3/13 (FG): New Orleans Ladies S.
 

10th (5:15) New Orleans Ladies S.

1 1/16 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $200,000

1 Fighter Wing Lanerie C J 117 L
2 Rachel Alexandra Borel C H 123 L
3 Zardana (BRZ) Flores D R 121 L
4 Unforgotten Mena M 117 L
5 Clear Sailing Sellers S J 117 L

Owners:
1 - Jim Tafel, LLC (Jim Tafel);
2 - Stonestreet Stables, LLC & Harold McCormick (Jess Jackson);
3 - Arnold Zetcher, LLC (Arnold Zetcher);
4 - Robert A. Adams;
5 - Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (Keith & Ginger Myers)

Breeders:
1 - Jim Tafel LLC;
2 - Dolphus C. Morrison;
3 - Haras Campestre;
4 - Charles T. Rognom & Robert A. Adams;
5 - Overbrook Farm

I smell bridge jumpers.

I'd be surprised if they offered show wagering

No guts, no glory

What's the word on this Clear Sailing? I saw her win her first condition and she looked like she could run a little. I guess she won a stakes last out, too. Comes from a deep Overbrook family (Jump Start, Miswaki).

Not expecting her to step up here necessarily, but do her numbers suggest she's capable of progressing into the upper ranks?

I thought she looked like a nice horse too.

I imagine the 1 (Fighter Wing) will gun for the lead.

Rachel Alexandra Offical Margin of Victory:

3.75 lengths or greater (-150)

Under 3.75 lengths or worse (+130)

any reason sheriffs is shipping a horse into this race that hasn't been out of cali since the owner bought the horse nearly 2 and 1/2 yrs ago?

No one ever talks about this Harold McCormick, the other owner of Rachel Alexandra. What is his deal?

Silent partner.

Owner suggested it. Wants to see if she's good enough to run in the $5 million Apple Blossom.

got it , it does sure seem strange to run here after not being out of cali in 2 1/2 yrs , i wonder why he hasn't tried it in the past?

i wonder if sheriffs had any input into this , he has not liked to ship out of cali much lately

According to what has been published, Shireffs was wary of the reaction to entering the mare.

My guess is that a lot of players in the sport, not affiliated with Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra, are a bit jealous and are wanting to get in on the action one way or another. You have West Point's Terry Finley wanting to start Macho Again in the Apple Blossom when he's male and you got Martin Wygod running Life Is Sweet in the Dubai World Cup when she appears overmatched.

Had St. Trinians performed better in the Big Cap, you could rest assured her connections would be clamoring for attention in some form or another.

i got it rollo thx - the owner is looking for $$$ and over the last 2 yrs there weren't any oppprtunities to ship out of cali , if shireffs is wary it makes sense , from an outsiders look it would appear that Zardana is only there to make RA work harder in this race .... thx for clearing it up that the trainer doesn't have an alterior motive

That was my very first thought.

I posted this elsewhere when first hearing about it, because that seems like an awfully convenient time to all of the sudden care about wondering if the gal can run on dirt here competitively, when there have been tons of opportunities over the years and he never takes them, then presto, all of the sudden Rachel v. Zenyatta becomes something, and now after years the "owner" wants to go chase the horse in her comeback race. Not saying he's lying, it just originally struck me as a bit convenient. I channeled my inner Drugs for it.

Jess Jackson has a theory

While not a big fan of taking meds, you could try some Imodium for that.

That would be 6:15, Eastern Time, am I correct?

Just keep the PRESSURE on that short filly coming out of the 2-hole, Flores… :D

Not that it means much, but has there ever been a higher discrepancy in Brisnet Prime Power rankings before?

please......

as the simpsons kid says......heh, ha

Lets hear those excuses...

Horse of the Year??? Pffff....

Oh geez, what happened? Maybe it's a good thing the NTRA site crashed.

I thought the stated campaign for Rachel was ambitious, and today's race showed it. That wasn't the same horse we saw last summer. Not even close.

I wanted her to win.

I wanted Zenyatta to win, more.



It's still the ingredients of a helluva race to come.



Zenyatta was her regular posing and prancing self today. I fortunately remembered at the last minute I DO HAVE a little used TVG account.

I had been to a wine tasting and was not clearly legal to drive to the OTB.....

:-)


California.

Rules.

she earned that last year. what today's race has to do with her remarkable season i don't know. remains to be seen who earns it this year.

Even Secretariat lost.

No horse is perfect.

I predict at some point this year, Zenyatta will lose (unless her trainer keeps her running against world beaters like Floating Heart)

Yes.

It.

Does. :cool:

Some more paddock schooling might help RA
 

It looked like she spooked a bit from the crowd noise coming through the tunnel toward the paddock.

That


is truly funny. Iran rules..Cali smokes pole. But Z is a fun a horse

How 'bout them old Cali mares, Bob :tro: :cool:

That WAS the same horse we saw last year - just not running against the same competition.

Mine That Bird about ran Rachel Alexandra down in the Preakness, and then he was ridiculed in the West Virginia Derby.

I don't want to diss Rachel Alexandra.

But, she is no Zenyatta when it comes to personality.

ra was short

zenyatta did not miss a beat in training since the classic

In defense of Mine That Bird, I still think he's the Rodney Dangerfield of last year's group despite winning the Derby. Also, Derby winners as of late have done pretty well in the Preakness, note the number of dual winners over the last decade or so especially. With the exception of Barbaro (for obvious reasons), Grindstone (who got hurt as well) and Monarchos, the Derby winners have finished 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the Preakness since 1994, and in 1993 the 2nd place KD finisher won the Preakness. There's something to be said for form and momentum even when they aren't major players for the rest of the year. It's hardly surprising MTB was on his game against Rachel.

Secondly, Zenyatta is 17 hands, gorgeous, and likes to do dressage before a race. It's clear why folks would be enamored by her just from that. No need to imply anything about RA. It's not her fault she's not ginormous, doesn't pirouette in the post parade, or has a blaze that looks like it got smudged before the paint was dry. What happens between the start and finish line is what matters. It's not a beauty contest and the talent portion excludes the paddock. Z's on her game right now. Let's cut the smack talk and enjoy it.

I hear you. Not intending to talk smack at all. I don't like it either.

I do think that Zenyatta is the better "story" for thoroughbred racing now, and has been for several months.

Rachel Alexandra could have come west to face Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup and elected not to do so.

Zenyatta and her connections declared to go east to face Rachel Alexandra on the supposedly dreaded dirt.

And again Rachel Alexandra and her connections wussed out.

"Horse of The Year" is a big eastern 'elite' conspiracy.

(and "Christmas is run by a big eastern syndicate"......so sayeth Lucy)

To bad we won't see them together in the Apple Blossem. My guess is RA would improved off the New Orleans effort.