Jess Jackson's comments on the Breeders Cup
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from the Daily Gazette:
Curlin used Saratoga Race Course, specifically the Oklahoma training track, as his summer base the past two years. In 2007, it was to train; last year, he won the Grade 1 Woodward. On both occasions, he was voted Horse of the Year.
The plans figure to be identical for Rachel Alexandra, who has the same connections in co-owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen. Jackson said on a national conference call this afternoon that he expected to bring a large part of his Stonestreet Stable horses to the Spa, known for its tradition, history and lucrative purses.
On Saturday, Preakness and Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra returns to action in the Grade 1 Mother Goose against fellow 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park. Only three or four are expected to challenge.
The bigger challenge will be in deciding where to go next. Jackson mentioned several options, including the Grade 1 Alabama against females and the $1 million Travers against males at Saratoga.
"You have to read the horse and see what her condition is before you can set a full calendar for her," Jackson said. "I'd love to run her in the Travers. I'd love to run her in the Alabama. We just want to make sure she's in top shape and ready to go when we run her.
"We have to look at them all and see which is best suited for her in her condition at that time. I think she recovers quickly, so we'll see. Many of them are too tight together to be able to run in all of them. We can't predict her health all the way through the year, but if she stays healthy we'd like to try and pick a spot where she can compete against the boys again and, if she stays really healthy, have her possibly run again as a 4-year-old."
One spot Jackson ruled out is the Breeders' Cup, which will be run for the second straight year on the artificial Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita in California. It returns to conventional dirt in 2010 at Churchill Downs.
"I'm not inclined to go to the Breeders' Cup," Jackson said. "I have a very strong dislike for the plastic, and I don't believe she should be exposed to that."
Jockey Calvin Borel, who has won six straight races with Rachel, all in graded stakes, will be back aboard on Saturday. Unlike the Belmont Stakes, where he ran third with Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, Borel expects to ride at least one other race prior to the Mother Goose.
Borel also stopped short of guaranteeing a victory like he did with Mine That Bird during Belmont week.
"I have a lot of confidence in the filly. I think she's the best horse I've ever been on in my life," Borel said. "I don't go back on my word too many times. She's looked so good training out here at Churchill. She's doing so good. We've got nothing to prove."
Curlin used Saratoga Race Course, specifically the Oklahoma training track, as his summer base the past two years. In 2007, it was to train; last year, he won the Grade 1 Woodward. On both occasions, he was voted Horse of the Year.
The plans figure to be identical for Rachel Alexandra, who has the same connections in co-owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen. Jackson said on a national conference call this afternoon that he expected to bring a large part of his Stonestreet Stable horses to the Spa, known for its tradition, history and lucrative purses.
On Saturday, Preakness and Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra returns to action in the Grade 1 Mother Goose against fellow 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park. Only three or four are expected to challenge.
The bigger challenge will be in deciding where to go next. Jackson mentioned several options, including the Grade 1 Alabama against females and the $1 million Travers against males at Saratoga.
"You have to read the horse and see what her condition is before you can set a full calendar for her," Jackson said. "I'd love to run her in the Travers. I'd love to run her in the Alabama. We just want to make sure she's in top shape and ready to go when we run her.
"We have to look at them all and see which is best suited for her in her condition at that time. I think she recovers quickly, so we'll see. Many of them are too tight together to be able to run in all of them. We can't predict her health all the way through the year, but if she stays healthy we'd like to try and pick a spot where she can compete against the boys again and, if she stays really healthy, have her possibly run again as a 4-year-old."
One spot Jackson ruled out is the Breeders' Cup, which will be run for the second straight year on the artificial Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita in California. It returns to conventional dirt in 2010 at Churchill Downs.
"I'm not inclined to go to the Breeders' Cup," Jackson said. "I have a very strong dislike for the plastic, and I don't believe she should be exposed to that."
Jockey Calvin Borel, who has won six straight races with Rachel, all in graded stakes, will be back aboard on Saturday. Unlike the Belmont Stakes, where he ran third with Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, Borel expects to ride at least one other race prior to the Mother Goose.
Borel also stopped short of guaranteeing a victory like he did with Mine That Bird during Belmont week.
"I have a lot of confidence in the filly. I think she's the best horse I've ever been on in my life," Borel said. "I don't go back on my word too many times. She's looked so good training out here at Churchill. She's doing so good. We've got nothing to prove."
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it is a six and a half furlong race, when has Zenyatta hit that three quarters pole in 1.09 in a race that is a mile or above? Plus did you see the final time of 1.15. It took her seven seconds to complete half a furlong. While it's an impressive race, her getting six furlongs in a maiden six and a half furlongs tells me nothing of how she will handle that pace in a longer race. I would even hazard a guess to say that she was never in the lead at that point in a race where the distance was a mile or over. She is by all means a brilliant mare, but what quality speep has she faced. Hysterical lady i would count, but she hated the track in both their meetings. Zen has never face a true speed horse at all. I still feel against RA she would need a rabbit. I will thank you for aproving of me, or at least i think that is what alright means, lol. You may not say that later as you find out i'm a very stubborn person.
I looked at all of Zens races this year and last, and not once was she in front of the six furlong pole, even whe the pace was 1.09 or 1.10. The only time she ever did what you said was in her six and a half maiden, where honestly if your not in front with a half to go your not gonna win. When she made an early run in, i forget if it was in the Lady's Secret or Clement Hirsh, she was almost beaten by TTS, and had TTS gone to the outside sooner instead of being on the inside and failing to split horses, Zenyatta might have been beaten. What i took from that race is that if Zen moves to early into a fast pace she could easily burn out. In last years distaff, Mike Smith waited to make his move and Zen finished much stronger. This is why i feel if Zen tried that with RA she'd loose either way, senerio one she'd burn out because she moved too early, or senerio two RA would still have plenty left and Zen would be closing but would not be able to get to a still fresh RA.