Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

Sarah G — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:28:00 GMT

"Their disappointment showed. That's o.k. No one died. So let's give this a rest. I fully understand their disappointment. I think they feel Zenyatta is underappreciated by some in the racing world and that there is an east coast bias. While I do not know where the truth of that lies, I do know these are all good people and they are good to their horses. That's what counts."

But isn't that the definition of a sore loser? Stubbornly refusing to admit that someone else won and that you should be gracious and try harder next time? Apples to apples, Rachel had the better season. She rightfully won. That doesn't mean she is a better horse or that Zenyatta isn't fabulous. Moss should be proud of what he has and not bitter about the loss and accusing people of bias. Who knows, he just might win HOY this year if Zen's fitness is really where they believe it is! Can you imagine if she runs even better than she did last year?

I'm going to need people to post videos of both races as soon as you can tomorrow night! I am DYING to see both of these ladies run!

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

The Z Girl — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:26:29 GMT

Some disappointing and distasteful comments from JJ. After reading them, I'm not sure I'd expect Rachel at the Apple Blossom if she does not win this weekend. Also, not sure that "they" (which apparetnly means Z and her connections) would simply disappear for the season if they do wind up beating Rachel. That comment is depressing especially since I hope that the expectations for Zenyatta go above and beyond Rachel and the Apple Blossom this season...I hope that JJ has the same expectations for Rachel though I'm not so sure now.

I hope the race lives up to this enormous hype, as well. Even a quick glance at racing history tells us it seldom does, and that is worth remembering as the media gets more and more frenzied billing yet another "Race of the Century, Decade, Year" etc, etc.

As for Z's first start this year:

A 127 pound impost for her first race is a good start for what will hopefully be another incredible season.

Glad she's getting some attention this year for her imposts, her 129 pound victory last year didn't seem to garner as much attention though I thought it was maybe her finest effort of the year.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

Slew — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:08:41 GMT

Fran....all the fillies and colts are little next to Zenyatta, and she hasn't (not ever being in foal) given a motherly edge to any competitor...I don't think she'll start now. (actually, she's given entire fields to them, then beats them anyway). Rachel Alexandra is a big girl now, and she's not about to give an edge to any competitor either. They are both great, and they are both winners and champions in my book.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

My Juliet — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:57:28 GMT

Paula Higgins,

If you were referring to my 'a long time to wait' comment when mentioning that Steve & Jess did the right thing, of course I'm glad

Rachel got rest needed, as I said.

I only said that as a huge fan who has been eager to see her race,which I'm glad to even get to see again.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

Mike Relva — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:50:50 GMT

PAULA HIGGINS

Well said,I totally agree.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

Freetex — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:49:46 GMT

Oh mercy! I just viewed Bambera's races on YouTube, (thank you Star G).

Could Bambera and Rachel run off in the Apple Blossom?? Or, will they tire enough for Zen to catch them? Makes one's heart just flutter away.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - 9

Johnny — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:35:58 GMT

Zenyatta has just been assigned the 1-9 morning line odds for the Santa Margarita.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - March 9

Paula Higgins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:52:44 GMT

O.k. Ann and Jerry Moss are lovely people. Let's say that right off the bat because it's true. It gladdens my heart to see how much they love that horse and love Zenyatta's fans.

Jess Jackson was very gracious at the awards ceremony. He couldn't have been nicer. Ann and Jerry Moss and John Shireffs were very disappointed in the result. They love Zenyatta and understandably so. Their disappointment showed. That's o.k. No one died. So let's give this a rest. I fully understand their disappointment. I think they feel Zenyatta is underappreciated by some in the racing world and that there is an east coast bias. While I do not know where the truth of that lies, I do know these are all good people and they are good to their horses. That's what counts.

re: Apple Blossom Diary: March 1 - March 9

Fran Loszynski — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:50:33 GMT

Don't forget about the "GOT MILK"

commercials they would be great at!

I'm glad they are not just competing against one another and there are other horses in the race. These are two beautiful racehorses. I wish they could both win; I think Rachel is going to win because Zenyatta her motherly spirit and experience will kick-in and let the "little girl" win. I hope for a safe race for horses and jockeys. I think whoever wins the race and $5 million should put it toward Fillies that are old and retired.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Karen2 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:46:40 GMT

Steve!!!! I finally had a chance to sit down and read this. I have been dying to get to it. I haven't read all the other comments yet but my guess is they say much of the same of what I am about to say. I know you hear over and over how thankful people are you are there for us. Really it goes without saying. But I can't thank you enough for being our eyes and our ears. With this diary you have created something that is far beyond the magnitude of this race. You have created a way for all of us to be there with you and live this dream. Every moment of it. I just don't think any one else would be capable of that. So Steve...from the bottom of my heart.......thank you!!!! I can't wait to hear more. I also must say I think Lisa Borel is a class act and her comments just lay that heartfelt human element in to all of this madness. It is truly about the great love for these horses. Nothing more...nothing less.

Monica....I LOVE the human characteristics you apply to these horses. They fit to a "T". For those of us lucky enough to share our lives with these noble "beings" knows one thing....there is so much more to know. We haven't even begun to skim the surface. I have many moments when I swear my horse has a higher IQ than I do.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

jpsbman — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:44:41 GMT

Bob Z, thanks for the links. Zardana looks good and Clear Sailing looks great. Does anyone know if TVG is going to do something tomorrow? thanks

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

MonicaV — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:00:32 GMT

Yes, Pam S., that was me!

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

MonicaV — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:59:49 GMT

Yes, I love to think of Rachel and Zenyatta with human characteristics. Zen and her domination over her opponents and what they would feel like if human. She just beats up on everyone and does it without turning a whisker. Another thing she does is dance before a race. She's sending messages to her foes and playing head games with them. Of course, this is all in fun but when you see a horse like Zenyatta, you have to wonder just a little if maybe she might intimidate the others on purpose. First with her magnificent size and beauty then she dances! Kind of makes you fantasize about what the other horses reaction would be if they were like humans. One might think "Oh, there she goes again! Always prancing! Hope her mane gets frizzy and her tail sticks straight out!" Come on, you gotta have some fun with this.

I love seeing Rachel in a straw hat with designer sunglasses. She probably has some as a gift from Vogue for the photo shoot. Maybe even a cashmier blanket with her initials on it. Both girls are so beautiful it makes you wonder if all the other girls are jealous.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Bob Z — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:59:56 GMT

Steve Asmussen was quoted as saying that regarding Rachel and the Ladies prep race...

"We want to rev the engine but don't want to empty the tank..."

So with that being the concern.. how would you run this race...?

That would tell me ... no early speed duels ... stalk the pace and then rev the engine at the 3/4 pole and hope for the best...

What else can you do?

From the Racing Form....

Rachel Alexandra drew just outside the apparent speed of the race, Fighter Wing, and just inside Zardana, who is a John Shirreffs-trained stablemate of Zenyatta.

Fighter Wing's trainer, Greg Geier, was the only trainer present at the draw, and he was grinning ear to ear as he noted the post positions.

"I love my draw, because the front end is the way she wants to run," he said. "I'll be out early, and Rachel will probably be right there, too."

Fighter Wing on 12/19/2009

not a factor...

www.youtube.com/watch

From Bloodhorse...

"Two of the other challengers come out of the local Pelleteri Stakes Feb. 13 at the same distance.

Coteau Grove Farms’ Clear Sailing won the race by a neck over Jim Tafel’s homebred Fighter Wing, who set the pace and took a commanding lead into the stretch before being caught just before the wire. Fighter Wing, a Greg Geier trainee, drew the rail and is expected to set the pace once again while Rachel Alexandra tracks her."

So Fighter Wing with be the early speed and Clear Sailing is a closer..

The Pelleteri Feb. 13

www.youtube.com/watch

Here is Clear Sailing in January...

www.youtube.com/watch

So Clear Sailing is comfortable being on the lead like in this race or coming from behind like in the Pelleteri

Some Notes on Zardana... first time on dirt in 3 years...

Zardana, who was bred in Brazil, hasn’t raced on dirt since beginning her career there in 2007 with three victories in sprints.

In California, she has raced on turf and on synthetic surfaces. Overall, she has won seven of 18 starts, including three stakes in the United Stakes.

She closed her 2009 season with a victory Dec. 5 in the Grade II Bayakoa, a mile race on the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park.

Zardana in the Bayakoa...

www.youtube.com/watch

The times..

1/4 23.65

1/2 46.80

3/4 110.63

1 mi. 135.73

1 1/16 142.24

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Slew — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:28:14 GMT

Monica V...your cute vignette on Rachel's vacation may be closer to the truth than you know. My neighbor's horses get regular massages, acupuncture, and monthly pedicures (ala farrier),and are on special diets + treats.

Steve...my previous query was in earnest. I honestly don't know. Common sense tells me they are probably walked around the paddock daily. What do horses do that are regularly stabled at a track for months?

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

EasyGoerFan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:32:31 GMT

Lil Darlin, you can have your party at my house. I get HRTV and this place will be spotless by post time on Saturday because, being the worry wart that I am, my nervous energy will send me into a frenzy of cleaning. All the things that didn't bother me all winter will be scrubbed and polished. :)

Do these horses know how much we care about them? To anybody reading this who can pass along our good wishes, please do so.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Mike Relva — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:44:22 GMT

MARY IN VT

I've read probably a dozen of your posts slamming Zenyatta's connections for the way her career was handled. Now,since she's unretired and going outside of CA to race ON DIRT you seem to have new issues. Some people are never happy,I guess!

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

CV — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:43:08 GMT

Mary in VT,

I don't know how to respond to your multiple references of "grapefruit ankles" other than to say, they're not in the pictures. As they say, those are worth a thousand words.

As as a point of interest, when Rachel Alexandra was 2, she had a bone chip and multiple fragments removed from her left front ankle. And yet, I've not read any hand-wringing or expressions of concern from you over the potential for that repair to go wrong again...only worries about the supposed "grapefruit ankles" of Zenyatta's dam, and the subtle inference that Zen might suffer the same problem.

From everything I've read about John Shirreffs and Jerry & Ann Moss, they seem to think of Zenyatta as a member of the family, not just a champion racehorse.

I do not believe they made the decision lightly to bring her back to compete this year. Nor would they ever put her at risk, which is evident by the fact that Shirreffs scratched her last May when the Churchill officials sealed a wet, sloppy track. I've read that some trainers say a sealed track is akin to running on concrete.

Mike Smith said in January he had visited Zenyatta several times while she was still officially retired and she "dragged him around like a balloon" when he tried to walk her.

He told DRF this week that she actually seems more focused and aggressive this year, and may be better now than she was in 2009.

I say, let's just offer best wishes to ALL horses who put hooves on the track this weekend, and all year.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Sarah G — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:36:56 GMT

I don't know and never will know JJ or Moss personally. I think both horses are wonderful and that there is way too much negativity between fans of both camps. That said, I have to say that I completely agreed with the following observation:

"Also, during the Eclipse awards there was a definite "less than sportsmanlike attitude". JJ was gracious and always included "Z" and her accomplishments when interviewed...and this was before HOY was announced. I just wish there had been more of the same respect towards Rachel. "

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

helsbelles — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:18:26 GMT

Zookeeper, I know. Listen, I thought it was a mini Breeders' Cup Distaff!

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Mary in VT — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:15:12 GMT

CV -

Enjoyed the link to the hoof website. Thanks for posting it. Yes, it has pictures of Zen's feet, Rachel's feet, and many more feet besides.

I simply don't like the sound of Zen's dam having "ankles like grapefruit." That statement was delivered by that mare's trainer in a phone interview with HRTV. He wasn't paying her a compliment. It sounded like he assumed that his audience would know exactly what he meant, but I didn't know what to make of it other than it ain't good. I had never heard that expression before or since. It brings to mind the cauliflower ear of a fighter that has damage on top of damage. Wish you could find a picture of Vertingeux's (sp?) ankles. <hint, hint>

The fact that Zen's dam had an achilles heel in the form of "ankles like grapefruit" and Zen runs on bute might add up to something none of us want to hear. Hope not, but it might. You can't very well say you rest well at night because it gives you great comfort, can you?

I am just really worried that the timing of this grudge match is all wrong. Maybe it is too soon for Rachel after a long layoff. Maybe Zenyatta should have been retired BEFORE she too has ankles like grapefruit.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

beauvoir — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:14:18 GMT

Mike Relva,

My issue is not with Zenyatta...how can you NOT be a fan of both of them! My issue is with the connections...

I think WWSTP said it well.

Also, during the Eclipse awards there was a definite "less than sportsmanlike attitude". JJ was gracious and always included "Z" and her accomplishments when interviewed...and this was before HOY was announced. I just wish there had been more of the same respect towards Rachel.

And no..not on JJ's payroll to whoever said that...my god! Wish I was...:)

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Pam S. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:07:55 GMT

MonicaV, you made it easy (and fun) to picture how Rachel filled her time during her long vacation. Wasn't it you also who wrote about Zenyatta's demoralized opponents pigging out on ice cream and ordering Cosmopolitans after the races?

I love assigning human characteristics to horses (in fun, of course), anthro-whatever you call it. They are in their stalls so much that you can't help speculating about what they do in there. How 'bout this: CELL PHONES!! We think the Princess and Queen will be meeting for the first time, but they might already be good friends from talking... or maybe Facebook friends!!

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Paula Higgins — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:46:49 GMT

Jess Jackson and Steve Asmussendid absolutely the right thing in resting Rachel alexandra as long as they did. She really needed it after the Woodward. Whatever happens in the Apple Blossom, she has many more races in her to win, and win she will. Ditto my girl Zenyatta.

WWTSP, no one is pointing a negative finger at Zenyatta's connections because there is no need to. They have done nothing wrong, but instead, everything right. Their handling of Zenyatta has been flawless and above reproach.

re: Apple Blossom Diary - Part 2

Lil Darlin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:50 GMT

This weekend is going to be an awesome piece of racing! TC preps, RA and Zen, I can't wait...I got the food, I got the drinks, now let's tune in to the action...oh, wait, that's right, I can't. Time to invest in a giant computer screen and replace my TV!