If They Both Run...

[MaryS]

Emailed from Breeders' Cup (Not holding my breath...)

BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC WINNER'S SHARE TO BE WORLD RECORD IF RACHEL ALEXANDRA AND ZENYATTA RUN

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 11, 2009) - In an unprecedented enticement to bring horse racing fans the strongest possible field for the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Breeders' Cup Board today authorized an increase of $1 million to the winner's share of the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 if undefeated five-year-old mare Zenyatta and three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra both start in the race.

Adding the $1 million would raise the base winner's share of the Classic from $2.7 million to $3.7 million, making the winner's share the richest of any race in the world this year.

"Racing fans around the world have made it clear that they would like to see Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta face each other and the best horses from the US and Europe in the Breeders' Cup Classic," said Greg Avioli, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup, Ltd. "While we respect that the race has not been under consideration by Rachel Alexandra's connections, we wanted to make sure that the Breeders' Cup did everything in its power to make the prospect of competing at Santa Anita in November as attractive as possible."

The 26th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be hosted by the Oak Tree Racing Association at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Nov. 6-7.

"The Oak Tree Racing Association would be honored to host this most anticipated battle of racing’s greatest female stars in the Classic,” said Sherwood C. Chillingworth, Executive Vice President of the Oak Tree Racing Association. “The racing surface at Santa Anita is both fair and safe as the results of the 25th Breeders' Cup at Oak Tree showed last year when over 150 of the world’s top horses with all different running styles and surface experience competed safely over the two days of racing. We believe that California's medication rules combined with Breeders' Cup's elite testing and security procedures ensure the highest standards of integrity for staging the best competition we can for racing fans across the world.”

Owned by Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick and trained by Steve Asmussen, Rachel Alexandra has dominated US racing this year, going undefeated in eight starts and winning the Kentucky Oaks against her own sex and age division, beating three-year-old males in the Preakness and the Haskell and, most recently, defeating older male horses in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Zenyatta, owned by Jerry and Ann Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, is undefeated in 12 career starts, won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic and the 2008 Eclipse Award as champion Older Filly or Mare. Zenyatta has won all three of her starts this year, the Milady and Vanity Handicaps at Hollywood Park, and the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar.

[Billmose]

A 5 lb. wt. allowance for the girls at 1 1/4 miles, right?

[Bob B]

If weights are same as last year

FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND UPWARD. Northern Hemisphere
Three-Year-Olds, 121 lbs.; Older, 126 lbs.; Southern Hemisphere Three-Year-Olds, 116 lbs.; Older, 126
lbs. All Fillies and Mares allowed 3 lbs.


Rachel 118
Zenyatta 123
Sea The Stars 121
Einstein 126
Gio Ponti 126

[Billmose]

My God if ever there was a reason to have a race go off with equal weights throughout this is it.... Linem up & let m go... may the best horse win...
But NO WAY is Zenyata gonna show up under these conditions... I LOVE THIS HORSE but she doesn't finish in the money giving lb's to Rachel and others...

[Srotagtbs]

Sea The Stars by 5

[Risen Star]

I haven't heard anything about Zenyatta even running in the BC Classic. I am assuming she'll go in the Ladies' Classic, if that's what her owner and trainer want.

As far as Rachel goes, how fair is it to ask this filly to keep running after everything she's already done this year? The Woodward possibly took something out of her, and it's time she got a good rest until next year. People have said in the media that they respect the owners' wishes but then go right on talking about wanting to see Rachel and Zenyatta square off. And what if they do? Zenyatta has run four times and Rachel has run eight times. Zenyatta has stayed on the synthetic in Southern California beating her own division, while Rachel has traveled and run in some of the biggest races, beating her own division, beating the best three-year-old males in a Triple Crown race, then in the Haskell, then beating older males in the Woodward. She hasn't run on synthetic either since last year. So just how fair is it to ask this filly to now meet Zenyatta on the mare's home ground, and a synthetic surface at that? Zenyatta is likely to be fresh, while Rachel could be very tired. So if Zenyatta were to beat Rachel under these circumstances, then IMO, it would prove nothing. I'm not knocking what Zenyatta has done either, but the two horses have had different campaigns this year, and Rachel's has been more demanding.

As far as Sea the Stars is concerned, we don't know if he's coming over yet. They're taking it one race at a time and the Arc is next on the agenda.

[Srotagtbs]

Jackson has already shot down this idea of having Rachel in the Classic.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/107218.html

Breeders' Cup effort fails to lure Rachel
By Matt Hegarty

Rachel Alexandra, the 3-year-old filly who is a leading contender for Horse of the Year, will not run in the Breeders' Cup Classic despite an enticement approved by the organization's board to add $1 million to the winner's share of the purse this year if the undefeated mare Zenyatta also started, her owner, Jess Jackson, said on Friday.

Jackson said that Rachel Alexandra would not race again this year following her victory in last Saturday's Woodward Stakes against older horses at Saratoga Racecourse. He also said that he remained opposed to racing Rachel Alexandra on the synthetic racing surface in place at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, where the Classic will be held on Oct. 7.

"My concerns are well known about the tracks in California," Jackson said in a statement. "These false tracks create potential for injury, a risk that I am not willing to take with Rachel. Bottom line, despite an increase in purses, she will not race at the Breeders' Cup this year."

Jackson said in the statement that Rachel Alexandra would not run again this year.

"Rachel has already completed a brilliant and long campaign," Jackson said. "And as I said after the Woodward, she deserves a rest."

The board of the Breeders' Cup unanimously approved the $1 million supplement during a Friday meeting, according to the organization. The supplement would raise the winner's share of the purse to $3.7 million, which would make the race worth more to the winner than any other race in the world, the Breeders' Cup said.

Breeders' Cup officials acknowledged that the supplement was a longshot to attract the two stars to the same race.

"While we respect that the race has not been under consideration by Rachel Alexandra's connections, we wanted to make sure that the Breeders' Cup did everything in its power to make the prospect of competing at Santa Anita in November as attractive as possible," said Greg Avioli, the organization's president, in a statement.

The connections of Zenyatta have said that the mare will likely run in either the Ladies' Classic on Nov. 6 or the Classic on Nov. 7 if she continues to train and race well.

[Risen Star]

This is great news. Best wishes to Rachel for a restful vacation, and best wishes to Zenyatta in the Ladies' Classic or Classic.

[Dgstan]

The chance of Zenyatta running against the boys in the BC Classic is zero. ZERO. I really wish people would stop bringing this up as a possibility because it's not going to happen.

She may face males someday, but it'll have to be the usual glorified ALW crew we see every six weeks (Mast Track, Awesome Hanger, Tres Chihuahuas, Global Hunter, etc.).

BTW - Would you believe Rachel has more career starts than Zenyatta.

[Tairaterces]

If Zenyatta runs in the Ladies Classic and wins she will be the 2nd Filly/Mare to win consecutive BC Classics,(the first being Bayakoa in 1989 and 1990). Which will give Zenyatta another Eclipse for Older mare.

Personal Ensign retired with 13 starts and 13 wins, racing 2 thru 4 years old.

Rachel Alexandra is a freak and I'm glad she will be given time off . . . . . . . . would hate to see another Ruffian/Eight Belles/Go For Wand type tragedy from a tired horse.

Everyone keeps comparing these two great horses, they are both incomparable. One is an on the pace/lead horse and the other is a deep closer . . . . . . . . they both excel at what they do . . . . . . why can't it be left at that??? Just enjoy the fact that we have 2 wonderful champions.