Rachel Alexandra back with a bang
For a horse who has not been confirmed to run yet, Rachel Alexandra was looking good.
The reputation of the reigning Horse of the Year may have taken something of a dip, after she was beaten by Persistently in the Grade One Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga last month, but she was hard to criticise in a morning workout on Monday.
There has yet to be a final decision from the filly’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, about whether Rachel Alexandra will run in the Grade One Beldame Stakes, at Belmont Park on Saturday, but her four-furlong gallop at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track suggested that she, at least, was ready.
The clockers timed her at 48.45 seconds, which was the best of 50 workouts which include the likes of Proviso, the recent winner of the Grade One Diana Stakes at Saratoga.
The timing of the Beldame would fit into the schedule that Asmussen, and majority owner Jess Jackson, had planned with five weeks until the Breeders’ Cup meeting, at Churchill Downs on November 5th and 6th, where Rachel Alexandra is expected to contest the Ladies’ Classic.
Blame became a live contender for the Classic when he won the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga last month, when he beat Quality Road by a head, completing his prep for the Grade One Jockey Club Gold Cup, on the same Belmont card, with a four-furlong workout on the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Afterwards the colt’s trainer, Al Stall, was happy enough when he told the Daily Racing Form that Blame had been a "comfortable, motionless rider, he galloped out nicely on his own. He came back nice, we’re on schedule."
Blame, who has won his last five starts – all at Graded level – will be running over 10 furlongs for the first but Stall now has worries about stamina issues. "We’re dying to run him a mile and a quarter," he said.
A late contender for the Classic is Morning Line, the winner of the Pennsylvania Derby on Saturday.
The Triple Crown races had been contested before Morning Line, a son of dual Classic winner Tiznow, at Monmouth Park in late June but he proved that he is worth a place at this level when he beat First Dude by a neck in the Pennsylvania Derby and his trainer, Nick Zito, could be hoping that he will match his sire. Tiznow was a similarly late developer before he won his first Classic, which was also run at Churchill Downs, in 2000.
“I always remember his father was a late developer,” Zito said. “He could have that ability, he could do similar to what his dad, so yes you have to look at the Classic.”
One problem that faces Zito is finding a jockey to replace John Velazquez, the winning rider, who is already committed to ride Quality Road in the Classic for Todd Pletcher.
Dale Romans must wonder quite what he has to do in order to get First Dude to win the big race that his talents say is clearly within his grasp. Having seemed clearly beaten halfway down the home stretch at Parx Racing, he rallied but still maintained a frustrating sequence for his trainer. the colt has now finished runner-up in the Preakness and Pennsylvania Derby as well as third in the Belmont Stakes, Haskell, and Travers, with Romans saying that the horse had come back to the barn at Churchill “like he hadn’t even run” and that he is still on course for a crack at the Classic. “That’s the way we’re going to think right now.
“He always steps up in these big races and does well. He loves this racetrack. We’ll bring him over there trying to win it, but if he were to run second or third, that’s a big payday.”
Throw in Zenyatta, who runs in the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park, and, Lookin At Lucky, scheduled to run in the Grade Two Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park, and this Classic is certainly looking good.
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