RACHEL JUNE 12th
 

Back in action for the H.O.Y.


http://drf.com/news/article/113477.html

Jackson says

According to Jackson, Rachel Alexandra is being considered for two races at Churchill Downs - the Stephen Foster and the Fleur de Lis - as well as the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park and the Obeah at Delaware Park.

Who will be riding her?

I hope they go the Zenyatta route.

Poly?

I think Rachel should be ridden by Chantal setting up a stretch duel with 5 wide Smith.

No go the restricted route and just stay in Kentucky all year. Hell...run at Ellis Park.

We don't want these two to meet until the Breeders Cup. This sport thrives on what ifs. Lets not actually have them race each other until the majority of fans are to the point of not giving a s.hit.

Glad to hear Jackson say "We are getting her back to her fitness level of last year" I wonder how much more time they'll need to get her fit? Probably have to wait for the next press release immediately after the race on June 12th to see if she's finally there depending on the result.

I doubt it would be the Foster, but here's hoping she goes there. The two losses have probably lowered their expectations, so the only way to restore it is to go out and beat the boys. Actually, a loss in open company probably wouldn't hurt at this point, whereas another loss to girls would be another big mark against her. Nothing to lose and without Quality Road, the other boys don't look intimidating anyway.

LOL

She is the dam of Go for Wand.

Easier figuring out identities of CIA operatives than it is to pin our (diminished) 'horse-of-the-year' down to a race…

That doesnt make the race named after her any less laughable for the great Rachael Alexanda's next spot. I recall a certain owner saying that the only races he was interested in were grade 1's. Imagine the answer you would have gotten from him had you asked if the Obeah was on the radar screen for RA a few months back?

Rachel Alexandra hasn't run in Grade 1 yet this year, so at this stage the Obeah isn't as laughable as it might have been at the beginning of the year.

Being a prep for the Delaware Handicap, if Rachel Alexandra were to run and win the Obeah, it might renew interest in the main event as a possible showdown with Zenyatta.

Then we could have at least 3 or 4 good weeks of publicity, posters, trading cards, hotel reservations, ticket scalping, Steve Haskin diaries, etc. before one of them inevitably backs out.

All of her races this year are seemingly preps

Strangely enough, both of her races this year were faster than Zenyatta's this year....Who'd have thunk it.

Fair enough, but given her first couple of starts this year, if you were campaigning her would you be looking for tougher competition or the proverbial "confidence builder"?

Anyways, the Obeah is the most "ideal" spot on all fronts (and is the perfect fodder for more "RA is ducking" threads) as its 8.5f I believe (distance possibly being an important consideration for her connections), its technically a drop in class, its a direct prep over the same track for a more important contest, and it avoids Urivaled Belle at CD and Zardana at Belmont both of whom beat her previously.

That said, I presume she'll go for the Fleur De Lis. Do they still run the Molly Pitcher at Monmouth?

You know you have hit hard times when you are avoiding Zardana.

Both Unrivaled Belle and Zardana are going to the Ogden Phipps.

NT

How's Macho Again been looking lately? I forgot he won the Stephen Foster last year. It looks like he's had that one off the board finish this year in the Alysheba (G3) against Arson Squad whom he'll face again. Intuitively I feel like she could take either one of them based on her past couple, her workouts, and what I've seen of those two, but I didn't dig too deeply on that yet, esp. Arson Squad. Not sure how he's been working. If she brings her A game she'd have it and even her B game isn't to be laughed at. Those 2nd place finishes were good ones.

Of course she should've been able to win the first two races, but oh well. What I do feel is another race at 1 1/16 against females just makes me fidget. I'm not enamored with the Obeah unless she's got some legit crisis of confidence or something and they feel she'd knock it outta the park. Are we going to keep doing it til she gets it right? Eh, it's not gonna do her any favors to get beat in the Ogden Phipps, maybe some redemption's possible but if they feel she's back to her old self, it kills two birds with one stone to beat males in a G1. I just really like the idea of a 1 1/8, but that's me. What's the place money in the Stephen Foster? I guess we'll find out just how happy they are with her progress pretty soon.