You really aren't that dumb, are you?

So it would be like how Hard Spun was affected in the 2007 Belmont because Gomez didn't let him roll, despite the fractions being very slow from what I remember.

Fine work there, johnny

You too, JBJake


Just a GD SHAME that she was SO OVER-HYPED by the media last year that it cost a truly great mare the award she deserved…

Im Glad they did not retire Affirmed after he lost 4 in a row. And take away his HOY award when he was beaten by a better horse Seattle Slew twice. Affirmed was HOY, Slew the better horse big deal. Rachel was HOY last year, Zenyatta the better horse..Big deal. I have no problem thinking Zenyatta is the better of the two, i do have a problem thinking she had the best year of anyone last year. Like i said earlier, i hope there is no retirement in the plans. Affirmed lost to a cal bred sprinter (Little Reb) and an arizona bred (Radar Ahead) to start off his 4yo campain. Thank god their connections did not give up on him.keep Rachel running!

Aff did something very special in '78, outofthebox.

RA beat SB (in his prep race for the Travers) … and MA in the Woodward … barely.

Nuff said

I hate to resurrect this thread, but I just watched the replay again and Rachel is racing in a figure-8 noseband (they're used, among other things, to reduce pulling by a horse) and was in the New Orleans as well. Not sure why Asmussen would make this significant of a change, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This is Smooth Operator being consoled after the Eclipse Awards...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee925OTFBCA

I've been wondering about the possible effects of the figure-eight myself. Could it be backing her off too much? :confused:

I hate to give a serious answer, however if you look at the races she was most vulnerable in last year and not the white washes, but more in particular the Preakness and Woodward, they obviously noticed a vulnerability in her style. They tried to improve her by getting her to run more kindly early on and it hasn't worked. Now it is up to each person to decide if she is really the horse as she displayed in the Preakness or Woodward or the horse she was in the Haskell. I think what should be more a concern for her fans is the lack of good cruising speed she has thus far shown this year, if she doesn't have that she will have a hard time beating Zenyatta if that is even on the radar anymore, nevermind even winning a gr. 1 race this year.

I think it is. Would like to see it removed and return to a standard bridle.

I'm guessing you're correct on why he put it on, but it was probably the wrong move, because like I said if it ain't broke don't fix it.

By the way, why do you "hate to give a serious answer?"

Trainers are always in the process of tweaking things, I'm sure they are considering going back to what worked last year. Who knows maybe a jockey change is also in store, which in my opinion would be a bad move.

And Kobe Bryant has spent the bulk of this year's playoffs bitching about his bad finger. And Lebron James is bitching about his bad elbow. Ditto Deron Williams. Oh wait, these guys are too good to let 'little' things serve as excuses for them. They just go out there and get it done. I wonder why the same isn't true for the reigning Horse of the Year.:rolleyes:

And you can say that, unlike Zenyatta, they aren't facing former CBA teams in exhibition games.

If only Rachel could talk. I wonder what she'd bitch about?

Rachel plays basketball?

AND SHE CAN TALK?!??!?

The ****in' love child of Dr. J, Rebecca Lobo, and Mr. Ed!

I'll take Crosby.

Screw Ovie..

Just quoting so TFM can read this.

Between NP and RA you never cease to amaze me. Let me repeat one more time, since you clearly don't get it:

RA DID NOT show up for the BC
RA DID NOT show up for the AB

So, basically, since YOUR team didn't show up, doesn't matter who the other team beat, as YOUR TEAM CONCEDED before the game.

Once YOUR TEAM shows up, feel free to do the same. In the meantime, you might be better served to follow the lead of the connections of RA, who have STFU. At least, this is what someone who is not 'special' would do.

BTW, did you graduate high school?

It's like the Los Angeles Lakers playing all of their games at the Staples Center and counting the away games against the Clippers.

The hilarity that you compare horses to basketball players and call people retards, special, etc. in the process is too golden. You have zero self-awareness.

I admire loyalty, but guys & gals it's time to face the truth, she is done. She might win a race or 2 the remainder of the year but I would be very surprised if Asmussen can bring her all the back to the heights of the Haskell again or even the Woodward for that matter.

It's just not that easy to keep a horse in top form year in, year out. I would hope people will begin to appreciate Zenyatta a little more after seeing how Rachel has raced thus far this year. She's done it and continues to produce without any excuses.

The question is, if Super Saver continues to improve who will Calvin ride????

I imagine Asmussen would be relieved to have Borel make that decision for him.

he's not getting it done with Rachel for whatever reason, so there is no need to keep him there, and Pletcher can go to his regular riders on Super Saver and not miss a beat. I guess I'm saying maybe we don't see Borel riding either horse anymore.

Forget about this RA filly … Z is WAY beyond that now.


Time to start comparing her to horses like, say, Citation and Cigar



17 – 0


Legend :cool:

You really think Pletcher is going to take Borel off of Super Saver at some point? The guy just put an absolutely perfect ride on the horse not in a N1X, in the Kentucky Derby. It's one thing for Borel to opt to ride a different horse but the chances of TAP taking him off Super Saver are virtually non-existent in my opinion.

NT