HRTV will present a special one-hour live show March 13 featuring the
seasonal debuts of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and unbeaten
Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Zenyatta.

Entitled “The Champions Return,” the show will be hosted by Scott Hazelton
and Gary Stevens, who will be live at the Fair Grounds for Rachel Alexandra’s
race, the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies’ Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. It will go as
the 10th race at approximately 3:15 p.m. PST. The $250,000 Santa Margarita
Invitational Handicap (gr. I) will be Santa Anita’s seventh race with a probable
post time of 3:40 p.m.

Team Zenyatta plans to use the Santa Margarita as a steppingstone to the the
much-anticipated $5 million Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park on April
9 against Rachel Alexandra. Zenyatta was assigned top weight of 127 pounds March 7 as
one of 17 nominated for the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita.

“She worked very well Friday morning (March 5),” trainer John Shirreffs said of her
six-furlong breeze in 1:11.80 at Hollywood Park. “I had her in 1:11 and three or four.
She looks like she’s on top of her game right now.”

Shirreffs said that Zenyatta would probably van over to Santa Anita on March 11.

“She worked unbelievable the other day,” said her regular rider, Mike Smith. “I know it
sounds funny, but I really think she’s getting better. She seems more and more focused and
she couldn’t be doing any better.”

Rachel Alexandra schooled in the Fair Grounds paddock March 6 for Scott Blasi, assistant
trainer to Steve Asmussen, who was on hand with the rest of Team Rachel as the 4-year-old
filly made a couple of tours around the walking ring before walking through the tunnel and
onto the track.

Rachel Alexandra is to have her final timed workout before the New Orleans Ladies on the
morning of March 8. Meanwhile, she continues to gallop aggressively on a daily basis.

“Her gallops have been very strong,” Asmussen said. “She’s not 100% fit for this and we’re
aware of that. She’s had six works in six months. But she’s a very physical horse; she is Rachel.”

Before leaving the paddock, Asmussen added: “I’m very concerned about her fitness level.”

Rachel Alexandra would be the first reigning Horse of the Year to race in New Orleans since
Triple Crown winner Whirlaway took the Fair Grounds Handicap in 1942.
More Articles

by Mike Curry

Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra is making steady progress toward her season debut, but trainer Steve Asmussen expressed concern
that she might not be in ideal shape from a fitness standpoint for her first start since September 5.

The Medaglia d’Oro filly is scheduled to kick off her four-year-old campaign in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“I’m very concerned about her fitness level,” Asmussen said.

The 1 1/16-mile race for four-year-olds and older is a prep race for the much-anticipated showdown between Rachel Alexandra and
unbeaten two-time champion Zenyatta in the $5-million Apple Blossom Invitational Stakes (G1) on April 9 at Oaklawn Park, a race that
is being billed as the “Race for the Ages.”

On Saturday, Rachel Alexandra turned in a strong gallop under regular exercise rider Dominic Terry and visited the paddock at Fair Grounds.

“This was a dress rehearsal for the dress rehearsal,” Asmussen said of the paddock schooling during the seventh race on Saturday. The trainer
expects to school Rachel Alexandra in the paddock again during Friday’s live card.

Rachel Alexandra is slated to have her final breeze Monday in preparation for her 2010 debut. She has not raced since defeating older males in
the Woodward Stakes (G1) on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course

“Her gallops have been very strong,” said Asmussen, who trains Rachel Alexandra for owners Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick. “She’s not 100%
fit for this and we’re aware of that. She’s had six works in six months. But she’s a very physical horse; she is Rachel.”

Last year’s champion three-year-old filly and Horse of the Year defeated males three times during an unbeaten 2009 campaign, winning the
BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), and Woodward. She also powered to record-setting wins in the Kentucky Oaks
(G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (G1).

With it now being February, we are just 3 months away from the Oaks and Derby. And with that a new Top list, but this time it will be Top Ten, and a new list will be coming out every other week from now until the Oaks and Derby. Today I’m going to be focusing on just the Derby and tomorrow the Oaks.

10. William’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy): 3rd in the Holy Bull last time out, he could be a interesting horse to follow the next few weeks to see what happens.

9. Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil): I need to see another race from him to see if he’s the real deal, I don’t think he will do that great in the FOY against Buddy’s Saint and Winslow Homer, but we’ll see.

8. Uptowncharlybrown (Limehouse): This horse could be this year’s Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex story. The horse from the otherside of the tracks, owned by Fantasy Lane Stable (I believe 51 people are part of this perticler partnership), he’ll be going in the Sam F. Davis next, and we’ll see how good he actually is.

7. Winslow Homer (Unbridled’s Song): Is this finally Rick Porter’s year? The big question is can he stay sound and have a good FOY. He could be better around two turns and I liked that he was able to split horses after finding a little bit of trouble.

6. Rule (Roman Ruler): I’ve been hyping this guy since really before he was born. By a Haskell winner, out of a half sister to a Derby winner. This guy has the speed to stay in front and his uncles heart. The problem is he needs to learn how to rate, and ironicly from what I read in a Bloodhorse article, WinStar thinks he’s their best chance. I sure hope so.

5. Super Saver (Maria’s Mon): Drops in the rankings, but don’t worry I still think he has a good chance. The good news is that he has a win over the Churchill surface which is something that not everyone has. I’m not sure what’s next for him.

4. Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision): Was really flattered this past weekend by Bickersons. Yes it was at seven furlongs, and yes it was on dirt. I still think she will be heading to the Oaks, but keeping her on here just in case.

3. Ron the Greek (Full Mandate): I’m probley rating this guy too high. However, his Lacomte was one of the most impressive come from behind wins I’ve seen. I don’t know much about his sire other then he’s by AP Indy, however his dam is a full sister to the dam of Musket Man. This guy maybe going into the Risen Star under the radar.

2. Buddy’s Saint (Saint Liam): Both Citrus Kid and Homeboykris bombed in their first races as three year olds, however I want to see how he does in the FOY against the likes of Winslow Homer and Jackson Bend.

1. Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike): Until someone beats him, he stays at the top. He should be making his 3yo debut in a few weeks.

Dropped off: Noble’s Promise (Cuvee)

Possible inclusion next time: American Lion (Tiznow), Dossylemeyer (Distorted Humor), Sassy Image (Broken Vow), Backwater Blues (Dixieland Band)

Need to see another race from: Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), Dryfly (Jump Start)

More Articles

The game of Thoroughbred horse racing has always required part background knowledge and part luck to be
applied when reckoning which horse in a field will end up besting its competitors. That horse’s owners
likely applied a similar combination of know-how with hope when they selected it at auction from among
a similar selection of yearlings or two-year-olds, its breeders mixed good pedigree choices with a bit
of faith when they contracted that horse into creation. But what if science could show us exactly what
a racehorse was capable of achieving in its career? What if a simple genetic test could weed out the
sprinters from the marathoners, and the Zenyattas from the horses that never break out of back of the pack?

As Bloomberg.com reported, scientists of the University of Dublin announced last week that such testing is
actually in the works. By identifying variants of the “muscle mass-regulating myostatin gene” it has become
possible to “predict a horse’s optimum racing distance.” For 1000 euros ($1400) and a blood sample, owners
can now tell whether their horse’s myostatin levels will equip it best to sprint, run middle distances, or
go long in marathons. The scientists are quick to point out, however, that this is not a test to determine
future champions; it is meant to determine “‘what your horse is good at, not how good he will be.’” So perhaps
we are not yet on the threshold of quickly identifying the next Rachel Alexandra from a crop of foals, but we
can at least determine which crops should be matched against one another. Still a pretty impressive step forward,
and the first ever test for Thoroughbreds that correlates genetic variability with athletic potential.
by Corinne Mehas

Sam Houston Race Park and Gallery Furniture are continuing to step up efforts to attract Horse of the Year RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) and unbeaten two-time champion ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire])
to the Houston track for an epic clash on March 27.

Boasting a purse of $1.5 million, the race would be contested over 1 1/8 miles on The Park’s dirt track.
The track hopes that the race would also entice other top performers.

“This would be the greatest horse race of the 21st century,” said Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale of Gallery
Furniture, “and it would be a privilege for Gallery Furniture to promote this as taking place in Houston. You go girls!”

“We are continuing to work on all fronts to get Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, as well as other top horses
from around the world, to come to Sam Houston Race Park and participate in what would be one of the most exciting
races in horse racing history,” said Andrea Young, President and Chief Operating Officer, Sam Houston Race Park.

“Adding a race of this caliber to our MAXXAM Gold Cup event is a great way to showcase our nationally recognized
racing surface — it’s a great time of year weather-wise, and we think it’s an ideal way to close out our
Thoroughbred meet.”

The two superstar females have yet to meet on the track, but their connections have expressed an interest in such
a confrontation in 2010.

Both distaffers won Eclipse Awards in their respective divisions unanimously — Rachel Alexandra in the champion
three-year-old filly category, Zenyatta as champion older mare. In their highly charged contest for the Horse of
the Year title, Rachel Alexandra prevailed over Zenyatta by a vote of 130 to 99.

Although Zenyatta was originally retired after her stunning victory over males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1),
owners Jerry and Ann Moss had a change of heart, and recently revealed that the six-year-old would return to racing
this year. The John Shirreffs trainee had continued to post half-mile moves at her Hollywood Park base, and this past
Sunday, she breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/5.

Shirreffs has indicated that the March 13 Santa Margarita H. (G1) at Santa Anita could be a logical spot for her reappearance.

In contrast, Rachel Alexandra has not raced since capturing the September 5 Woodward S. (G1) at Saratoga, where she
became the first filly ever to defeat males in that historic prize. The Steve Asmussen pupil had a busier 2009 than
Zenyatta. Unlike her older rival, who began her season in May and raced a total of five times in Southern California,
Rachel Alexandra was on the go from February and compiled a perfect eight-for-eight mark at three.

In the aftermath of her triumphal march through seven tracks, landing such major races as the Kentucky Oaks (G1),
Preakness S. (G1), Mother Goose S. (G1) and Haskell Invitational (G1) prior to the Woodward, her connections decided
to rest her in advance of a 2010 campaign. Majority owner Jess Jackson also made no secret of his dislike for synthetic
racing surfaces, thereby ruling out a hoped-for showdown with Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride.

Rachel Alexandra is currently wintering at Fair Grounds. While she has been galloping, she is not expected to turn in
her first official breeze until later this month or possibly during the first week of February.

USA: AMERICA’S sweetheart Rachel Alexandra beat her rival Zenyatta to be named American Horse of the Year
at the 39th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Monday night.

The brilliant Steve Asmussen-trained Rachel Alexandra earned the most prestigious accolade after a
three-year-old season in which she won each of her eight starts, including five victories in Grade 1 events.

Rachel Alexandra’s victories included three against her male counterparts at the highest level – notably
the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, where she became the first filly to win for 85 years.

Determined by votes of members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the National Turf Writers
Association and the Daily Racing Form, the Eclipse Awards totally outshine any similar awards on offer in Europe
in terms of prestige.

They define the sport’s champions, with the Horse of the Year award representing the pinnacle of horseracing
achievement in North America.

Ever since the great Zenyatta took her unbeaten record to 14 with that spectacular victory in the Breeders’
Cup Classic, the American racing community has been divided.

Rachel Alexandra, a daughter of Medaglia D’Oro originally trained by Hal Wiggins, has gained a place in the public
affections beyond the confines of the racing public after a string of Grade 1 victories under jockey Calvin Borel.
Zenyatta

Zenyatta: not crowned US Horse of the Year at Eclipse Awards
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker

Not only did she record runaway wide-margin victories against fillies in the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose Stakes,
she went on to win the Haskell Invitational and Woodward Stakes against males – something of a rarity in US racing.

However, every one of her eight wins in 2009 came on conventional dirt – and her connections opted against running
her at the Breeders’ Cup at on a synthetic surface at Santa Anita, leaving the door open for Zenyatta to promote her
own horse of the year claims.

But after two months of suspense, Rachel Alexandra took the award at a gala dinner on Monday in Beverly Hills. The
final score was 130 votes to 99.

Before making the announcement, NTRA president Alex Waldrop asked the audience to give the two ‘supergirls’ one last
round of applause, resulting in a standing ovation for the pair, both of whom are set to stay in training in 2010.

Owner Jess Jackson of Stonestreet Stables bought Rachel Alexandra from owner/breeder Dolphus Morrison following the
Kentucky Oaks, after which she was switched to Asmussen from Hal Wiggins.

Accepting the award, Jackson commented: “I’m almost speechless because this contest was so closeand I don’t know the
count, but I know that either horse deserved this award.

“It’s hard for me to accept it without sharing it with all the people that made this possible including Calvin Borel,
who could not be here.”

Jackson added: “Together Rachel and Zenyatta won nine Grade 1 races.

“Together they conquered four of the best groups of males who were running last year – if you think about their
achievements, individually or collectively, there has never been a year like this one for fillies.”

Jackson also paid tribute to Zenyatta’s owners Jerry and Ann Moss. “We said congratulations to each other and I
truly appreciate the grace and charm of the Zenyatta team, particularly Jerry and Ann Moss,” he said.

“It couldn’t be arranged that they could meet last year. We’re hoping that each horse, taking its course, may win
their way to an ultimate match and maybe we can work toward that.”

Jerry Moss, who had earlier seen Zenyatta claim the Eclipse Award for older female, admitted his disappointment at
losing out in the most important ballot.

“Sure, we’re disappointed, but we didn’t lose anything,” he said. “I thought the pure emotion of the thing was going
to take over, all the cards and letters we got from people.

“Nobody’s beat her on the racetrack, so they beat her by proxy tonight as far as I’m concerned. She’s perfect.

“Mister Jackson has a great horse and hopefully we can meet on the track and frankly, I wouldn’t change horses with
anybody. We’re going to have a great year, I know we are.”

Tim Wilkin

Bob Baffert, the most recent trainer inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, would give Horse of the Year to Zenyatta.

He’s a California guy. Zenyatta is a California horse. You had to expect that.

“I thought she was going to have to do something big in the Classic and she did,” Baffert said. “You have to reward those people, otherwise the Breeders’ Cup races aren’t going to mean anything. I had a horse (Richard’s Kid) in the Classic and I switched camps at the eighth pole and jumped on her bandwagon.”

Until the Horse of the Year is announced on Jan. 18 in Beverly Hills, the debate will rage as to who should win it: Zenyatta, the 5-year-old mare, or Rachel Alexandra, the 3-year-old filly.

Zenyatta won all five of her races this year, all of them on the fake track out west. Rachel was 8-8 this year and won on seven different tracks (all dirt) and beat colts three times.

“Synthetics don’t bring out their brilliance. It slows them down,” Baffert said. “That was probably the best moment I have ever seen at the Breeders’ Cup. Zenyatta ran by those horses like they were claimers. I thought Rachel was Horse of the Year until that peformance. I would give it to Zenyatta.”

So what is your choice for horse of the year? Vote here.

By Matt Hegarty
Daily Racing Form

The Turf Publicists of America has named the human connections of 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Zenyatta as the recipients of the organization’s Big Sport of Turfdom Award, the organization announced on Thursday.

The recipients will include Zenyatta’s owners, Jerry and Ann Moss; her trainer, John Shirreffs, and his wife, Dottie, who is the Mosses’ racing manager; and the mare’s jockey, Mike Smith, the publicist’s group said. Zenyatta raced five times this year and won all five starts, culminating with the Classic win over 11 male horses on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. She is being retired with an undefeated record of 14 wins and career earnings of $5,474,580, a record for a filly or mare.

The Big Sport of Turfdom award is given annually by the Turf Publicists of America”to a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with the media and Thoroughbred racing publicists” The organization had previously given the award to the human connections of a specific horse in 1996, when it designated “Team Cigar” for the award. Cigar was a two-time Horse of the Year campaigned by Allen Paulson, trained by Bill Mott, and ridden by Jerry Bailey.

The recipients will be presented the award on Dec. 8 at a luncheon held in conjunction with the University of Arizona Symposium on Racing in Tucson, Ariz.

It would be interesting to see if this horse could come from behind. Like this one.
Two very different styles but the same result.

By Harry King
The quiet celebration was a first — enthusiasm for a thoroughbred race result and nary a dollar at stake.

A friend called with the news when Little Rock was still more than an hour away on Interstate 40. A watcher of thousands of races, he said Zenyatta looked like she had no chance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and won anyway.

Sometimes, exaggeration infects the description of a happening in sports. Not this time. If anything, he undersold the drama of the final quarter mile when she passed eight males, the stress of loading into the gate twice and an awkward start.

Bloated with 14 races spread out over two days, heavy on horses with an affinity for Santa Anita’s artificial surface, and lacking a 2-year-old with solid Oaklawn Park connections, the Breeders’ Cup did not get as much attention as in years past.

The program has become such a mish-mash that the Dirt Mile has not been run on both dirt and at one mile since it was initiated.

The only race with more than a passing interest was the $5 million Classic and Zenyatta was the choice because Jerry Moss decided to risk her 13-of-13 record against males. Days after the Nov. 7 race, kudos for that decision were tempered with criticism for passing up various opportunities to ship his mare out of California to race against Rachel Alexandra.

Moss’ stand against going East and Jess Jackson’s refusal to risk Rachel’s perfect 2008 season on the home field of Zenyatta have created an unending argument.

Until the Breeders’ Cup, Rachel Alexandra was the favorite to be Horse of the Year. The winner of the Fantasy at Oaklawn, she won eight races over a variety of racetracks and beat the boys three times, including the Preakness. Much has been made of her being the first filly to win the race since 1924, but it is also worth noting that no filly has competed in the second jewel of the Triple Crown since 1999. Also know that Jackson chose to run her against older males at 1 1-8 miles instead of taking on 3-year-old males at 1 1-4 miles in the Travers on the same weekend.

Finishing behind Zenyatta in the Classic were the winners of more than a dozen Grade I races, including the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers, Pacific Classic, and a trio in England.

That said, there is a flaw in her resume — she won 13 of her 14 races on synthetic surfaces in California. Her victory in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn in 2008 was the exception and makes the Hot Springs track the only common ground of the two superb racehorses.

Eyewitnesses to the Apple Blossom in ‘08 and the Fantasy in ‘09, two Oaklawn executives recently agreed to disagree on Horse of the Year.

“For the good of the sport, they’ve got to give them both the Horse of the Year award because it just wouldn’t be fair for one of them to lose,” Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. said after the Breeders’ Cup. “I know one thing, if they do split it, nobody will be mad.”

Eclipse Award voters are not allowed to split their votes and the secret ballot is sacred. But, collusion to affect a tie would be well received.

If ever an award could be shared this is probably it.