Zenyatta back on Sunday
The stars are ready, their public awaits and all that is required now is a fitting venue.
Sadly, that will not be the same one. Ever since a cold day in January, when it was announced that Zenyatta was returning from one of the shortest retirement in sporting history, the big question has been when will she meet Rachel Alexandra?
This was the type of match-up that was marketing gold dust for racing in America, a sport that struggles for national exposure away from a few select highlight events, with a level of interest that could have been the version of Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao - but without the trash talk.
Just to crank up the hype a little more Rachel Alexandra won the coveted Horse of the Year title despite the fact that Zenyatta had become the first filly to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita the previous November.
Thus far, however, that accolade has hung, milestone-like, around Rachel Alexandra’s neck with two defeats in her first two starts this season and the all talk of such a clash has dissipated and the main interest is now focussed on Zenyatta pursuit of history. The mare’s two victories for this season puts her on an unbeaten record of 16, which matches the achievements Cigar, the Dubai World Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner of the 1990s, and the 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation at the table of American racing.
Those whose anoraks zip up all the way to their chin will point out that New Mexico filly Peppers Pride retired undefeated in 19 starts from 2005-08. The mare only raced in her home state and even her owner/breeder, Joe Allen of Abilene, admitted: “We know that this filly is not Citation or Cigar. We haven't been the ones to compare her to those horses. We're just glad to have her.”
John Shirreffs, Zenyatta’s trainer, is probably glad to have the stable star back in his barn as he prepares to run her in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park on Sunday, where she will carry 129lbs – or 9st 3lb – and Shirreffs is trying to concentrate on the race rather than any historical overtones as he explained to the Daily Racing Form when he said: “The weight was pretty much what we were expecting. We're just trying to focus on the Vanity and not all of her accomplishments.”
Some chance but the one of her possible 10 rivals of causing what would be the upset of the season is St Trinians, a three-time winner on the all-weather at Wolverhampton when trained in Newmarket by Ed Vaughan. Now trained by Mike Mitchell, she has won four of five starts and her defeat was far from a disgrace when she was running in mixed company, finishing sixth to Misremembered in the Grade One Santa Anita Handicap in March.
Over on the east coast, Rachel Alexandra looks likely to be running at Churchill Downs on Saturday where her trainer, Steve Asmussen, has the choice between the Grade Two Fleur De Lis Handicap or the Grade One Stephen Foster Handicap.
A run in the Stephen Foster would mean Rachael Alexandra taking on colts and geldings including Macho Again, who will be attempting to win the race for the second season in succession.
The smart money is for a run in the Fleur De Lis and Rachel Alexandra looked in good form when she completed her preparation with a half-mile workout on Monday at Churchill Downs. After her most recent defeat, when she was beaten a head by Unrivaled Belle on same track in the Grade Two La Troienne Stakes, Asmussen said: “She's just a bigger, heavier mare now and at the moment not as explosive as she was last summer.” However, Jess Jackson, Rachel Alexandra’s part-owner, seemed to apportion some of the loss on the tactics of jockey Calvin Borel.
The jockey passed personal milestone when he rode his 1000th winner at Churchill Downs on Friday. A victory for Rachel Alexandra on Saturday would loosen that milestone from her neck.
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