Zenyatta-Rachel Alexandra Match Race Proposed

[Bitowisdom]

Rachel is a filly. Not a mare until 4. Jan 1 2010. In case anyone cared. So, please do not refer to THEM as mares. Thank you

[Bitowisdom]

James McIngvale, a Houston horse owner known for his high profile promotions on behalf of his Gallery Furniture stores, is proposing a $2-million match race between super fillies Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra.

The proposed race, in late September or early October, would be held at Sam Houston Race Park. From the $2 million offered by Gallery Furniture, which would sponsor the event, the winner would receive $1.2 million and the other horse would get $800,000.

"I think it would be good for horse racing, and be good for Houston," McIngvale said Aug. 11. "And hopefully I can make some money on it."

McIngvale, who is known as "Mattress Mack" on his television commercials that are beamed to Houston-area audiences, said he would hope to profit from the match race by the exposure generated for his business. Among his previous promotions within horse racing, McIngvale in 1999 sponsored the Turfway Park stakes race now run as the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II). Previous to McIngvale’s one-year sponsorship, when it was run as the Galleryfurniture.com Stakes, the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep was the Jim Beam Stakes.

The owner said he selected Sam Houston for the race because it is his local track, because it is centrally located, and because it has a safe dirt surface.

McIngvale said he planned to contact the owners of both horses Aug. 11 to review his proposal. The proposed match race was first reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Based in California, Zenyatta has done most of her running on artificial surfaces. Following her victory in last weekend’s Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I), Zenyatta is undefeated in 12 career starts. Owner Jerry Moss has said this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at California’s Santa Anita Nov. 6-7 is the ultimate goal for Zenyatta. Last fall, Zenyatta won the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) on her way to championship honors as top older female.

East Coast-based Rachel Alexandra has won 10 of 13 lifetime starts and races for Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick. Jackson has said the filly, who has defeated colts in the BlackBerry Preakness (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational (gr. I), would not participate in the Breeders’ Cup because of the artificial Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... e-proposed

And Oh, Zenyatta is not a Filly

[Risen Star]

Rachel is a filly. Not a mare until 4. Jan 1 2010. In case anyone cared. So, please do not refer to THEM as mares. Thank you

Actually a filly becomes a mare at age five, just as a colt (unless already gelded) becomes a horse at that age.

[Vince P]

Actually a filly becomes a mare at age five, just as a colt (unless already gelded) becomes a horse at that age.[/quote]

Risen,

Uhhhhhhhhh....a colt, unlike a mare, is a 3 year old boy or less, not 4/5 or less.

And a colt becomes a "horse" at age 4, not 5.

Vince P

[Rosethorn2]

RS is correct......a filly becomes a mare and a colt a horse at age FIVE.

[Vince P]

RS is correct......a filly becomes a mare and a colt a horse at age FIVE.

No, a colt becomes a horse at 4!

At 2 and 3 he is a colt (if not a gelding).

A mare is a filly until 5.

Vince P

Edited:

I'm wrong:

Colt:
Ungelded male horse under five years of age.

Horse:
Ungelded male horse five years old or older.

http://www.horse-smart.com/definitions.htm

[Vince P]

Upon further review, I was right:

I don't have one with me but I believe the track program will show a 4 year old male as 4H or 4G or 4R and a 2/3 year old male as 2C/G or 3C/G.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_(horse)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age.

An adult male horse if left intact is called either a "stallion" or a horse (sometimes full horse); if castrated, it is called a gelding. A rig or ridgling is a horse or colt with a retained testicle or one which has been incompletely castrated.[1]

A young female horse is called a filly until age four, and a mare thereafter.

In the wild, colts are driven from their herds by the herd stallion somewhere between the age of one and two. Some scientists[who?] believe that this may be in part an instinct to prevent inbreeding. When driven out, they usually join with other young stallions in a bachelor herd. They stay with this band until they are mature enough to form their own herd of mares. The terms "rag" or "rake" have been historically used to refer to a group of colts, but they have fallen out of modern usage.[2][3]

[Moonwalker]

I think with Thoroughbreds, the runners are filles and colts through age 4, and mares and horses at age 5 and older. (Geldings are geldings no matter what the age.) This might be different with other breeds.

For example, look at the entries for Philadelphia Park on Equibase today. In the first race, two of the runners are described as a 4 year old colt and a 6 year old horse. The second race has a lot of 4 year old fillies, and one 5 year old mare.

http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/PH ... A-EQB.html

In 2009, Rachel Alexandra is a 3 year old filly and Zenyatta is a 5 year old mare. If Lethal Heat, a 4 year old female, was entered to run against them in a race, she would be described as a 4 year old filly (as she was listed in the entries for last Saturday's Del Mar Mile, below.)

Eighth race, scroll down:
http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DM ... A-EQB.html

Mary MMM

[Tairaterces]

Upon further review, I was right:

I don't have one with me but I believe the track program will show a 4 year old male as 4H or 4G or 4R and a 2/3 year old male as 2C/G or 3C/G.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_(horse)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age.

An adult male horse if left intact is called either a "stallion" or a horse (sometimes full horse); if castrated, it is called a gelding. A rig or ridgling is a horse or colt with a retained testicle or one which has been incompletely castrated.[1]

A young female horse is called a filly until age four, and a mare thereafter.

In the wild, colts are driven from their herds by the herd stallion somewhere between the age of one and two. Some scientists[who?] believe that this may be in part an instinct to prevent inbreeding. When driven out, they usually join with other young stallions in a bachelor herd. They stay with this band until they are mature enough to form their own herd of mares. The terms "rag" or "rake" have been historically used to refer to a group of colts, but they have fallen out of modern usage.[2][3]

wikipedia is only as correct as who input the information, we're not talking Encyclopedia Britannica here . . . . . . . . and the information you are quoting VP is WRONG . . . . . . . .

[Vince P]

Now I'm really dazed and confused. I've figuratively googled over 17,000 web sites and exactly 8,500 of them say a colt is under 4 and 8,500 of them say a colt is 4 and under.

The question of the day is: (I'm sure we all agree on the filly/mare definition)

Is a full 4 year old male horse a "colt" or a "horse?"

I vote horse - I'm sticking to my intuition and will say a colt is UNDER 4 years old.

If I'm wrong I'll buy everyone in here an In 'N Out dinner at Santa Anita in early November.

Vince P