Rachel Alexandra to Woodward

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Is this really the smartest thing to do with a 3yo filly ... throw her in there with a bunch of mature males?


Which was the last 3yo filly to take on older males?



Seems to me that the risk of injury could be magnified by asking her to compete with stronger, more mature animals...

Smarter than putting her in the Travers against real stakes horses. Without RA the Woodward looks more like an Allowance Optional Claimer than a G1...

[CSC]

I don't doubt Jess Jackson's business acumen in making the 'best' business decision by putting Kensai in the Travers, but there is a part of me that tells me he wanted to put RA in the easier race, rather than the other way around. No one has mentioned this but wouldn't Kensai's chances be better against that mediocre group assembled in the Woodward than the Travers? If he truly wanted to up his stud value.

Something smells...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by CSC

wouldn't Kensai's chances be better against that mediocre group assembled in the Woodward than the Travers?

I think he would get beat in either spot.

[Indian Charlie]

Wow.

The day is still young and the promise for more such retardation is great!

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Wow.

The day is still young and the promise for more such retardation is great!

Great call dude, and it's not even been another two full hours!

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Great call dude, and it's not even been another two full hours!

I'm waiting to see how many more times the Preakness will be brought up as an indication that RA is distance challenged.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

I'm waiting to see how many more times the Preakness will be brought up as an indication that RA is distance challenged.

Yeah man! This is a very rich thread!

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

I'm waiting to see how many more times the Preakness will be brought up as an indication that RA is distance challenged.

lol.. exactly

While I think 1 1/8th is a perfect distance for Rachel... I dont think she'd have any problems with 1 1/4th in the Travers.

If the Haskell was 1 1/4th instead of 1 1/8th she would have won by 12 instead of 6..

I thought she'd win by 5 in the Preakness, I thought she'd win by 5 in the Haskell. I'd have the exact same opinion if she was running in the Travers.

[tector]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Great call dude, and it's not even been another two full hours!

Time has not improved the situation.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think he would get beat in either spot.

That is why I think his reasoning of not having RA in the Travers is...well bullcrap.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by CSC

I don't doubt Jess Jackson's business acumen in making the 'best' business decision by putting Kensai in the Travers, but there is a part of me that tells me he wanted to put RA in the easier race, rather than the other way around. No one has mentioned this but wouldn't Kensai's chances be better against that mediocre group assembled in the Woodward than the Travers? If he truly wanted to up his stud value.

Something smells...

I think it is pretty simple. Kensei is training well and with wins in the Dwyer, Dandy, and Travers will have a shot at champion 3yo male especially beating Quality Road and Mine that Bird head to head. Winning the Woodward with Kensei wouldn't have helped him in that regard.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I think it is pretty simple. Kensei is training well and with wins in the Dwyer, Dandy, and Travers will have a shot at champion 3yo male especially beating Quality Road and Mine that Bird head to head. Winning the Woodward with Kensei wouldn't have helped him in that regard.

I think he will need alot of help to win top 3 yr old colt this year.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by CSC

I think he will need alot of help for him to win top 3 yr old colt this year.

Well I don't think he wins the Travers but if he does wouldn't he have as good a shot as anyone? He'd have a head to head win over Quality Road, Mine that Bird, and Summer Bird.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I think it is pretty simple. Kensei is training well and with wins in the Dwyer, Dandy, and Travers will have a shot at champion 3yo male especially beating Quality Road and Mine that Bird head to head. Winning the Woodward with Kensei wouldn't have helped him in that regard.

Him winning the Woodward with RA winning the Travers wouldn't help him be three year old of the year? Perhaps if one of those other horses were to defeat her it would raise their stature but their is no way that Jackson believes she will lose to anyone, right or wrong.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Him winning the Woodward with RA winning the Travers wouldn't help him be three year old of the year? Perhaps if one of those other horses were to defeat her it would raise their stature but their is no way that Jackson believes she will lose to anyone, right or wrong.

I think the head to head win over both Quality Road and Mine that Bird is far more important than which race he wins.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I think the head to head win over both Quality Road and Mine that Bird is far more important than which race he wins.

Head to head isnt that big of a deal if he is beating "older" horses in a grade 1, especially if they lose the Travers to RA. Quality Road has virtually no chance of winning 3 yo of the year without winning the Travers and possibly the BC or at least the Gold cup or something like that. It is ridiclous that we are even talking about three year old of the year and poutting QR and Kensai in the conversation with the sparse resumes they have at this point.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Him winning the Woodward with RA winning the Travers wouldn't help him be three year old of the year? Perhaps if one of those other horses were to defeat her it would raise their stature but their is no way that Jackson believes she will lose to anyone, right or wrong.

he's hoping to get her to win a race that no female has won, with the added bonus of beating older males in a gr 1, as well as having a shot at winning the travers with a possible top 3 yo colt contender.

and i agree, he thinks no one can beat her.

[TouchOfGrey]

Originally Posted by Danzig

he (Jess Jackson) thinks no one can beat her.

Evidently he's not the only one.

Rachel May Send Asiatic Boy to Del Mar

As soon as trainer Kiaran McLaughlin found out Rachel Alexandra would be running in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 5 he quickly contacted Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, the owner of his Woodward hopeful Asiatic Boy, about the possibility of heading to California

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

Evidently he's not the only one.

Rachel May Send Asiatic Boy to Del Mar

As soon as trainer Kiaran McLaughlin found out Rachel Alexandra would be running in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 5 he quickly contacted Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, the owner of his Woodward hopeful Asiatic Boy, about the possibility of heading to California

Can you blame him?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I think it is pretty simple. Kensei is training well and with wins in the Dwyer, Dandy, and Travers will have a shot at champion 3yo male especially beating Quality Road and Mine that Bird head to head. Winning the Woodward with Kensei wouldn't have helped him in that regard.

like jackson said, rachel can't win 3 yo colt-and that competition is wide open. kensei has a shot at it..hell, it's probably why pletcher is risking bringing quality road back off one sprint effort.

also, the woodward has never been won by a female...