Zardana wears down Rachel Alexandra to win the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at Fair Grounds
A previous post here on BugBoy.net was written as if Zenyatta had already won horse of the year honors. The headline reads “Zenyatta wins Breeder’s Cup Classic”
Emotions sometimes get the best of sports fans and captivated by Zenyatta’s spectacular victory in the BC Classic. She beat a nice group of males to become the first female ever to win the Classic and feel she was every bit deserving in spite of Rachel’s stunning victories.
The Eclipse awards has a history of being conventional so it may be just coincidence but Rachel’s victories were unconventional over a conventional surface. Zenyatta’s victories were unconventional over an unconventional track.
They may meet sometime this year and if they do it’ll be good for racing.
However, it may never happen because after watching Rachel Alexandra race in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes, a race that was written in the racing books for her, will go down as many of the more recent previous horse of the year recipients to have gone down in defeat in their returning race after the award ceremony.
We witnessed the race live from Fair Grounds race course and have pictures of the race as Zardana wore down the defending 2009 Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, and we hate to say we told you so but Zenyatta is a MONSTER MOM who defeated a much better group of older males in the Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita in ’09.
Jess Jackson will probably spend the next year avoiding Zenyatta rather than risk having her be defeated by a superior broodmare which is the way Calvin Borel explained his understanding from conversations he had with the connections of Rachel Alexandra.
Nevertheless, she is a nice young horse who will go on to win many more races in her career as she develops to earn her way into the record books. In 2009 she went undefeated by beating the once in a lifetime Mine that Bird upset of the Kentucky Derby — a race won because the jockey was better then everyone else under the conditions.
Her biggest win was at Saratoga which sealed the deal on Horse of the Year and befitting of a dramatic return in New Orleans we congratulate Jess Jackson, Steve Asmussen and most importantly Calvin Borel who may be sitting on his third winner real soon.
Somehow it all makes sense why we waited to write this post.
Summed up in a word Zenyatta was spectacular.
Her win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic was a sight to see. And, for horse racing fans everywhere who made her the 5-2 favorite over a pretty decent group of males she scored the victory to secure her Horse of the Year honors.
On Saturday she raced herself into the record books as the first female to win the BC Classic and she will likely retire undefeated at 14-0. She beat Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, and the Belmont winner, Summer Bird, as well as several older and very accomplished runners like Einstein, Gio Ponti and the European runner Twice Over.
Of course, Horse of the Year honors will be determined by racing heads and sports writers who get an official ballot but our ballot is in and it’s for Zenyatta.
As much of a fan as we are of Rachel Alexandra the way Zenyatta won the BC Classic was exhilarating to witness. As they turned for home she moved up on the inside to about 7th place and the six males in front of her were all but done. Mike Smith waited just long enough to get outside and that’s when Zenyatta went to work and wore down Gio Ponti for the historic and final victory of her spectacular career.
Now we wait for her offspring.
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Careless Jewel will be tough on the lead in here. She has the rail and the speed to make it easy on the front-end.
Look for Rainbow View to make a big impression. She’s shortening up and will get the jump on the closers.
Our Pick:
Careless Jewel
Click here for BC Marathon Pick
Click here for BC Juvenile Fillies
Maram edges Heart Shaped in BC Fillies
Maram was the winner of last years BC Juvenile Turf for Fillies. This year she’ll face older horses going 1 1/4 miles and has the outside post. This is probably the toughest race on the card because defending champ Forever Together looks tough but faces horses who are better at this stage of their careers then those she faced last year at that stage of their careers.
This race is primed for an upset as Forever Together looked to be one paced in the end of the First Lady Stakes.
We love longshots and Maram will be ours in here.
Our Picks:
Maram
Click here for BC Marathon Pick
