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With the racing world looking forward to an April 9 matchup between Rachel Alexandra
and the John Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom, Rachel Alexandra failed
to handle the Shirreffs “B” Team on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Zardana, Zenyatta’s much-less-heralded stablemate, inched past Rachel Alexandra in the
stretch of the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies and held off the comebacking Horse of the Year
to post the 9-1 upset under David Flores.

Rachel Alexandra and jockey Calvin Borel looked like winners down the backstretch, stalking
the pace of longshot pacesetter Fighter Wing. Rachel took the lead on the far turn of the
1 1/16-mile race and was almost immediately tackled by Zardana on the outside. Borel went
to riding the 1-9 Rachel Alexandra in early stretch and hit her several times in midstretch,
but Zardana wore her down for the victory.

Zardana, owned by Arnold Zetcher, paid $21 and ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.55.