Rachel Alexandra-Zenyatta set for Apple Blossom confrontation

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Realistically, who anticipated an Apple Blossom showdown?

not me but i think the race will happen if rachel runs again. i'm hoping its in open company anyway. its clear that the fillies and mares are no match for either one of these horses. i want to see a real race with a real field. they put that kind of money up (5 mill). you could get a pretty good race not rachel , zenyatta and 4 or 5 scrubs from the female division.

[tector]

In other news, some snow is anticipated this winter....

[GPK]

"Out of respect for the level of competition and then importance of this race, I have told Mr. Jackson it was not in the bet interest of the horse to race on April 3," Steve Asmussen, trainer of Rachel Alexandra, said in the press release. "Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time. If all goes according to schedule, and we don't have any further weather delays, the earliest we could have a prep race would be the middle of March. It is then not fair to Rachel to ask her to race again three weeks later."


Give me a f*cking break. Now I am a huge fan of Rachel (as PG would say, she's a STUD), but not fair to ask her to race again 3 weeks later??? FFS, just retire her then. What a crock of sh*t.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by GPK

"Out of respect for the level of competition and then importance of this race, I have told Mr. Jackson it was not in the bet interest of the horse to race on April 3," Steve Asmussen, trainer of Rachel Alexandra, said in the press release. "Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time. If all goes according to schedule, and we don't have any further weather delays, the earliest we could have a prep race would be the middle of March. It is then not fair to Rachel to ask her to race again three weeks later."


Give me a f*cking break. Now I am a huge fan of Rachel (as PG would say, she's a STUD), but not fair to ask her to race again 3 weeks later??? FFS, just retire her then. What a crock of sh*t.

so off of a 27 week layoff she should go twice in three weeks??

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

so off of a 27 week layoff she should go twice in three weeks??

Great horses in the past never did such a thing, did they?

[tector]

Originally Posted by GPK

Great horses in the past never did such a thing, did they?

What would we do without the Golden Ages of Yore in every sport.....

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by GPK

Great horses in the past never did such a thing, did they?

no, but they are faster and they probably are for about 5 and half furlongs....then they can't run for months and months......yeah, this is way better.....lol

[dalakhani]

Ive certainly sided with Zenyatta camp on most of these issues but I dont think you can really blame Assmussen for his stance. He is preparing her for an entire campaign not just one race.

Besides, the longer he waits, the money just gets bigger and Zenyatta just gets older. The clock is on his side...Jackson's mortality not withstanding.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by GPK

Great horses in the past never did such a thing, did they?

not since I've been following racing since 1996 with a few exceptions

[tector]

Originally Posted by GPK

"Out of respect for the level of competition and then importance of this race, I have told Mr. Jackson it was not in the bet interest of the horse to race on April 3," Steve Asmussen, trainer of Rachel Alexandra, said in the press release. "Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time. If all goes according to schedule, and we don't have any further weather delays, the earliest we could have a prep race would be the middle of March. It is then not fair to Rachel to ask her to race again three weeks later."


Give me a f*cking break. Now I am a huge fan of Rachel (as PG would say, she's a STUD), but not fair to ask her to race again 3 weeks later??? FFS, just retire her then. What a crock of sh*t.

Quality Road just ran in very early February...he's next scheduled to start on Memorial Day. Maybe he gets a prep, maybe he doesn't. Welcome to the modern world.

I am an agnostic on the issue of whether horses are faster now than before (see that thread), but if they are it is just possible they are (in part) because of the way they are raced today. It's like people complaing "pitchers used to have 25% more starts per year, with 300% more complete games!" So? What does that tell me, beyond the numbers themselves? Are teams getting more or less out of their pitchers today by using them the way they do? Do you think every manager is an idiot and you know better?

Everybody fricking relax and be patient. It is just a horse race.

[Duvalier]

Great...looking forward to more of the great sportsman Jess Jackson's press releases.

[Danzig]

regardless of where and how often we want these horses to race, we are at the complete mercy of the connections. hope you get to see them, but other than that, don't waste your time getting up in arms. all it'll do is raise your blood pressure.

[tector]

Originally Posted by Danzig

regardless of where and how often we want these horses to race, we are at the complete mercy of the connections. hope you get to see them, but other than that, don't waste your time getting up in arms. all it'll do is raise your blood pressure.

True enough, but I kind of resent the implication of some that the connections are being "arbitrary". In every sport people try to get leverage--teams try to get home field advantage, if possible, the "where and when" of boxing bouts are haggled, etc. But I think both camps here want to do right by their animals as well. One frigging race in April is not the whole ball of wax. Seems obvious enough, but....

[Patrick333]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Great...looking forward to more of the great sportsman Jess Jackson's press releases.

He's a piece of work isn't he. Did he bother the Moss's in his press release?

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by Patrick333

He's a piece of work isn't he. Did he bother the Moss's in his press release?

he should just buy Z.......

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by GPK

"Out of respect for the level of competition and then importance of this race, I have told Mr. Jackson it was not in the bet interest of the horse to race on April 3," Steve Asmussen, trainer of Rachel Alexandra, said in the press release. "Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time. If all goes according to schedule, and we don't have any further weather delays, the earliest we could have a prep race would be the middle of March. It is then not fair to Rachel to ask her to race again three weeks later."

Pretty funny considering the fact that Z's prep is exactly three weeks before the Blossom … and she's the one doing most of the traveling.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Pretty funny considering the fact that Z's prep is exactly three weeks before the Blossom … and she's the one doing most of the traveling.

haha Z and traveling in the same post!

Hilarious!

Lets see her travel before we come to those conclusions!

[tector]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

haha Z and traveling in the same post!

Hilarious!

Lets see her travel before we come to those conclusions!

I am sure they will. Last year's approach did not work, and there is the genuine prospect of a monster in the handicap ranks. They can't try to play the same hand again.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by tector

I am sure they will. Last year's approach did not work, and there is the genuine prospect of a monster in the handicap ranks. They can't try to play the same hand again.

they only have to travel once out of state. zenyatta can take on tougher than she did last year without leaving california.

any year but last, zenyatta did enough to win HOY. they don't have to alter much of anything.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Pretty funny considering the fact that Z's prep is exactly three weeks before the Blossom … and she's the one doing most of the traveling.

I like you and your style, but Z and RA are not the show anymore, its QR's world now.... Hes the big gun.