Zenyatta to make it 16 from 16 on Friday?

yeah!

Grade 1 Stephen Foster is potential Zenyatta target

USA: The Stephen Foster Handicap, a Grade 1 event at Churchill Downs on June 12, has emerged as the most likely target for the great Zenyatta when she bids to extend her winning streak to 17.

Following a bloodless victory in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on Friday, the brilliant six-year-old's connections said they were keen for her to race more around the States this year.

Friday's win was her tenth in a Grade 1 event, but only the second of her career on dirt and the first time in two years Zenyatta had raced outside California.

A repeat victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic has been identified as Zenyatta's ultimate target - and America's richest race will this year be held at Churchill Downs in November.

In that context, a prior test on the track may be an attractive option for the Zenyatta team in ‘match-practice' terms.

The Stephen Foster is a 1m1f event on dirt in which Zenyatta would face males for the second time in her career.

However, much could depend on what weight she is assigned for the race. "There are some options out there," trainer John Shirreffs told the Daily Racing Form.

"What kind of weight will she carry? It would be tough to do that 129lb."


Zenyatta was allotted a weight of 129lb in the 2009 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, although weight assignments (always expressed in pounds only) are treated rather differently in the States, where the actual burden rather than relative weights are considered of paramount significance.

Whatever comes next, Zenyatta is set for a brief respite. "We'll give her a week and see how she adapts and gets over that trip," said Shirreffs.

However, a trip to Churchill Downs would fit neatly into the plans of Jerry and Ann Moss, Zenyatta's owners.

"We want everybody to see her," said Jerry Moss.

"We're proud of her. It's exciting when she appears somewhere. She's a star, no doubt about her.

"We've always looked at the Breeders' Cup as our focus," added Moss, speaking to Associated Press.

"The Breeders' Cup, just for what it's worth, was in LA for two years in a row. That wasn't our choosing. Did it make it easier to run there asnd trainer there? Sure."

Ann Moss added another factor into the equation: "Would we rather have run on dirt?" she said. "Absolutely. Would we still rather run on dirt? Absolutely."

Intriguingly, there remains an outside chance that Zenyatta could meet Rachel Alexandra in the Foster.

The two were due to have met in the Apple Blossom until Rachel Alexandra was beaten in her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds.

Horse of the year Rachel Alexandra put in her best work of the year on Monday morning at Churchill Downs, going six furlongs in 1m12s.

"She looked good," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "The work was a good one for her."

The gossip in Kentucky is that she could reappear in the La Troienne Stakes, a Grade 2 event at Churchill on Kentucky Oaks day, April 30.

She would then have about six weeks to the Foster. "We're just trying to get her back to where she was," added Asmussen.

Rachel working well at Churchill Downs

RACHEL ALEXANDRA, reigning US Horse of the Year but beaten on her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds on March 13, hinted strongly that she is returning to top form after working 6f in 1min 11.40secs under regular exercise rider Dominic Terry on Monday morning at Churchill Downs. She galloped out 7f in 1min 24.2secs.

"She's had three works since she's been here," said trainer Steve Asmussen, "and they have been extremely Rachel-esque. I'm happy to see her putting in work like she did last year."

A week earlier Rachel Alexandra worked 6f in 1min 12secs and galloped out 7f in 1min 25.20secs.

In her first work at the Downs two weeks ago she worked 5f in 1min 20secs.

Speculation has it that Rachel Alexandra could reappear in the La Troienne Stakes on April 30 at Churchill Downs, the same day as the Kentucky Oaks, but Asmussen had nothing to say on that front.

There also is some hope that Rachel Alexandra and unbeaten super-filly Zenyatta could meet in the Grade 1 1m1f Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 12.

Zenyatta to stay at home in search of 17th win


USA: The brilliant Zenyatta will stay at home in California for her next outing for a Grade1 event against fillies at Hollywood Park in June rather than shipping across country for the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in Kentucky.

According to the Daily Racing Form, the spectacular Breeders' Cup Classic winner will bid to extend her unbeaten record to 17 in the Vanity Handicap over 1m1f on the all-weather on June 13.

"It's a logical choice," said trainer John Shirreffs, who had been toying with another crack at the boys in the Stephen Foster on June 12.

"Why put her on the plane to run in another handicap?" he added.

Zenyatta has won the last two runnings of the Vanity. She equalled the 16-race winning streak of another pair of greats, Triple Crown winner Citation and dual horse of the year Cigar, when taking the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn earlier this month.

Staying to run in Hollywood park is the easier option, much easier compettition compared to what she might face in the Stephen Foster !

Will be another year scraping of the cream...

Rachel aiming to get back to winning ways

Preview: USA, Friday 6:24pm BST

Churchill Downs: La Troienne Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt 4yo+ fillies and mares

IT'S a matter of lost glory being sought once again when Rachel Alexandra (Steve Asmussen/Calvin Borel) takes on five other fillies and mares - including Zardana (John Shirreffs/David Flores), who spoiled her seasonal debut - in the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The race comes a year after Rachel Alexandra's breathtaking victory in the Kentucky Oaks, a race she won by more than 20 lengths.


She went on, of course, to earn Horse of the Year honours through an eight-race campaign that saw her defeat males on three occasions, beating three-year-olds in the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational and older males in the Woodward Stakes.

The Woodward, run on September 5 last year, proved to be her final start of the season and she did not reappear until the New Orleans Ladies on March 13 at Fair Grounds.

It was there that she tasted defeat for the first time since November 2008.

Ironically, she was beaten by Zardana, stablemate to unbeaten Zenyatta whom she was preparing to meet in the Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park three weeks later in a $5 million showdown. That much-anticipated meeting did not take place.

Onher first start of the season, Asmussen said: "It was not okay to have a horse of that talent in that position. Everybody is a lot more comfortable with where she's at. Before, we were training to compensate for the lack of time, the weather, and now it's completely different."

Now the focus is placed entirely on restoring Rachel Alexandra's lofty standing. Of the present circumstances, Asmussen added: "We're very confident, we feel good about her, love how she's schooled, how she looks physically.

"We feel very good about her state of mind. It's a completely different mindset than before, knowing you were trying to compensate for a lack of fitness."

"She'slooked very good in the mornings here, since New Orleans we're relaxed.

"But I also remember what she looked like working last summer at Saratoga, almost unequine at times. She's in the right direction, but by no means is she at the level she was at last summer."

Zardana put in a career best effort in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes and has trained well since. Shirreffs said: "She's doing very well and we're very excited to be running in this race.

"Obviously, beating her (Rachel Alexandra) again will be a difficult task, but we knew she was in there when we entered. I'm hoping this race will go the same way as the last one, that there will be enough pace and she can lay just off it again."

Some of that pace will come from Be Fair (Wayne Lukas/Terry Thompson), who will wear blinkers for the first time. She was most recently third, nearly six lengths behind galloping winner Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom after setting the early pace.

Unbridled Belle (BillMott/Kent Desormeax) comes into the La Troienne off a victory in the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Like Zaradana, she prefers to sit just a bit off the pace.

Rachel Alexandra beaten again in Kentucky thriller

Report: USA, Friday

Churchill Downs: La Troienne Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt 4yo+ fillies and mares


HORSE of the year Rachel Alexandra suffered her second defeat in two starts this year when she was narrowly beaten by 9-1 shot Unrivaled Belle (Bill Mott/Kent Desormeaux) after a thrilling stretch duel at Churchill Downs on Friday.

Sent off at 1-5 despite a shock defeat on her seasonal debut in New Orleans March, Rachel Alexandra raced a touch keenly early on as she vied for the lead with Be Fair.

The pair battled down the backstretch before Rachel Alexandra went for home midway through the stretch turn.

Calvin Borel looked to have plenty of horseunder him but the four-year-old Unrivaled Belle, a Grade 3 winner at Gulfstream on her previous outing, came to join issue in the stretch and a desperate battle ensued.

The pair went neck and neck inside the final furlong before Rachel Alexandra, running on the inside of her rival, just got her head in front.

However, Unrivaled Belle came back in the final half-dozen strides to wreck the superstar filly's day - and perhaps her lofty reputation into the bargain.

Rachel Alexandra was also beaten on her seasonal debut at Fair Grounds, where she finished second to Zenyatta's stablemate Zardana, who beat only the front-running Be Fair home in Friday's race.

Borel did not speak after the race, his agent Jerry Hissam saying: "He's not going to make a statement. She ran a big race and just got beat. That's horse racing."

Rachel Alexandra's trainer Steve Asmussen said: "She's just not been as fast as last summer - she ran a good race, but not a great race. She does carry a lot more weight.

"Calvin did absolutely nothing wrong today," added the trainer. "I thought he got along great with her today.

"What we have to realise is there has been improvement since her last race. We don't need a knee-jerk reaction. The defeat last time put a lot of pressure on. You don't run a horse expecting to get beat, especially Rachel."

Winning rider Kent Desormeaux was full of praise for Unrivaled Belle, a daughter of Unbridled's Song.

"Oh, man, my mare was breathing fire today," said the jockey.

"I feel like the mouse that stole the cheese. I was hoping to be on the lead here today, but that spot was already taken. So I stayed where I was and waited.

"I made the lead and Rachel Alexandra passed me at the head of the lane. But my filly came back again. Then Rachel passed me again at the eighth pole but my filly fought back. What a race for her. She was special today."

Bill Mott added: "I had confidence in my filly today - I thought she'd run very well, but I wasn't confident we'd beat Rachel Alexandra. I mean, we're talking about a champion filly, the horse of the year. But here we are.

"My filly ran great," he added. "She ran huge. And I didn't think it was the other mare ran poorly. She ran her race, too. We just outdid her. They were eyeball to eyeball and my filly got her. She ran great through the lane - all heart."

Injury ends career of stud-bound Eskendereya


USA: The brilliant Eskendereya, hot favourite for the Kentucky Derby until being ruled out a week before the race, has been retired due to the same soft-tissue injury that forced his withdrawal from the first leg of the US Triple Crown.

The runaway winner of both the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Wood Memorial this year, Eskendereya was trained by Todd Pletcher, who went on to win at Churchill Downs anyway with Super Saver.

Eskendereya, a son of Giant's Causeway, was a best-priced 7-4 favourite for the Kentucky Derby when he sustained an oedema, or swelling, to his left foreleg which forced his withdrawal just a week before the race.

Owner Ahmed Zayat told Bloodhorse.com: “We sent him to two clinics for diagnostics and I wanted to send him to one more to get a third opinion, because I wasn’t willing to give up.

“But with a soft-tissue injury, we pretty much knew he was done. The horse was sound as could be and had been training extremely well at Palm Meadows. Everything was ideal until it started going downhill when he went to Churchill."


Pletcher added: "Eskendereya is as good a horse as I’ve ever brought to the Triple Crown races.

"Mr. Zayat and I investigated every possible avenue to get him back into racing form at the level that his fans expect, but after leaving no stone unturned, it became clear that this was the best decision tomake for Eskendereya."

Jess Jackson, owner of Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, has bought a part-share in Eskendereya and, along with existing owner Zayat, will decide where the three-year-old stands at stud.