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Will We Ever See it? Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta? Not for Now (at least)

When economic times are difficult, certainly games of chance suffer —witness on the one hand the ascendance of stay-at-home online casino…and more specifically online blackjack and online poker, versus horse racing, which is going through tougher times.

I mean, to get the full power of horse racing, to really ENJOY the sport, you need to GO to a track in person.

Did you read the recent story in the New York Daily News about how thoroughbred racing is almost a thing of the past in New York state now?

This is difficult for me to comprehend because of my love for the sport and the fact that I grew up 10 minutes away from Belmont Racetrack, on Long Island, N.Y.

But every once in a while, along comes a horse…or in this case two horses, that can change everything.

Yeah, we’re talking about Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. Everyone, even non fans want to see them race each other, right?

Not gonna happen this April, as planned.

Damn it.

The handlers of Rachel Alexandra, the filly who is the reigning Horse of the Year, wants no part of the undefeated mare Zenyatta.

At least for now.

Jess Jackson, Rachel Alexandra’s co-owner,  and Rachel Alexandra’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, are  concerned about her level of fitness.

“She either did too little or did too much,” Asmussen said recently.  “We are  behind schedule.”

When Zardana blew past Rachel Alexandra in the stretch of the New Orleans Ladies Stakes this past weekend, the trainer learned just how far behind they were.

Zardana, after all, is a good horse, but not a great horse.  But a 6-year-old mare whose best races were run in Brazil, lshould not be passing the Horse of the Year.

“Yesterday’s race while a disappointment, helped us define Rachel Alexandra’s racing condition,” Jackson said in a statement.

“While she is healthy, just as I had anticipated, she is not in top form.”

Some would argue they have made a wise decision not to race Zenyatta.

The public, the sport and fans across the country have too much invested in these two amazing and accomplished athletes.

I want to see the race, but I want both horses in 100 percent fit condition.

“We have a whole season before us to help define her greatness,” Jackson said. “She will tell us when her next race will be.”

If the Stakes is Rachel Alexandra’s last race, so be it. I can live with that.I’d be disappointed, but whatever is better for the horse. Right?

She is one of the greatest horses of our time, and we all consider ourselves very lucky  to have seen her in action.

So what do you think?

Santa Anita Handicap Taken by Misremembered

I loved this race. Did you see it?

If not, Misremembered took the Santa Anita Handicap, in Arcadia, Ca. (on Mar. 6)…winning $750,000… by holding off a game Neko Bay by about half a length.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert is 4-year-old Misremembered’s trainer and breeder.

Misremembered, ridden by Martin Garcia, ran 1 ¼ miles in 2 minutes, 0.20 seconds and paid $10.80 to win in the Grade I race.

More racing news later this week.

Gearing Up for the Triple Crown! Lying in Wait for May 1, at Churchill Downs

It’s a long way from May 1, but from where I sit (and bet), the Kentucky Derby can’t come too soon.

And I’ll bet you feel the way I do.

So let’s talk Triple Crown.

Ain’t been done sine 1978, Affirmed.

Other winners include Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973) and Seattle Slew (1977).

This year the Triple Crown races will take place, as I said at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on 1 May 2010, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on 15 May 2010, and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on 5 June 2010.

366 horses already have been nominated to race. Early nominations, in case you didn’t know are $600 per horse…later on, entries are $6,000.

All entries will be closing on 27 March 2010.

And what are some names to look for? Try  Lookin At Lucky, Vale of York, She Be Wild and Blink Luck, have made their way onto the nominations list, with eight nominations from Ireland, three from Britain and four from Canada.

Nominations for this year’s event have dropped off a little compared to the 401 early nominations of 2009, and eleven were added to the nominations list after the early phase of nominations.

Senior vice president for Churchill Downs racing, Donald Richardson, commented that even though the nomination field is smaller this year, it has not taken away the competitiveness of the event, as all the nominations are worthy contenders in their own right. Everyone will be holding their breath for the Kentucky Derby to see who will take the lead to be a contender for the Triple Crown title.

Can’t wait.

In the U.K., Free Race Admission in April Used to Attract New Fans

I love this story, which I heard about on the BBC. [OK, I'm a nerd. I monitor the BBC]

Eight British race courses will open their gates for free over six days between Monday 26 April and Saturday 1 May.

Ain’t that cool?

Taking part are some of Britain’s biggest racing venues such as Ascot, Goodwood, Kempton and Doncaster.

We’re talking both afternoon and evening meets, as well as a choice of racing over jumps or on the Flat.

The free-admission are:

• Monday, April 26 – Towcester and Wolverhampton

• Tuesday, April 27 – Sedgefield (evening)

• Wednesday, April 28 – Ascot and Kempton (evening)

• Thursday, April 29 – Huntingdon (evening)

• Friday, April 30 – Doncaster

• Saturday, May 1 – Goodwood

Towcester has long offered free admission and benefited from bigger crowds and increased revenue on betting and catering.

Some of the racecourses will limit the free admission to general enclosures.

The week is also to be used by Racing for Change to introduce a number of its trial initiatives announced at the beginning of the year, including a new display of photo-finish results on big screens and modernised raceday announcements.

R.I.P. Dick Francis, Jockey and Famous Mystery Writer, Dead at 89

A slight departure from the norm this week, if you’ll bear with me.

A legend (literary) passed away this week. Someone who was so closely aligned to the horse racing world that I thought it absolutely appropriate to talk about it in this forum.

Dick Francis was indeed  a champion steeplechase jockey for the British royal family and did achieve fame in that regard.

Far greater was his fame as a writer.

He died at 89, on Sunday in the Cayman Islands, where he lived.

He wrote more than 40 novels, mostly bestsellers, mostly set in the heady world of high class horse racing.

He won the Edgar Allan Poe Award of the Mystery Writers of America three times and was made a grand master, the group’s highest honor, in 1996.

“I never really decided to be a writer,” he wrote in his autobiography, “The Sport of Queens,” “I just sort of drifted into it.”

We’re all glad he did.

We’ll all remember his hero, Sid Halley…. created by Dick Francis.

Rest in Peace man.

Yahoo! Looks Like We Might See Some Improvements in Wyoming’s Struggling Horse Racing Business

Corruption in Ireland; How Serious is the Irish Horse Racing Regulator?

Del Mar (California) Track to Stay Synthetic; Santa Anita Switching Back to Dirt

The news that the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia is going to remove its synthetic racing surface at the end of its current meeting in April and probably (we say “probably”) replace it with a dirt track goes against all safety studies.

I thought that since 2006 , all major tracks in Califorina (mandated by the Ca. Horse Racing Board) had to install manufactured tracks. This, for horse safety.

Seems like synthetic tracks do not do well in wet weather and can cost a track some dates.

Too bad.  I say.

I’m for horse safety.

Santa Anita lost 11 racing days due to bad track conditions on rainy days in 2007 and had to cancel more racing during California’s recent downpours.

Given that economic threat to a sport already in precarious straits, the racing board understandably is willing to allow the return to dirt tracks.

On the other hand, tracks like the Del Mar club are not going back to dirt.

Studies by the state’s equine medical director and the Equibase Company show how beneficial the synthetic track has been to horse safety at Del Mar and statewide.

Fatalities at Del mar declined from 2.47 per 1,000 starts on dirt from 2004-2006 to 1.67 per 1,000 on the Polytrack from 2007-2009.

The average for all the major tracks – Del Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park,  Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows – fell from 3.09 to 1.68 per 1,000 over the same periods.

Del Mar also has reported fewer injuries on the synthetic surface.

Let’s hear it for Del Mar… which while it needs to run a business, is also cognizant of equine safety.

I’m all for horse racing. I love it.

But safe horse racing.

Rachel Alexandra Takes Eclipse Award, Horse of the Year

Yeah.

Awesome.

But I’m still a bit disappointed.

Rachel Alexandra won Horse of the Year, defeating rival horse Zenyatta (I LOVE Zenyatta) for the Eclipse Award.

The vote was 130 to 99.

I was really looking forward to this award. I thought (and I would have voted for) Zenyatta would win.

Neither horse lost last year.

They never raced against each other. What a shame. So voters just had to decide on their own, who was better.

The voters might have ultimately leaned toward Rachel Alexandra because she raced more (eight, to five for Zenyatta) and defeating males three times, as opposed to once for Zenyatta.

Rachel Alexandra beat top colts in the Preakness and the Haskell and defeated older horses in the Woodward. She was the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness.

Zenyatta did everything she could to wrest the title from Rachel Alexandra, who once appeared to have an insurmountable lead in the Horse of the Year race.

Zenyatta of course, won a thrilling Breeder’s Cup Classic (and $5 million) at Santa Anita. It was the first win for a female horse in that race.

The Horse of the Year announcement came a day after it was reported that Zenyatta would be racing this year as a six year old.  That has led to speculation that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta would finally meet.

Rachel Alexandra was a unanimous selection as the champion 3-year-old. Zenyatta received all but one of the votes cast for older filly or mare champion.

They are both beautiful horses. Long may they live, and race.

Georgia to Legalize Horse Race Betting? It Could Happen

I’m all for legalized betting, no matter where it is.

Reason? Our economy is so f**ked up that any kind of revenue we can get to prevent tax hikes I am for.

Besides, I am going to gamble (legally) no  matter what.

In Georgia, where I went to school, they are now considered legalizing horse race betting.

It’s a long time coming, if you ask me.

Now that the 2010 state legislature is in session…and with revenues $2 billion (that’s with a “B”) down from a few years ago, there is serious thought about how to raise additional monies.

Four race tracks could make up the difference if they generate as much in taxes as Indiana did after it began legalized horse-race betting in 2007, according to Arthur Anderson, a lobbyist with the Georgia-South Carolina Horse Racing Committee, based in Augusta.

Anderson is trying to tie the taxes from race track to education funding.

“Educators think it’s wonderful,” said Lisa Amey, a real estate agent in Newnan. She represents a group of investors who have raised $20 million for the construction of a track and training facility south of Atlanta to be called Georgia Downs.

So, we’ll see what happens. Legislation…if it happens at all, will probably be introduced by Rep. Harry Geisinger, R-Roswell, who led the November hearing.

Other lobbyists are pushing wider legalization that would allow construction of a casino in Underground Atlanta, the site of the recent  horse-racing strategy session.

Whether Georgia voters will go for all this is open to question. But I believe that it should be put to a vote.

Let me know how you feel about this.

Best opinions get a free copy of my book (see lottery book to the right of this posting).

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Recent Articles

• Will We Ever See it? Rachel Alexandra vs. Zenyatta? Not for Now (at least)
• Santa Anita Handicap Taken by Misremembered
• Gearing Up for the Triple Crown! Lying in Wait for May 1, at Churchill Downs
• In the U.K., Free Race Admission in April Used to Attract New Fans
• R.I.P. Dick Francis, Jockey and Famous Mystery Writer, Dead at 89
• Yahoo! Looks Like We Might See Some Improvements in Wyoming’s Struggling Horse Racing Business
• Corruption in Ireland; How Serious is the Irish Horse Racing Regulator?
• Del Mar (California) Track to Stay Synthetic; Santa Anita Switching Back to Dirt
• Rachel Alexandra Takes Eclipse Award, Horse of the Year
• Georgia to Legalize Horse Race Betting? It Could Happen

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