I like Kensei and Warriors Reward.

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...

I know the races are on turf, but several outstanding 3YO fillies such as Zarkava, Six Perfections and Goldikova have whipped "mature males" in recent years.

By stronger, more mature animals, do you mean slower, less competitive animals? They aren't in a cage fight, they are racing for crying out loud. I don't ever remember being scared of getting hurt running sprints after practice because there were some older, stronger kids in there.

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...

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 he would get beat in either spot.

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.

Wow.

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

I see what you are saying CSC, but I think Travers winner on a stallion register probably does a bit more for the horse's stud value than winning the Woodward because of the whole 3-year-old success thing. I could be wrong.

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

I think he will need alot of help 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.

:zz:

He's running his 3yo filly in a historically top Grade 1 race for older horses (which a female horse of any age has never won) and he's being a chicken?!!?

I second Indian Charlie's post..

And he's running her in a race that Zenyatta is free to enter. But he's the chicken.

Because it is historically one of the top Grade 1's for older horses does not necessarily improve her 'legacy' Jess's words not mine... than if she won the Travers this year. I don't think any intelligent follower of the game would say the better field belongs to Woodward this year. While on the other hand you could have the 3 triple crown winners facing off with not to mention a field with depth horses.

i agree with some of this but not the kensai part. i think that horse has been pointing for the travers. rachel on the other hand, i don't think they are in a hurry to run her one mile and a quarter verses the boys. i know i'll take crap for this. but she may have distance limits. i went to the preakness and i saw a tired horse at 1 and 3/16. and if you heard borel talk you know she was tired. notice how they keep going for a mile and a eigth probably her best distance. if she ever gets beat it will probably be at the classic distance. its just my opinion and a hunch but i don't think he wants this horse to lose at all and the woodward is an easier spot for rachel.

Of the top 25 race horses of all time: 12 have run in the Woodward, 6 have run in the Travers. That is despite the Woodward never being run until 1954.

I personally think that beating older horses on September 5th of her 3yo year in Saratoga adds a whole lot more to her "legacy" than beating colts for the 3rd time. She's already won the Preakness and the Haskell.. she has nothing more to prove in her age group. She's trying to do something that has never been done in the history of racing.

Also, I might get crap for this.. but we really have no idea how the 3yo colts stack up against the older horses. There are no names that stick out regarding the older horses.. but how good is Mine That Bird & Summer Bird really?? I wouldnt bet on them in the Woodward against older horses.. Quality Road is the dark horse, but we really wont have any questions answered about him until after the Travers.. I also wouldnt bet on him in the Woodward. Just because the names are more interesting doesnt mean the 3yo colts are better than the older horses, that remains to be seen. The older horses are crappy compared to years past, but they still may be equal/better than the 3yo's.

The Woodward is a much more difficult spot to run a 3yo filly than the Travers. It takes a lot more "balls" for lack of a better word than to run her against 3yo colts again.. all of whom (besides QR) she has blown away already. The only reason it may be a better spot for her than the Travers is she may be suited better for 1 1/8th than 1 1/4th.

I'm 99% confident she would win the Travers the same way she won the Haskell. The Woodward will be a much bigger accomplishment IF she wins..

I would agree on this point, I am not crazy about her schedule as it reminds me of Azeri's under her 1st Trainer.