Hangin' With Haskin : Steve Asmussen

Rachel Explanation Needed

Blood-Horse Staff — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:54:00 GMT

I guess it was too much to hope for to have Rachel Alexandra retire in a normal manner. Nothing about her retirement makes any sense, with only another rhetoric-filled and oddly timed press release from Jess Jackson to go by.

It looks, at least on the surface, as if Rachel started the year running when she shouldn’t have and ended the year not running when she should have. In short, her entire 4-year-old campaign was backwards. That is, assuming she came out of her last work in good shape, which she supposedly did. So, why, after two bullet six-furlong works following arguably her best race of the year, do you retire her the day after her work and four days before the Beldame?

Yes, she was beaten in the final jumps in the Personal Ensign, but going a mile and a quarter for the first time, being hounded by Life At Ten, one of the top older females in the country, every step of the way and leaving her 10 lengths in her wake, how can anyone feel this wasn’t a step in the right direction and wasn’t going to set her up for a huge performance in the Beldame?

So, what happens? One day after turning in a work that observers felt was nothing short of breathtaking, she is retired.

Why? Because, according to Jackson, she “did not return to her 2009 form,” adding that, “It’s time to retire our champion and reward her with a less stressful life.”

That sounds good, but what does it mean? Did we learn anything at all about why she was retired a day after turning in perhaps her best work of the year?

This is not about the fact that Rachel was retired, it’s about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the announcement. If she showed signs in the work that she wasn’t up to the task of running in the Beldame, fine, say so. Her retirement, although sad, would be understandable.

Jackson stated in the release, “Rachel Alexandra owes us nothing.” He’s certainly right about that. But what about the public? Isn’t the public owed a believable explanation, or any explanation for that matter, why her career ended on such an abrupt note?

Who even knows when trainer Steve Asmussen and assistant Scott Blasi learned of Rachel’s retirement? They certainly weren’t training her like a horse who was never going to race again.

OK, enough of what we don’t know. It is time to discuss what we do know, and that is the fact that Rachel Alexandra is one of the great fillies, certainly one of the greatest 3-year-old fillies, of all time.

In 2009, she:

-- Defeated eight Derby winners (Kentucky Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Arkansas Derby, Louisiana Derby, Illinois Derby, Tampa Bay Derby, Iowa Derby, and UAE Derby), plus the runner-up in the West Virginia Derby.

-- Defeated eight grade I-winning males, including the winners of the Belmont Stakes (2), Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Whitney, Stephen Foster, Blue Grass, and Secretariat Stakes, in addition to the winners of the Oaklawn Handicap, New Orleans Handicap, Jim Dandy Stakes, Tom Fool Handicap. Woody Stephens Stakes, and Lone Star Handicap.

-- Became the first filly to defeat three classic-winning males, and defeated the 1-2-3 finishers of the Kentucky Derby, the 1-2 finishers of the Whitney , the 1-2 finishers of the Stephen Foster, and the 1-3 finishers of the Belmont Stakes.

Her last six victories all had historical significance.

* Fantasy Stakes -- biggest margin in the history of the race.

* Kentucky Oaks -- biggest margin in the history of the race.

* Preakness -- first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years…first horse in history to win from post 13.

* Mother Goose -- biggest margin in the history of the race, previously held by Ruffian... fastest time in the history of the race.

* Haskell -- second biggest margin in the history of the race…second fastest time in the history of the race by one fifth of a second, and two fifths of a second off the track record set by Spend a Buck 24 years ago.

* Woodward -- first filly in history to win the Woodward.

Even winning the Woodward by a head and the Preakness by one length, her average margin of victory in 2009 was more than eight lengths.

The following horses were demolished by Rachel Alexandra in 2009:

Gabby’s Gold Gal, beaten 29 1/4 lengths by Rachel in the Kentucky Oaks came right back and won the grade I Acorn Stakes in 1:34 3/5.

Flashing, beaten 31 1/2 lengths in the Mother Goose (gr. I), went on to win two grade I stakes – the Test and Gazelle Stakes.

Summer Bird, beaten six lengths in the Haskell (gr. I), went on to win the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Take the Points, beaten 32 3/4 lengths in the Preakness, came back to win two grade I stakes – the Secretariat Stakes and Jamaica Handicap.

Just Jenda, beaten 11 3/4 lengths in the grade II Fantasy Stakes, went on to win the Monmouth Oaks by 4 1/4 lengths and the Serena’s Song Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths.

Bon Jovi Girl, beaten 14 3/4 lengths in the Fantasy Stakes, came back to win the Susan’s Girl Stakes by eight lengths and place in the then grade II Cotillion Stakes and the grade I Gazelle Stakes.

Malibu Prayer, beaten 19 1/4 lengths in the Mother Goose, went on to win the Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs, an overnight stakes at Belmont by 6 3/4 lengths, and finish second in the Delaware Oaks (gr. II) and Monmouth Oaks. This year, she won the grade I Ruffian Handicap.

Past the Point, beaten 17 3/4 lengths in the Woodward, came right back to finish second, beaten a half-length, in the grade III Bold Ruler Stakes.

Although Munnings, beaten seven lengths in the Haskell, did not win a subsequent stakes, he did finish third in the grade I King’s Bishop and Vosburgh over sloppy tracks.

On the other hand, Macho Again, and Bullsbay, both grade I winners, were gutted trying Rachel in that epic Woodward stretch run and were never close to being the same again. And who knows what effect that race had on Rachel the rest of her career? No one can remember a horse giving of them themselves more than Rachel gave of herself that day.

Rachel’s 2010 campaign has been a mess from day one. But it was getting better. Was she even close to the Rachel of 2009? Obviously not, but coming off three strong races, in which she moved forward each time, and her series of brilliant works, wouldn’t it have been logical to see how she ran in the Beldame before making a decision regarding her immediate future. Again, that is assuming she came out of her work in good shape and was sound and acting like a happy horse. If she wasn’t, shouldn’t that have been in the press release? If she was, then didn’t we deserve a more lucid explanation for her retirement than what was given? All we were asking for was closure. And we didn’t get it.

So, What is Their Thinking?

Blood-Horse Staff — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:27:00 GMT

There has been quite an uproar over the announcement that Rachel Alexandra will run in the non-graded Lady’s Secret Stakes instead of the grade I Ruffian Handicap at Saratoga the following week.

Although one can only speculate what their thinking is, here are some possibilities, going so far as to look ahead and coming up with a possible schedule leading up to the Breeders’ Cup.

First off, unlike many people, I was not of the opinion that Rachel Alexandra showed in the Fleur de Lis that she is back, or even close to being back, to the Rachel of last year, and I stated all my reasons in a recent blog – briefly, the head cocking and the drifting in the stretch, and just not appearing as dominant and in control as she was last year. And the filly she defeated by 10 ½ lengths, she had defeated by 13 lengths in her losing effort the race before. Was it a major step in the right direction? Definitely.

Let’s also remember, this is a filly who, for whatever reason, did not have a workout in five months. Who knows what kind of metamorphosis she went through during such a long period of inactivity? It is often difficult getting fillies back to where they once were after a long layoff.

With this decision, Steve Asmussen and Jess Jackson apparently also feel she is not yet back to where she was last year and is not ready for the Ruffian. Rachel lost her first two starts this year against fillies she likely would have annihilated last year. Now that she has gotten back on track and heading in the right direction, do they really want to risk setting her back by jumping into a grade I stakes and having to give weight to some top-class fillies? The Lady’s Secret gives her another chance to move forward, keep her confidence level high, and work out some of the kinks she displayed in the Fleur de Lis. If she should get beat, the thinking would be, if she lost this race she surely would have lost the Ruffian.

Ok, so let’s assume Rachel wins the Lady’s Secret impressively and runs a more professional race and looks as dominant as she did last year. Does that mean she’s back to where she was last year or even close to it? Of course not. One wouldn’t think that is the purpose of running in the Lady’s Secret. It would be to get another impressive victory in her and smooth out the rough edges.

So, what would be the next step after the Lady’s Secret? That depends on which Breeders’ Cup race they are pointing for. Let’s assume it is the Classic. Again, this is all speculation, but here is a possible scenario to reach that goal.

Whether Rachel ran in the Ruffian or waited for another race to make her 2010 grade I debut, there is a fairly good possibility she is going to get beat somewhere along the way because of all the catching up she’s had to do. Somewhere she is going to have to make a big jump in class. The Ruffian isn’t that spot, not under handicap conditions and having lost two of her last three starts. The Personal Ensign conceivably could be that spot. First off, she would have five weeks to that race instead of four had she run in the Ruffian. Second, although it would be a difficult task stretching out to 1 1/4 miles from 1 1/16 miles, the race would at least provide a strong foundation and get a 10-furlong race into her, which she would need in the Classic, having never been that far. So, even if she finished second and ran a big race, similar to the race Azeri ran in the 2004 Personal Ensign, when she set fast fractions and couldn’t hold off Storm Flag Flying, it would help move her forward from a toughness and fitness standpoint.

Forget the Woodward. She’d likely have to face better horses than last year, and look what that gut-wrencher did to her, as well as the two colts – Macho Again and Bullsbay -- who chased her home down the stretch.

With the Personal Ensign under her belt she can head to the Beldame over the same track and distance as the Mother Goose, where she turned in one of the most brilliant performances of her career. Only then would we see the real Rachel Alexandra emerge, and only then could we expect to see a performance like we saw on so many occasions last year.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup would be another possibility, but do they really want to run her against Quality Road before the Breeders’ Cup? The field would be smaller and she would not have as many top-class colts to worry about, but she could hardly be expected to be in championship form off one grade I race. But the option is there, depending on what she did in her previous start.

By Rachel taking so long to come back to her old self, Horse of the Year shouldn’t even be in the thought process. It’s all about getting ready for the Breeders’ Cup and letting the championships sort themselves out.

If we do see the same Rachel as last year in the Beldame, and with a mile and a quarter race under her belt, and having won three of her last four starts, then she can return home to Churchill Downs and have a legitimate shot in the Classic.

Of course, none of this could be running through Asmussen’s and Jackson’s mind. They could have something totally different in mind. But considering they haven’t explained their decision to run in the Lady’s Secret in clear and simple terms, one can only speculate as to what their thinking was and try to come up with possible scenarios for the rest of the year.

This merely has been one of them.

A Day at Saratoga

cdawahare@bloodhorse.com — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:25:00 GMT

As the sun begins to peek over the Adirondacks, a thin layer of fog still blankets the Oklahoma training track. Cars are pouring into the East Avenue gate to park on the grass near the top of the stretch. Across the street on Union Ave., people have been lined up for hours with their coolers and picnic accessories hoping to get a choice spot, preferably near the paddock or in the shade of an elm tree. Downtown, people stroll up and down Broadway and on the side streets, heading to their favorite breakfast eatery to handicap the day's races.

At one end of Steve Asmussen's barn at Oklahoma, the distinctive broken blaze of Rachel Alexandra can be seen by passersby as she peers out her stall, eyeing all the activity. Standing a few feet away, Rachel's "bodyguard" Amy Kearns has her eyes glued to last year's Horse of the Year, her stomach already in knots. Barbara Banke, wife of owner Jess Jackson, stops by the barn to get one final look at her star filly and touch base with Asmussen and assistant Scott Blasi.

Just outside the track's clubhouse entrance, directly across from the paddock, the quaint old stakes barn seems aglow with the presence of Zenyatta, as trainer John Shirreffs stares intently at her, making sure he hasn't overlooked anything. Zenyatta already has her game face on. Racing's most conspicuous diva knows when showtime is getting near. She has been anthropomorphized to such a degree many are convinced she knows the "Roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd." Most in attendance this day have never seen her now-famous California two-step that she performs before every race.

By 10 o'clock, Route 9 leading into the town of Saratoga is a wall of cars. Many have gotten off an exit before the track, because the Northway is bumper to bumper. People want to get to the track early to get their "Rachel" and "Zenyatta" buttons and other giveaways. NYRA is having its first "Sign Day," awarding prizes for the most inventive and well-constructed signs - one prize for best Rachel sign, one for best Zenyatta sign, and one for best sign depicting both fillies. They are already popping up throughout the rapidly growing crowd - "When Queens Collide," "Welcome to Zaratoga!" "Alexandra the Great," "Zen-yada yada yada," "Coup d'Spa."

The theme song being played around the track is "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from the musical Flower Drum Song. You can even sing along: ""When my (trainer) comes to get me at my place. Out I go with my Joe or John or Billy, like a filly who is ready for the race."

Around 11:30, Rachel and her crew leave the barn and make their way through Oklahoma, then cross Union Avenue and head to the monitoring barn. Coming from the opposite direction, Zenyatta eyes the new surroundings as she makes her way to the dreaded barn that has already compromised the chances of the Shirreffs-trained Giacomo and Tiago in the Belmont Stakes. A wary Shirreffs keeps a close eye on her, but so far, she seems to be taking it all in stride (how's that for the power of positive thinking?).

As the day wears on, the anticipation grows, as does the late-arriving crowd. This is finally going to happen. Who will be the favorite? How will the race play out? Which filly will reign supreme at day's end?

Despite the verbal wars of the past, the crowd for the most part is respectful to those in the opposing camp. It is Saratoga after all. There are a few zealots on both sides who engage in some minor oral skirmishes, but there are many in attendance who love both fillies and just want a true, safe race to see once and for all who is Queen of the Turf. Although there are a number of hard-core New Yorkers who have adopted Rachel, the Big Apple also has spawned quite a few Zenyatta fans as well, and the Mega Mare has lured thousands of her loyal legions from California. Saratoga is mainly a vacationer's melting pot, so the entire country is well represented.

Finally, it is time for the feature. Here they come down the horse path, as the crowd, which has been lined up 10 deep for the past half hour and longer, form a gauntlet of star struck admirers, armed with an assortment of still and video cameras and cell phones of all shapes and sizes. All are aimed at Rachel and Zenyatta. As both fillies enter the paddock they are given a rousing ovation. Small children sit atop their parents' shoulders trying to get a look at their mom and dad's favorite horse, the one they've been told is the greatest filly of all time.

The paddock is jammed. This is the place to be, and you can barely get close to the saddling stalls. The designated trees for each filly are already surrounded by a large throng. Cameras are clicking at a frantic pace.

Then it is ‘Riders up!' Mike Smith and Calvin Borel sit proudly atop their noble steeds. Their blood is up and they can't wait to get it on. A chorus of cheers follows each horse around the paddock. They then explode into a glorious crescendo as Rachel and Zenyatta make their way on to the track.

The gate is brought into place. Palms are sweating. Hearts are beating out of the chest. The butterflies are churning. The crowd lets out one final roar as the horses enter the gate and Tom Durkin bellows "It is now Post time."

What's that you say? Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta might not even meet at Saratoga? Sorry about that. I guess it was just a dream.

Rachel and Jess

Blood-Horse Staff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:56:00 GMT

“The queen is dead. Long live the queen.” OK, so it’s not quite as dramatic as Charles VII’s ascension to the throne of France following the death of his father. But the way people are talking, one would think Queen Rachel has abdicated her throne after only two months and a “shocking” defeat at the hands of an inferior rival.

Like any good juicy tale of the monarchy, this one comes with the usual intrigue and conspiratorial plots. John Shirreffs, the caretaker of Zenyatta, next in line to the throne, plotted against the Queen by testing her lack of physical fortitude in order to soften her up for Zenyatta’s coup d’etat attempt on April 9.

Well, Shirreffs’ shifty little plan actually backfired from a monetary aspect, as it wound up potentially costing him a few hundred thousand dollars.

So, here we are in the aftermath of this Shakespearean drama with the once-mighty Queen licking her wounds after falling from grace and the Xena-like warrior Zenyatta firmly entrenched in the hearts and minds of the people.

OK, time to return to reality. In the realm of Thoroughbred racing, we currently live in a land divided. There are the Rachel radicals and the Zenyatta zealots, as much at odds with each other as the far left and the far right. And then there are the independents who can appreciate the greatness of both fillies.

“See, Zenyatta is the true Horse of the Year and should have been crowned Queen,” say the zealots. “Rachel wasn’t ready for battle on this day and would have sent Zenyatta back to California with her tail between her legs on April 9,” say the radicals.

The truth of the matter is that the Apple Blossom showdown turned into one big mess. Zenyatta certainly did her part with another of her goosebump inducing victories. Some say Rachel did not look like the Rachel of last year following a six-month layoff and no workouts in the first five of those months. Others say her race in the New Orleans was an excellent prep and set her up well for the Apple Blossom.

Should we have been shocked that Rachel was beaten in her first start back? Here is what her owner and trainer had to say before the race:

“We are stretching to get there. But if we’re not in top shape, we’re not going” – Jess Jackson (key on “stretching to get there” and “not in top shape”)

“If they (Zenyatta) beat us in one race, they might just disappear and retire her undefeated.” -- Jess Jackson (who seemed to be conceding the distinct possibility of defeat and was challenging Jerry and Moss to a return match before the race was even run).

“I think they are trying to size us up. It makes sense for them (to run Zardana at Fair Grounds). They want to catch us short.” – Jess Jackson all but admitting Rachel was going to be short.

“I’m not afraid to lose, but it’s not going to do Zenyatta or Rachel Alexandra any good if either one of them are not at their best.” – Jess Jackson already throwing “lose” and “not at (her) best” around. Forget the addition of Zenyatta to that comment; it was merely window dressing.

“I am very concerned about her fitness level.” – Steve Asmussen

These are not the comments of people bubbling over with confidence. So, if they, especially Jackson, were aware that Rachel would be vulnerable, why all the contradictions between trainer and owner after the race and why the hasty decision by Jackson?

Last year, Jackson was just the opposite of hasty. His decisions were usually made at the 11th hour as the racing world sat and waited to find out where Rachel would be running next.

Now, he has made a complete 180 with two hasty decisions. The first one was announcing Rachel would run in the Apple Blossom on April 9 just days after saying that she wouldn’t be ready for the Apple Blossom on April 3. For a horse whose fitness level was a concern to her trainer, it is difficult to imagine six days making much of a difference. Then he decides to back out of the Apple Blossom an hour or two after his trainer comments how great Rachel came out of the race.

So, what was all this really about? Do Jackson and Asmussen actually speak to each other? Unlike the beloved Cleaver family to whom Zenyatta belongs, could it be that Rachel is part of some dysfunctional family that travels in parallel lines, rarely crossing paths? No one has ever gotten close enough to find out. Only Jackson and Asmussen can say whether it’s one big happy family. In his latest announcement, Jackson said “I decided” when discussing the decision, yet also said “Steve and I discussed this fully and we now regret we tried to accelerate her training.” And perhaps the most telling comment was, “…just as I had anticipated, she is not in top form.”

Well, if that was what he had anticipated, why did he go against his initial gut feeling when he said no to the Apple Blossom, because Rachel was not fit? Was she really going to get fit enough to take on Zenyatta with an extra six days?” Many feel the New Orleans Ladies did indeed help her get fit, but not being around her, that is mere conjecture.

Jackson ended his statement with his favorite line: “She will tell us when her next race will be.”

Did she tell them this time? Did she say she wanted her next race to be in the New Orleans Ladies? Did she say “I can beat Zenyatta on April 9, but not on April 3?” And did she tell them after the race, “I was wrong; I wasn’t ready for this race and I won’t ready for the Apple Blossom?” Is it Rachel who actually is to blame for the defeat by giving Jackson bad information? Why then would he listen to her in the future?”

No, it was not Rachel’s fault. It was not Steve Asmussen’s fault. And, who knows, maybe it wasn’t Jackson’s fault. No one was criticizing his decision before she got beat.

The bottom line is that only Jackson can say what he was thinking accepting the invitation to the Apple Blossom after saying he wouldn’t. Only Jackson can say what he was thinking when he backed out for the second time. But he doesn’t say. He just issues abstruse statements that veil what he’s really feeling. So, that is all we can go by.

Jackson has done a great deal with the magnificent package he purchased last spring, presenting her to the world in a manner that was more common a half-century ago. But despite his lengthy speeches at the Eclipse Awards dinner and post-race interviews, he really doesn’t allow people to see what is behind those words. Individually, they are the right words. But strung together they lose any real meaning.

Some of the harsh criticism directed at Jackson is warranted. Some of it is not. That’s because we have no idea who Jess Jackson is. Now that this fiasco is over, it’s time to look ahead. It’s time for Jackson to speak from the gut and let people in on it. He must remember that if Rachel indeed is capable of saying what her next race should be, she is saying it to Steve Asmussen and Scott Blasi and Dominic Terry. They are the ones who have more physical contact with her than patting her on the nose in the winner’s circle a few times a year. It’s OK for Jackson to listen to Rachel, but from now on it would be serve his (and Rachel’s) best interest to use an interpreter.