Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Ragsy — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:35:31 GMT

Brian, IS Rachel really running on 3-13-2010?

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

old timer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:25:20 GMT

I guess I can never forget my high school hero, Kelso and even though the distance has been changed to accommodate todays weaker( younger, not allowed to mature while racing) TB's, I would like to see her win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LAZMANNICK — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:50:10 GMT

I agree with you that accolades are sometimes handed out too readily, but I don’t believe that this represents Ghostzapper’s amazing career. The only way Ghostzapper’s career could be questioned is in its longevity. The horse himself was amazing and accomplished much more in a relatively short career in terms of races than some all time greats. Consider this:

• 6-F in 1.09.1

• 6-1/2F in 1.14.3

• 7-F in 1.20.2

• 1-1/8M in 1.46.1 (head and head throughout)

• 1-1/4M in 1.59

• Won BC Classic against one of the toughest fields in the history of the race.

• Highest recorded Beyer since 1992 – 128

• Three plus 120 Beyers in ten races.

• Won on the lead in suicidal fractions and from as far back as 13 lengths.

• Won 3 G-1 races in 4 G-1 starts.

• Defeated an eventual HOY in St. Liam and was HOY himself.

• Was termed by Bobby Frankel as the greatest horse he ever trained.

His only problem was that he was brittle. It would have been nice to see what he could have done over a 20 race career. In the meantime, to call Rachel great and question Ghostzapper’s greatness doesn’t make sense.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

joe c. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:21:14 GMT

The terms "great" and "all time greats" are thrown about too recklessly. Rachel is great. But Ghostzapper? Invasor? Very good, yes, but all time greats? Winning a BC race-even the classic-doesn't solidify greatness. And NO knock there on the great Zenyatta.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Mike — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:18:19 GMT

LDP

Sorry I was not trying to knock Rachael, she is already a great horse, a Hall of Fame horse, but I think if she is going to make that next step to one of the legends of racing, joining Secretariat, Man O War, Citation and Affirmed she has to win a Breeders Cup race. We are in the Breeders Cup era now, that is where championships are won on the track.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Leon — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:50:30 GMT

For all of you who think the Classic or the Breeders Cup is the "Holy Grail" of racing:

The most relevant series of races in the US is the Triple Crown. Any horse that wins the three races will automatically be crowned HOTY.

Do you know what the Triple Crown has in common with the Super Bowl, The French Open, the NCAA championships & the World Series?...They CAN be seen on network TV, including the Preakness (G1) won by Rachel Alexandra...

The Breeders Cup? ....Besides having to lower purses & eliminate breeders awards, 9 of the 14 2009 winners (64%) of the so-called "world championships" will not be crowned champions of their divisions...Life is Sweet, Vale of York, Conduit, Tapitsfly, Dancing in Silks, Furthest Land, Man of Iron, Midday & Pounced.

But more importantly...The Breeders Cup used to be on network TV...nowadays, you can only watch it if you got cable or satellite on ESPN....

If that's not losing relevance...What is?

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Leon — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:40:55 GMT

Julio & John;

You must be confused.

When Jess Jackson says "we are running", his horses do run. When he says "we are not running" it is usually well ahead of time, and it is final.

You must be confused with another owner.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Curlie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:57:29 GMT

Can't wait to see Rachel...do we have any update on how Kip Deville is doing ?

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LDP — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:17:58 GMT

Carolyn,

I never said anything about voting. My point is people should stop downgrading her Woodward, that is all. I am done trying to make a HOTY case. My point is that she did all these things as a three year old filly, and all people can do is whine and cry about how she face such weak competition? Not many three year old fillies can beat older males at a distance of 10 furlongs, I think the only horse to do that was Busher, so why should Jackson be penalized for doing something historic, but at the same time protecting his filly from something only one other has ever accomplished? He gave her a truly historic campaign, and she stepped up to every challenge. Point is that even a writer like Steve Haskin thought she took a tough road, and people still don't listen.

Laz,

My bad. I think I got Macho Uno confused with Uno Mass, maybe. I remember two colts by Macho Uno running last year, by TC trail I meant Derby trail, sorry. I'm not feeling so fantastic, extremely congested, nasty cough and headaches don't really help one remember things all to clearly.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LAZMANNICK — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:50:54 GMT

LDP

Come on girl get the facts straight about Macho Uno. He just happens to be Macho Again's papa and beat Point Given by a nose in the 2000 BC Juvenile. Guess who was third in that race......Zenyatta's daddy Street Cry.

Seriously, Macho Again was on the Triple Crown trail last year and finished second in the Preakness to Big BRown.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

carolyn — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:35:49 GMT

LDP,

And Steve H. also said he wouldn't vote for neither one, because then he would be voting against the other, and he won't going to do that.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LDP — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:52:33 GMT

Mike,

So what about all the other horses that are considered great, but didn't win a BC race? What about PG or Holly Bull, both NEVER even attempted a start in a BC. PG never attempted older males and Holly Bull stopped after his Woodward, and yet you consider them great. Is it because they won a TC race, well RA did that. Is it because Holly Bull beat older males, well RA did that too. Steve Haskin, one of the most respected turf writer in the sport wrote about how great she is. About no matter who your against a three year old FILLY against OLDER MALES is not an easy task. Neither is winning a TC race off two weeks rest while locking horns with a record setting sprinter. Yet she was able to do all of this, as a THREE YEAR OLD. By this time Zenyatta had made one start, one, to Rachel's 14. BC is not the be all end all to the greats, if it was the where would Man o War, Citation, Spectacular Bid, and Secretariat be?

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LDP — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:44:55 GMT

Karen2,

Macho Uno was on the Derby trail last year I think and was trained by Steve A. I think. Dr. Bramlage, like a few others have confused him with Macho Again, probably because they are the same age, with the same sire, with the same beginning in their name. Oh, both are the same color as well.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Joanne — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:27:37 GMT

I was lucky enough to see Rachel Alexandra at Saratoga this summer - when she threw Calvin Borel off before the race - she is magnificant!!!! Hope she comes back to New York next summer!

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

ThePixiePoet — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:09:29 GMT

btw, I am the biggest Rachel MANIAC there is!!!

I hope that she races the Dubai Worlds Cup (after they of course tear up that new synthetic stuff they have over there)... I know just a dream. I hope she becomes the biggest money maker, even bigger than Curlin... not for the money but for the fame of it all.

Here is my video explaining WHY she is the best:

www.youtube.com/watch

Yes, I was such a Rachel MANIAC that I taught myself how to make YouTube videos JUST FOR RACHEL!!!

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

The Rock — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:01:50 GMT

I'm a little leary that JJ would enter her in any kind of filly handicap. How much weight do you think the racing secretaries will tack onto her? In the Apple Blossom, she'd have to be around 128..minimum. Should she win that, you'd have to go 130 and up. Especially since the DE Handicap is only a G2.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

LDP — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:08:27 GMT

PomDeTerre,

What is the Preakness then, huh? I guess you missed the extra half furlong that can make or break a nine furlong specialist in that race. She got pushed six wide into the first turn, which was only done to make things hard on her, then she had to contest with Big Drama who is a record setting sprinter for the first mile of the race. In the Woodward, yes it was nine furlongs flat, but again, she had two rabbits throwing punches at her the whole way around, and in both races she ended up closers who on there best day are good enough to win grade ones. The Haskell was no garden party either, I don't think running a 1.09 six furlongs on mud is exactly what her connections had in mind, yet she still whooped Summer Bird, who LOVES mud and demonstrated in further races that the best strategy for him IS STALKING!!! Those are not races I would call "written" for any horse.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Karen2 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:44:34 GMT

PomDeTerre....I must respectfully disagree with your post. To call RA cheesedoodles against gold is ludicrous. RA more than deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as Ruffian for she is clearly in Ruffian's league. There just is no argument there. Furthermore.... Why fault RA for being spectacular at her distance? Goldikova is a brilliant miler. Does that make her less of a race horse? Give her a break already.

By the way...in the latest article about Dr. Bramlage...Who the heck is Macho Uno????

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

da3hoss — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:35:02 GMT

I thought it pretty interesting Dr Bramlage said it was wise management to stop on Rachel after 11 big races in less than a year...I think we all forgot about her fall '08 into '09 campaign...it's amazing to think at just 3 yrs old she's already run 14 races, including 3 Grade 1's against the boys...

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Mike — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:14:05 GMT

Rachel needs to win a Breeders Cup race to join the all time great racehorses. While Zenyatta's schedule was critized by a lot of people including Rachel's owners, the way she prepared was pretty common and successful for older horses. Invasor and Ghostzapper both raced only four or five times before the Breeders Cup Classic. Although I would love to see Rachel run next year before the Breedeers Cup, maybe in Saratoga Travers weekend, I will be surprised if she has this tough a schedule before the Breeders Cup.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

da3hoss — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:12:56 GMT

PomDeTerre, many, many great horses have had races written for them...besides, this race would be her first start of 2010...no one starts out at 10F their first race of the year.

I still think if she comes back in great form her 4 year-old season, we'll see her try the grass and if she romps on the grass we'll see her Internationally, like JJ wanted to do with Curlin...not in Dubai...though had it stayed on dirt I bet she would have been aimed for it.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

da3hoss — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:35:03 GMT

I see grass and a Big Arc...

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

funnycideoflife — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:58:22 GMT

How about the Whitney instead of the Delaware Handicap and the Personal Ensign instead of the Iselin? These races accomplish the same things as the two you suggested, but I think the Delaware and Iselin are Grade 2s. I agree with everything else : )

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

PomDeTerre — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:15:21 GMT

LBP- I'm referring to the fact that her connections are trying to protect her by having races written for her at her distance- 9 furlongs. LOL- what a crock.

As far as comparing RA to Ruffian, the two don't belong in the same sentence. You're comparing cheese doodles to gold, and the gold isn't RA.

re: Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

Fan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:31:59 GMT

This would be mine:

New Orleans Ladies

Oaklawn Handicap

Stephen Foster

Delaware (to silence 1 1/4 doubters)

Woodward (to give Jess Jackson the Woodward Challenge Cup)

Jockey Club Gold Cup

Breeders' Cup