RACHEL ALEXANDRA RULED OUT OF APPLE BLOSSOM DUEL

Rachel Alexandra
(Photo : Brock Talk / NY Daily News)

RACHEL ALEXANDRA VS ZENYATTA

One day after finishing second in her seasonal return in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at the Fair Grounds, Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) was officially confirmed out of the Gr1 Apple Blossom Handicap, which will be contested on 9 April. Her owner Jess Jackson confirmed yesterday that, although the defending Horse of the Year exited the New Orleans Ladies healthy, the four-year-old would not be shipped to Oaklawn Park for a match-up with champion Zenyatta (Street Cry).

“Saturday’s race, while a disappointment, helped us define Rachel Alexandra’s racing condition,” explained Jess Jackson. “While she is healthy, just as I had anticipated, she is not in top form. Therefore, I decided on Sunday that she will not be going to the Apple Blossom on April 9. Steve Asmussen and I discussed this fully and we now regret we tried to accelerate her training in order to meet the Apple Blossom schedule. We have a whole season before us to help define her greatness. She will tell us when her next race will be.”

Responding to Rachel Alexandra’s defection, Zenyatta’s owner Jerry Moss said, “We’re disappointed that we’re not going to be able to face each other in the Apple Blossom. Hopefully, we can meet down the line. We respect both Steve and Mr. Jackson as horsemen, and they’re going to do what’s right for their horse. That’s all anybody could ask for. We’ll go on to the Apple Blossom as planned.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

RACHEL ALEXANDRA AWARDED ECLIPSE HORSE OF THE YEAR

Rachel Alexandra
(Photo : Science Blogs)

39th ECLIPSE AWARDS

Neither Zenyatta nor Rachel Alexandra were defeated on the racetrack in 2009 but last night at the annual Eclipse Awards staged at the prestigious Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, it was left to the ballot to deliver a decisive “Horse Of The Year” victory… 130 votes to 99… in favour of Rachel Alexandra over Zenyatta.

With the news that Zenyatta will remain in training for 2010, could we expect her to avenge this defeat in a mammoth racetrack showdown between filly and mare?

2009 ECLIPSE AWARD WINNERS

Horse Of The Year	RACHEL ALEXANDRA
Two-Year-Old-Male	LOOKIN AT LUCKY
Two-Year-Old-Filly	SHE BE WILD
Three-Year-Old-Male	SUMMER BIRD
Three-Year-Old-Filly	RACHEL ALEXANDRA
Older Male	GIO PONTI
Older Female	ZENYATTA
Female Sprinter	INFORMED DECISION
Male Sprinter	KODIAK KOWBOY
Male Turf Horse	GIO PONTI
Female Turf Horse	GOLDIKOVA
Steeplechase Horse	MIXED UP
Owner	GODOLPHIN RACING
Breeder	JUDDMONTE FARMS
Jockey	JULIEN LEPAROUX
Apprentice Jockey	CHRISTIAN SANTIAGO REYES
Trainer	STEVE ASMUSSEN

RED ROCKS raises doubts about strength of US Racing

Steve Asmussen leads Curlin
(AP Photos)

English galloper Red Rocks (Galileo) has raised new questions about the standard of American racing Red Rocks, who has performed only moderately at home since winning the by giving the horse ranked No.1 in  the world an old-fashioned hiding. 2006 Breeder Cup Turf, beat the World Champion Curlin by two lengths in the G1 Man O’War Stakes at Belmont on Saturday.

Stallions Daily Bulletin reports that the win left trainer Steve Asmussen in a less-than-affable mood and is likely to torpedo plans for Curlin to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. While Red Rocks has shown good ability, he finished only sixth at his previous start in the Coronation Cup at Epsom behind Soldier Of Fortune.

The defeat which came after Curlin’s Dubai World Cup win and a hollow first-up victory, could be down to the horse’s inexperience on grass. Curlin was making his first attempt away from the dirt tracks he was brought up on and connections are hoping his performance was down to inexperience on the new surface. His owner, Jess Jackson took some consolation in the reception his horse had received.

“It was a great race for the fans and this is part of what we are trying to do,” said Jess Jackson. “We just didn’t see that late kick from him today. I don’t know if that was because he is still getting used to the turf or what. My feeling right now is that he needs another turf test. I’m disappointed, but this is not a setback.”

While Red Rocks is capable of producing the goods on his day, the concern for the Curlin camp was that he only held off the veteran Better Talk Now by a half length to keep second.

The shock defeat of the 2-5 favourite follows the dismal performance of America’s other boom horse, Big Brown, in the Belmont Stakes at the same track last month.

TODD PLETCHER thrust into Kentucky Derby Calculations

Todd Pletcher (Bill Frakes/SI)America’s leading trainer Todd Pletcher  was thrust into Kentucky Derby calculations over the weekend when he prepared the first two over the line in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

As notable as the win of Monba may have been, the Blue Grass Stakes proved more significant for the defeat of ruling Derby favourite Pyro who finished 10th of the 12 runners. An even-money chance in Saturday’s race, Pyro appeared to dislike the all-weather surface at Keeneland.

Monba, a son of Maria’s Mon, was right at home, stalking his front-running stablemate Cowboy Cal and then surviving a dour struggle to win by a neck. “At the beginning of the year, if you’d asked me which horses I’d like to nominate to the Triple Crown, it would have been these two,” Todd Pletcher said.

Click here to watch video of Monba winning the Blue Grass Stakes 2008.

“Both horses showed today that they belong at the highest level and both have pedigrees to show they should run a mile and a quarter. So we hope to show up with the good horse and get lucky on the day.” Scott Blasi, assistant to Pyro’s trainer Steve Asmussen, indicated the Kentucky Derby was still the target.

“He didn’t handle the track - you could see that early on,” he said. The other two recognised Kentucky Derby trials on Saturday both went to favourites. The Grade 2 Arkansas Derby, a $1 million event at Oaklawn Park whose recent winners include Smarty Jones and Curlin, was won by 2-1 shot Gayego (Paulo Lobo/Mike Smith), who held Z Fortune by three-quarters of a length. In the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, at 1900m the longest Derby prep of the spring, the even-money favourite Hey Byrn pulled away in the stretch to score by two and a quarter lengths over Dream Maestro. The Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Click here to watch video of Gayego winning the Arkansas Derby 2008.

Click here to watch video of Hey Byrn winning the Holy Bull Stakes 2008.

 Extract from Stallions Daily News 

CURLIN : A cruise at Nad Al Sheba

Curlin (boston)American Horse of the Year Curlin has boosted his confidence, and that of his trainer Steve Asmussen, by cruising to victory, with jockey Robby Albarado aboard, in his eagerly-awaited UAE debut at the Al Tayer Motors-sponsored ninth meeting of the 2008 Dubai International Racing Carnival this evening.

Although a class above his rivals, Curlin had not run since his Breeders’ Cup Classic victory last October and had travelled halfway around the world.

It made no difference and he won easily by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Familiar Territory, who was rated 20lb inferior.

The Jaguar Trophy Handicap was run over the same 2000m distance as his big target, the US$6 million Dubai World Cup, which is looming in just 30 days time, on March 29.

Jet Express was four-and-a-quarter lengths away third and the time of 2m0.6secs was just 1.1secs outside Dubai Millennium’s track record for a mile and a quarter on dirt.

Steve Asmussen  said: “That was exactly what we wanted. He’s always been more confident doing things a second time, so this is good preparation.”

Extracts from The Telegraph