The Z Word, and a bittersweet day

Note: This was written Saturday night, I've since calmed down quite a bit after avoiding both HRTV and TVG the past few days.

Wow! Zenyatta and Zardana, what a race by these two this weekend. Zardana upsetting Rachel Alexandra down at the Fair Grounds and Zenyatta finding a hole at the last minute to avoid the upset in at Santa Anita. Looks like dispite the retirement of Life is Sweet on Saturday, Team Shirreffs had a great day.

Of the two, Rachel was expected lose since she wasn't ready, and she did lose to the right horse (Zardana was the only other graded stakes winner). I'm a bit annoyed that she was rushed for one race. Also what if she's not HOY this year? She had one of the greatest 3yo seasons for a filly in a long time, and she'll still go in the HOF. Ferndinad lost his first race as the defending HOY, so did Kelso four of the five years where he was the defending HOY. Golikova takes a start before starting her winning ways as well. She's not the first HOY to lose her first start, and she won't be the last. So hopefully this doesn't deter Team Rachel, and it will be a huge learning experience for her. Keep in mind she hadn't lost since the Pocahontas in 2008, that was her final time she was riden by Brian Hernadez. As for Zardana, if anyone had to upset her, I'm glad it was her. Congrats to Arnold Zeltcher who gets a bit of revenge (Gabby's Golden Gal was run off her feet by Rachel in the Oaks last year), David Flores (who ironicly was Zenyatta's first rider, and wouldn't have riden Big Z if Mike Smith hadn't had to go out of town) and of course John Shirreffs.

Zenyatta, what can I say she's great! Had Mike Smith not found that hole, we could be talking about a huger upset then Zardana. I do think that if she gets a horrible ride by Mike in the Apple Blossom, she will lose.

However in reading some of the things that happend after Rachel lost, struck a nerve with me (and I appoligze in advance for saying this, but I need to get this off my chest). Apperently there was some cheering at Santa Anita after Rachel lost, yes I'm sure they where happy that Zardana won, but really? Everyone goes, thats rivalry talk, it's healthy for a rivalry. Really? What rivalry? The last time I checked they never met. I personally think a rivalry is formed once they meet a few times (Affirmed and Alydar, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, more recently Indian Blessing and Proud Spell, Proud Spell and Music Note, Empire Maker/Peace Rules and Funny Cide, Funny Cide and Evening Attire etc.). Also apperently the Moss' basically called Zardana, the "better horse". Really? Today she was the better horse, but she has a long way to go to be mentioned in the same breath as Zenyatta AND Rachel. Also they don't own her.

I LOVE Rachel AND Zenyatta. However both of their connections are not the greatest. This is why I wanted to see a Co-Horse of the Year, that way everybody would be happy. I don't love horses for their connections (although Sackatoga horses are the exception ;)), I love horses for them. In a way Rachel Alexandra to me will be the horse I started following because she had Rachel in her name (afterall Rachel is my first name), and Zenyatta will be Balance's kid sister (I loved Balance when she was running). I love them for being well them. I hope in the future they meet up.

What about the Apple Blossom? According to DRF, it sounds like that Rachel will be skipping the race. I think it was more that she isn't going to be ready then that she lost. Hopefully we see her in May for the La Trioanne on the Oaks undercard. Afterall we know she loves Churchill!
The most important thing is that all the horses come out of this race safe and sound! To me this is more important then a win. And personally I'm glad that the buildup and races are now over and we can now move onto the rest of the TC season.

Once again I apploigze, but as I say this is the beauty of horse racing, anything can happen. We all have different opinons, but there are times where people don't always respect them. I do hope that if I respect your opinon, you will respect mine. Thank you very much.

And now back to your regularly reg. programming already in progress.

Lets talk about the three Triple Crown preps,

Odysseus got his nose to the wire first in the Tampa Bay Derby over Schoolyard Dreams with Super Saver in third. Uptowncharlybrown pretty much showed that he's a nice horse, but not Derby material. Meanwhile, Rule is the solid #1 horse for WinStar and the #2 horse in the Pletcher barn. Lookin at Lucky also won by a head over Noble's Promise in his first start of the year. My guess is the AR Derby is next for him, and last, but not least Sidney's Candy became the favorite for the SA Derby after going gate to wire in the San Felipe. The biggest disapointed of the weekend: Bell's Shoes ride. It's going to go down as the WHAT WAS HE THINKING? Catagory. She Be Wild scratching was also a disapointment of the weekend.

However the biggest disapointment of them all wasn't what happend to Rachel, and Zenyatta overcoming what was a really bad ride in the long run, is NTRA Live. They should have been better prepared for such a major event. IMO they where the biggest losers of the weekend. I'm willing to give them a benifit of a doubt for today, but if it happens again then... You get the point.

Tomorrow, a review of Sunday night's Undercover Boss episode featuring Arlington and Calder!

The Wild Weekend

Wow! Stakes action ran coast to coast this weekend, and personally some very happy results. Since I didn't have the time to do a preview of this past weekends races (partically forgot, partically didn't have the time to do so), I'm not going to recap all of the races I had planned to preview. I can tell you is that the Southwest was postponed (my guess is to weather?), so that won't be a race I will recapping. However, for now, here are the recaps for this past weekend.

Sam F. Davis at Tampa: Rule took one more step foward in his quest for the Derby. By winning this race, he defeated the highely regarded Uptowncharlybrown and Schoolyard Dreams. The Florida Derby is next for him, and honestly if he can rate, he'll be fine. While may not be able to win the Derby, he could be there at the end.

La Canada: It's time for Stardom Bound to retire. The 08 2yo champ has not looked the same, she showed a little bit of promise in her last race, but it's time for her to go.

Martha Washington: Better known as the 3yo debut of Rachel Alexandra last year. Decelerator won the race this year, but keep an eye on the third place finisher Bell's Shoes. She's a Mineshaft out of a King of Kings mare, the dam also happens to be a half sister to the one and only Prom Shoes.

Santa Maria: If either Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra where to lose this year, it could be to St Trinians. The Mike Mitchell trainee beat Z's stablemate and last year's Ladies Classic winner Life is Sweet. It would be nice to see Mitchell have a big horse again after losing the late Star Over the Bay due to breakdown in Singapore. Her next race is expected to be the Santa Anita Handicap, which is coming up on the weak side.

Las Virgenes: All I can say is wow! Blind Luck almost bit the bullet on Saturday, but was able to gut out a nose victory over Evening Jewel. Crisp who quite a people where high on never fired. I think the slow fractions and a bad trip may have almost hurt Blind Luck's chances. Hopefully a better trip in the SA Oaks, could lead to a SA Derby start. However, I think the connections are leaning towards the Oaks at this time.

Barbara Fitche: Weathered did okay, I don't really think 7 furlongs is her thing. Hopefully she can rebound in her next race, and it could set her up for the Obeah in June.

The Lewis had a huge upset as did the Strub. I'll have more posts this upcoming week, and I do promise to do a weekend preview.

The Year of the Female

First there is Zenyatta winning with heart and class on the West Coast and of course Rachel Alexandra in the East, add in the super 4yo Goldkovia and "undefeated" 3yo Stacelita in Europe (undefeated is in quotes as in her last race she was elevated from second after Dar Re Mi was DQ'ed), and of course the boy beating 2yo Necssary Evil (who is on the sidelines right now with an injury.

The Year of the Female continued today with Ventura's win in the Woodbine Mile. She not only beat Rahy's Attorney who she lost to last year, but she beat Bribon, who outside of Gio Ponti could be the best older male in the US. And while this was a win and your in for the BC Mile (Turf), from what I read, she will go to BC Filly and Mare Sprint where she is the defending champion.

Here is her win from today:



So you have the following fillies have won or finished in the top three in open company in North America. Please keep in mind I know I'm probley missing a few.

Rachel Alexandra- wins in the Preakness, Haskell and Woodward
Allicansay is Wow- 2nd Del Mar Mile
Lethal Heat- 3rd Del Mar Mile
Ventura- 2nd Kilore Mile and win in the Woodbine Mile
Necesary Evil- win in the Hollywood Juvenile
Evita Argentina- win in the San Vincente
Life is Sweet- 3rd Hollywood Gold Cup

With her win today, it flatters... Gio Ponti who beat her by a nose earlier this year in the Kilore.

In other news: Forever Together lost a heartbreaker today also at Woodbine, while stablemate Just As Well won the Northern Dancer via DQ.

Next weekend is another light one, and then the weekend after that the final major preps for the Breeder's Cup begin. Can Macho Again become the latest horse to get his heart broken by Rachel and come back to win? We'll have to wait and see!

Life is Hollywood War

This is a pretty big weekend, with 2 G1's, one on each coast. The Man O War at Belmont, and the Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. Now the title may sound a little funny, the War and Hollywood parts make sense as that is the two stakes races. However, the Life part may not.

That is because I am talking about the Storm Cat filly Life is Sweet, trained by John Sheriffs and owned by Marty and Pam Wygod. Mr. and Mrs. Wygod are best known for the 2004 2yo champion female, Sweet Catomine. Life is Sweet is Sweet Cat's full sister. She will face the boys in the Hollywood Gold Cup. If she does win, she will have an advange over her stablemate Zenyatta who has not faced the males. I will have a full preview of this race tomarrow. I will tell you right now, she is NOT my pick in this race and yes I am going sentamental.

The Man O War features the #1 turf horse in the US, Gio Ponti (his little sister is Susan's Girl winner Bon Jovi Girl). His jockey is dumping him, for guess who Life is Sweet. I will also have a full preview of this race tomarrow.

Zenyatta returns

Well, the Champion Zenyatta finally makes her much anticpated 5yo debut this weekend at Hollywood. I'll have a full preview on Friday, but hopefully she does well. Some may say that they want to see her and Rachel Alexandra meet up in a match race. Honestly, I rather see the both of them wait for a full field of horses, especially with the likes of One Caroline, Four Gifts, Music Note, War Echo, Cocoa Beach (although she is most likely staying on turf this year), Life is Sweet. Although I doubt we will see Four Gifts and Rach in a race together anytime soon as Rach destroyed Four Gifts in an allowance last year and in this year's Fair Grounds Oaks. War Echo is on the injured list and I'm not sure when she is supposed to be back, (BTW her 3/4 brother Pyro is resumed training, he will be racing in for Godolphin this year after his sale to Darley for his stud career.).

Zenyatta however, will meet her stablemate Life is Sweet this weekend. A full sister to 2004 2yo champion female Sweet Catomine, Life is Sweet is owned by the same connections of Mr. and Mrs. Wygod. Zenyatta of course runs in the colors of Mr. and Mrs. Moss.