Asmussen: No Rachel for Blossom

[prudery]

The concept of Zardana ducking Zenyatta or visa-versa is just silly ...

Life Is Sweet ran against Zenyatta unsucessfully several times and won the BC Ladies Classic . She also hit the board against males--and all this on Zenyatta's alleged favorite surface ...

It is unreasonable to think that this is going on, when another Shireffs filly --and probably a better one---has already done this multiply ...

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

Do people really think Zardana is a good horse, or is it she caught a great horse on a bad day and setup?

Rachel clearly didn't run as well as she did in '09, but I don't think that should diminish the race Zardana ran. She ran a good race and appears to be a fairly quality runner on dirt. All of her dirt races have been good.
On non-dirt surfaces she appears to struggle.

[Theatrical]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

Zardana ducks Zenyatta!

If Zenyatta was truly the best, why is Shirreffs afraid of running Zardana?

Oh well, it's a conflict of interest probably. If Zardana was kept in the race, Shirreffs could have very well undertrained Zardana somehow because his heart is set on Zenyatta winning.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/hor...ory?id=5032043

"The Apple Blossom field will not include Zardana or Rachel Alexandra, one-two finishers in the New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds on March 13. Shirreffs and owner Arnold Zetcher said Friday that Zardana will skip the Apple Blossom on April 9 and point instead for the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes on April 30 at Churchill Downs. Zardana "could use a little time off," Zetcher said. He and Shirreffs also believe the 1 1/16-mile distance of the La Troienne suits Zardana more than the 1 1/8-mile Apple Blossom. "

You may be right. Mr. Shirreffs is so set on keeping Zenyatta undefeated he put her in the BCC to face males and run 1 1/4 miles for her first time at both.

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by Theatrical

You may be right. Mr. Shirreffs is so set on keeping Zenyatta undefeated he put her in the BCC to face males and run 1 1/4 miles for her first time at both.

He waited all year, never doing anything different in So Cal, until he ran her in that one interesting race.

Half the field didn't have a chance in that race because they were dirt horses.

Put her in a decent campaign in a wider variety of places against quality horses, and see what happens. She would have great wins, but she wouldn't be invincible.

[Theatrical]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

He waited all year, never doing anything different in So Cal, until he ran her in that one interesting race.

Half the field didn't have a chance in that race because they were dirt horses.

Put her in a decent campaign in a wider variety of places against quality horses, and see what happens. She would have great wins, but she wouldn't be invincible.

Do you have an 800 number I can call to have you tell me my future?

[CSC]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Let's be clear, I made a general statement that anybody that would campaign their top class horses with those things (ie money records, unbeaten streaks) in mind is making a mistake. Now, did I disagree with you and say Jess Jackson wouldn't do it?

Let's talk in the present tense then, 2009 is in the past, that debate has been discussed to death. if the Apple Blossom goes off with Zenyatta in it, in your opinion who is taking more chances thus far in 2010 and secondly who is protecting their reputation now?

[DaTruth]

Did the BC Classic runners happen to finish 1-2-3 in the Dubai World Cup?

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by CSC

Let's talk in the present tense then, 2009 is in the past, that debate has been discussed to death. if the Apple Blossom goes off with Zenyatta in it, in your opinion who is taking more chances thus far in 2010 and secondly who is protecting their reputation now?

I know what you're getting at, but the difference is current form. From her 2010 race, Rachel Alexandra is not the same horse she was last year. Simply put, Zenyatta would dust her at this point in time. As any objective race fan would wish, both horses should be 100% for a matchup with this much ridiculous build-up.

The gripe with Zenyatta has been that she's been at the top of her game and taken more conservative routes. To some degree this is because the BC was at SA the last two years (some of it probably has to do with her unbeaten record, too), but when her connections start sounding off about her "other worldly" abilities and set up a massive spin machine, inevitably people want to see these proclaimations verified on the racetrack.

The Vanity-Clement Hirsch-Lady's Secret Triple Burger King Paper Crown doesn't quite cut it.

[TouchOfGrey]

The gripe with Zenyatta has been that she's been at the top of her game and taken more conservative routes. To some degree this is because the BC was at SA the last two years (some of it probably has to do with her unbeaten record, too), but when her connections start sounding off about her "other worldly" abilities and set up a massive spin machine, inevitably people want to see these proclaimations verified on the racetrack.

This. Exactly.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

This. Exactly.

That avatar is soooo cute!

[Smooth Operator]

Zetch must've enjoyed watching his mare take down that paper champion at FG so much that he wants to try to do it again in the Troienne.

Do you think the paper champ will show for that CD contest … or will she duck little z now?????

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Zetch must've enjoyed watching his mare take down that paper champion at FG so much that he wants to try to do it again in the Troienne.

Do you think the paper champ will show for that CD contest … or will she duck little z now?????

Do you pat yourself on the back after every one of these clever posts of yours?