Rachel Officially Done for 2009
 

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/rac...’s 2009 season

Here is the following statement from Jess Jackson:

“We have seen an amazing 2009 campaign from Rachel Alexandra, our three-year-old filly. She not only beat the fillies by 20 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks [G1] and 19 lengths in the Mother Goose Stakes [G1], she beat the boys in the Preakness and the Haskell [Invitational Stakes (G1)], and older males in the Woodward [Stakes (G1)]. She beat the winners of the Kentucky Derby [Presented by Yum! Brands (G1)] and the Belmont [Stakes (G1)]. Rachel raced on eight different tracks.

She prevailed in all eight of her races in ’09—five of them Grade 1 contests. Hers was a campaign for the ages beyond what any filly has ever accomplished and she is only three years old. Our family and racing fans will always remember and enjoy her historic 2009 campaign.

Today, I am formally announcing our decision to conclude Rachel’s 2009 campaign and allow her to mature naturally. She has moved to Churchill Downs for a well-deserved rest.

We are all looking forward to an exciting 2010 season. In the interim, I want to sincerely thank the fans, the track officials, and the media for all their heartfelt support of this wonderful filly.”

Wow, I didn't think that really needed a formal announcement. He already said all of this through interviews.

This is all good if she comes back next year and they don't limit her to a 100 mile radius for racing.

Not that I'm mocking anyone who does.

I'm looking forward to her nothing-to-lose trip to Dubai next year. If she wins, she will be the only filly or mare to win the Dubai Cup. If she loses, then it can be blamed or the new artificial surface. You don't think Jackson will be satisfied with watching RA beat up on her own kind in the Apple Blossom, Louisville BC, and Fleur De Lis, do you?

Why would he run her in Dubai on a synthetic when he wouldn't run her in the Breeders Cup on a synthetic?

There's no way they run in Dubai. That would be very stupid.

The Dubai World Cup Classic was a race either dominated by an American dirt horse or a Godolphin horse every year.

Now it will become a race that will be dominated by international turf horses. Our best synthetic horses will have no chance .. forget about our best dirt horses.

For the same reason that he ran Curlin in the Man O' War. Because Jackson likes to take steps that the public believes are risky but in reality aren't. RA has HOY wrapped up and her reputation in the general sports media intact if she stays in the barn. Running in the Classic has a much downside as upside. I think she would have skipped the Classic this year even if it was run on real dirt.

Next year is a clean slate, and we already know Jackson likes the international stage, albeit Dubai. He has to make a bold statement with her. If she loses there it can be blamed on the surface (her win at Kee over Poly has basically been forgotten anyway). Then he can come back to the U.S. and cherry pick her spots over a limited campaign (Foster-Woodward or Whitney-Beldame) that may or may not end with the Classic.

Dubai is publicly off the table now because otherwise that contradicts their position on the Cup this year. But if she doesn't run there, where will she run for the first four months of the year. Jackson isn't going to keep her in the barn for seven months if she is healthy. The Big Cap is out of the question, and I don't see her running in the Donn, NO Hcp, Oaklawn Hcp, or Apple Blossom. So that leaves slim pickings until maybe the Met Mile.

i disagree that the apple blossom or fleur de lis are off the table. her first race back will most likely not be a gr 1 vs the opposite sex. i'd imagine whatever her campaign will be, they will start with november and work backwards thru the calendar. if the classic is the culmination of her season, and i'd think it would be, then everything up to that will be races to bring her back to form, and to get her ready for that. a win in the classic would be the icing on the cake if she pulled it off-the first female in the history of the bc to take that race.
besides, the mosses are supposedly considering running zenyatta early in '10. a matchup between those two in the apple blossom would be a great way to open the year (a prep race before for both perhaps?). a fine way for rachel to start her four year old season, and a fine finish to zenyattas career.

Running her in Dubai would be incredibly stupid because she has no chance.

She obviously would have run in this years Classic if on dirt - and she would have been a clear cut favorite.

She has all kinds of options all year long next year. Even in the winter there is GP, OP, and FG ... if they don't run in those spots it's because of the Frankel fad of conservative placement that has overtaken horse racing. Fewer starts a year, more time between starts, less time in training.

It was stupid for the connections to consider Curlin for the Arc, but they did it and gave Curlin a test run in the Man O' War.

I'm not so certain that she would be a definite for the Classic this year if it was on dirt. If they were so interested in 10 furlongs against males, why didn't they run in the JCGC and then call it a year.

I won't consider believing she's done for the year until the announcement next week and then I won't really believe until the announcement the following week.

I'll bet she's run her last race.

Kinda like Usain Bolt just up and skipping the Olympics.............

Or just like Holy Bull and Mineshaft being held out of the BC.

Depressing. But closure.