Horse Racing Capsules: Rachel Alexandra seeks big win in Personal Ensign
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Happy in her summer home at Saratoga Race Course, Rachel Alexandra just may be rounding into championship form. Then again, maybe not.
These days, there’s really no way of knowing whether Rachel Alexandra of 2010 can ever resemble Rachel Alexandra the Great of 2009, the unbeatable filly who won all eight of her races, beat the boys in the Preakness, the Haskell and the Woodward, and was voted Horse of the Year over the undefeated mare Zenyatta.
“She’s been a wonderful filly, great for the sport, too,” says veteran trainer Marty Wolfson. “I don’t know if she’s as good this year as she was last year.”
Wolfson and racing fans everywhere will get another look at Rachel Alexandra on Sunday when the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro takes on four rivals in the $300,000 Personal Ensign Invitational.
It will be Rachel’s first start at Saratoga since her electrifying victory in the Woodward nearly a year ago. It’s also her first race at 1 1/4 miles and her first Grade 1 of the year.
This one won’t be easy, either. The field includes Life At Ten, a 5-year-old Todd Pletcher-trained mare who brings a six-race winning streak into the Personal Ensign, with victories in the Ogden Phipps and Delaware handicaps in her last two starts.
“I think our filly is doing really well and she’s handled the mile-and-a-quarter before, but it’s a very, very tall order to take on Rachel Alexandra,” says Pletcher. “It’ll be quite a challenge.”
Wolfson will send out Delaware Handicap runner-up Miss Singhsix to try and pull off an upset. He’s hoping Rachel Alexandra and Life At Ten will duel for the lead in the early going, perhaps paving the way for his 5-year-old mare to run them down in the stretch.
“I’ve run against Life At Ten and she is a very, very good filly, and I’m not so sure Rachel is going to be able to handle her so easily,” says Wolfson. “And, if they do end up in a speed duel, you never know what can happen, especially at Saratoga.”
A victory by Rachel Alexandra probably will renew calls for a Rachel-Zenyatta showdown, which never developed earlier this year despite millions of dollars being offered by tracks around the country. A loss and it might be time for majority owner Jess Jackson to reassess his prized filly’s racing future.
“We’ve been very pleased with her since she’s been here,” says her trainer Steve Asmussen. “And hopefully, she will finish out the year well.”
While the Woodward capped a sensational 8-0 season, Rachel’s 4-year-old campaign has been unspectacular.
A second-place finish to Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds in March was followed by another narrow loss, to Unrivaled Belle, in the La Troienne a month later at Churchill Downs.
The surprising losses came after Charles Cella, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, had offered a $5 million purse if Rachel and Zenyatta met in the Apple Blossom in April. Jackson declined, with Asmussen saying Rachel needed more time to get back into racing shape after a six-month layoff.
Asmussen regrouped after the losses, and came up with a less ambitious plan to get his filly to the Breeders’ Cup in November. In June, Rachel won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Down by 10½ lengths, a resounding win but not against topflight competition.
Even though Rachel Alexandra arrived at Saratoga on June 30, Jackson passed on the Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap at the Spa on Aug. 1 in favor of the Lady’s Secret at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park, a race that was moved to July 24 at Jackson’s request. Rachel won by three lengths but not before a tough challenge from a filly named Queen Martha.
“Her last race was a good one, but not as exceptional as I thought,” says Wolfson. “That filly (Queen Martha) was in front and stalked her all the way. I thought she (Rachel Alexandra) would open up and win off. She did win easy, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be.”
Rachel Alexandra has been training well for the Personal Ensign. On Monday, she breezed four furlongs in 48.89 seconds over Saratoga’s training track, and Asmussen seemed satisfied.
“With her, you’re very careful with the rhythm she gets into to start off,” he said. “She’s very strong and very physical and likes to do quite a bit. And once she’s into her rhythm I think it’s pretty good from there.”
A modest two-race win streak has raised hopes that Rachel Alexandra will return to her 3-year-old form. However, Rachel has filled out over the past year. She’s bigger and stronger and is saddled with added weight for handicap races.
Elliott Walden, a former trainer and now racing manager for WinStar Farm — owners of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer — says there are big changes from a 3-year-old to a 4-year-old campaign.
“It’s much harder when you go against older horses,” says Walden. “As a 3-year-old, you go against one crop of horses. As an older horse, you go against three, four crops and that makes it that much tougher. And then there’s the handicapping aspect of it — there are weight concessions in handicap races and she is being given weight. Throw all that in and it makes for a different scenario.”
And then there’s the distance in the Personal Ensign. The farthest Rachel Alexandra has run was 1 3/16 miles in the Preakness.
Her ability to go 1 1/4 miles “is one of the concerns,” says Asmussen. “Her last race was very good but hopefully it’s a building block to be better.”
Rachel Alexandra is the 2-5 morning-line favorite, with Life At Ten at 5-2, Miss Singhsix at 10-1, and Persistently and Classofsixtythree each at 20-1.
Pletcher got a good look at Rachel during her Monday workout, and said “she looks great.
“I have tremendous respect for Rachel Alexandra. Her 3-year-old campaign was probably as ambitious as any in history,” he added. “Life At Ten, obviously, is on a winning streak, but taking on Rachel is a very, very tall order.”
Rachel Alexandra comes into the race with a stellar record of 13 wins in 18 starts with four runner-up finishes and earnings of $3.4 million for Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable and co-owner Harold McCormick.
But it’s her 2-2 record this year that makes Sunday’s race intriguing.
“I do think Life At Ten is the horse to beat,” says Wolfson.
Richard's Kid wins 2nd straight Pacific Classic
DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Mike Smith has climbed aboard Richard's Kid just twice. Both times proved lucrative, with the 5-year-old winning the $1 million Pacific Classic for the second straight year.
Richard's Kid outran Crowded House by three-quarters of a length to win the West's richest race Saturday at Del Mar.
"I just want to ride him once a year," Smith said, laughing.
Typically, a jockey exercises the horses he rides in afternoon stakes races in the mornings. But Smith had never been on Richard's Kid before winning last year's Classic. In the horse's six starts since then, he'd been ridden by three others.
So how did Smith regain the mount? He credited the wife of trainer Bob Baffert.
"Jill did it for me," he said. "She redecorated my house and went way overbudget, so she was feeling guilty and got Bob to put me on."
Baffert wasn't on hand to celebrate his four-win day. He was back East at Saratoga, where he saddled Rapport to win The Victory Ride. He also won the Grade 1 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar with El Brujo, along with the seventh race. His cell phone wasn't working, so he wasn't available for comment.
Baffert openly dislikes Del Mar's synthetic Polytrack surface.
"Think he's smiling now?" a grinning Smith said.
Richard's Kid covered 1¼ miles in 2:03.27, and joined Skimming (2000-01) and Tinners Way (1994-95) as the third horse to win the Pacific Classic twice. He earned $600,000, of which Smith will receive $60,000.
Fellow Hall of Famers Smith and Baffert each won the Classic for the third time.
Three weeks ago, Smith guided Zenyatta to her 18th consecutive victory without a loss in the Clement L. Hirsch.
"To win these two races, it made my meet," he said.
Crowded House returned $10.60 and $6.40, while Dakota Phone was another half-length back in third and paid $4.80 to show.
"For a moment or two there, I thought it was going to be a dream. I thought we were going to get it," said Ben Cecil, who trains Crowded House. "But then reality stepped back in."
The Usual Q.T. finished fifth as the 5-2 favorite.
"I wish he hadn't moved so soon," trainer Jim Cassidy said. "You can't move too early, it's not the grass."
Awesome Gem was last in the field of 10 in his record fourth bid to win.
Richard's Kid had just one horse beat going down the backside. But Isle of Giant's was setting a slow pace up front, and Richard's Kid has a stretch-running style.
The same tactics worked last year. Richard's Kid came from next-to-last and passed Einstein in the final few jumps to win by a neck.
"This was a lot like last year," Smith said.
This year, Richard's Kid paid $11.60, $5.60 and $3.80 at 9-2 odds in front of 23,678 at the seaside track north of San Diego. A year ago, he and Smith won at 24-1, third-biggest upset in the race's 20-year history.
After winning last year's Classic for owner Arnold Zetcher, Richard's Kid was sold to Zabeel Racing International Corp., the racing operation of Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed al Maktoum. He is the oldest son of Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai who owns racing giants Darley and Godolphin stables.
Richard's Kid earned an automatic spot in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.
"We'll leave that up to Bob," said Omar Trevino, al Maktoum's racing manager.
Asked who he would be riding in the BC Classic, a smiling Smith said, "Zenyatta." She beat the boys to win last year.
Richard's Kid won the San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita on Feb. 7 in his debut for his new owner, then finished seventh in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. He came into the Classic off consecutive third-place finishes in two stakes.
In the O'Brien, El Brujo gave Baffert his fourth winner, leading all the way to defeat Crown of Thorns by a half-length. He ran seven furlongs in 1:21.70 under Joel Rosario and paid $9.60, $3.80 and $2.80. El Brujo earned an automatic berth in the BC Sprint.
Crown of Thorns returned $3.40 and $2.40, while 6-5 favorite Smiling Tiger was another 4¼ lengths back in third and paid $2.20 to show.
Enriched led all the way in winning the $190,000 Del Mar Mile by three-quarters of a length to earn a spot in the BC Mile.
Ridden by Joel Rosario, Enriched ran one mile on the Jimmy Durante turf course in 1:34.83 and paid $6.40, $3.80 and $2.60 as the 2-1 favorite in the field of seven.
"I've ridden this horse before and I know how good he is," Rosario said. "He broke really well and I wasn't going to hold him back. Then when we turned for home he went perfect."
The 5-year-old gelding is a half-brother to retired Lava Man, thoroughbred racing's richest claiming horse. Enriched was claimed in November for $32,000 by trainer Doug O'Neill, who oversaw Lava Man. Since then, he's earned $340,676.
Meteore returned $6.20 and $3.20, while Bruce's Dream was another neck back in third and paid $2.60 to show.
-- Beth Harris
Afleet Express wins Travers in photo finish
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Afleet Express was making his bid, coming off the far turn, moving away from the rail and gaining the lead from Miner’s Reserve just past the eighth pole in Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
The “Midsummer Derby” was far from over. Fly Down had begun moving, too, passing horses on the outside as he made the turn for home. By the time the two colts hit the sixteenth pole, they were just about even, battling side by side, stride for stride over the final 110 yards.
With a crowd of 45,764 cheering them on, the colts seemed to reach the finish together, and it took a photo to show Afleet Express had won by a nose.
“If he had been beaten by a nose, it would have been hard to swallow,” a relieved trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “When (Fly Down) came up to him, it looked like he was slowing down, almost hitting the rail. ... But when he saw that horse, it looked like he straightened up and gave it a go.”
Nick Zito, who trains Fly Down and is having a tough Saratoga meet with just two winners so far, was discouraged but said his colt put in a big effort.
“That’s another second,” Zito said, referring to Fly Down’s runner-up finish in the Belmont. “They’re all tough. Sometimes, like I say, you’ve got to be content. When I saw the replay I thought the other horse had the bob. It was really, really tough. It was unbelievable.”
After the horses crossed the finish line, Afleet Express’ jockey Javier Castellano said he glanced over at Fly Down’s rider Jose Lezcano.
“We were laughing, but our faces were kind of worried,” Castellano said. “I said, ‘What do you think?’ I guess I wanted to say, like (race caller) Tom Durkin, ‘Too close to call.”’
Jerkens, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, called the victory the biggest of his career.
‘Yes, this is it,” he said. “It’s at Saratoga, so it’s extra special.”
Afleet Express missed the Triple Crown races after developing a hip injury, but won the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth in June and finished third despite a troubled trip in the Jim Dandy Stakes at the Spa on July 31.
“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano said. “That photo could have gone either way, and I’m very lucky it went my way.”
A diverse field of 11 3-year-olds lined up for the 1 1-4-mile Travers, ranging from Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver to the runners-up in Derby, Preakness and Belmont as well as a maiden winner making his second start.
Super Saver finished 10th for his third straight defeat since winning the Run for the Roses on May 1.
“We were able to get over and get decent position at the break,” Super Saver’s trainer Todd Pletcher said of his colt who started from the No. 11 post, “ but just came up empty.”
Calvin Borel, who was aboard Super Saver, added: “My confidence was high going in, but then I had nothing. He just wasn’t there.”
Preakness runner-up First Dude was third, 6¾ lengths behind Fly Down, followed by Afleet Again, Jim Dandy winner A Little Warm, Friend Or Foe, Miner’s Reserve, Derby runner-up Ice Box, 3-1 favorite Trappe Shot, Super Saver and Admiral Alex.
Admiral Alex was attempting to win the Travers after winning his first career start on July 31.
First Dude has now finished third in three consecutive Grade 1 races — the Belmont, the Haskell and now the Travers.
“He runs his race every time,” trainer Dale Romans said. “Eventually he’s going to run a breakthrough race and beat these guys.”
One of three horses in the field sired by Alfeet Alex, Afleet Express won in 2:03.28. Afleet Express returned $16, $7.80 and $4.90. Fly Down paid $6.90 and $5.20 and First Dude paid $4.60 to show.
Afleet Express earned $600,000 and boosted his career total to $835,140 for owners Gainesway Stable and Martin Cherry. The colt has won three of six starts this year.
The Travers field did not include Preakness and Haskell Invitational winner Lookin At Lucky, the nation’s leading 3-year-old.
In earlier races at the Spa, Discreetly Mine went wire-to-wire to win the $250,000 King’s Bishop, Rightly So blazed to a four-length win over Warbling in the $250,000 Ballerina, Dynaslew beat Silver Reunion by a half length in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap and Rapport led from the start for a 3½-length win over My Jen in the $100,000 Victory Ride.
-- Richard Rosenblatt
Gourmet Dinner wins Calder race
MIAMI — Gourmet Dinner rallied to win the $100,000 Affirmed Division in the Florida Stallion Stakes on Saturday, and Awesome Feather also won by four lengths in the $100,000 Susan’s Girl Division for fillies.
Awesome Feather ran seven furlongs in 1:24 2/5. Gourmet Dinner’s time was 1:25 3/5. Both horses are in position to sweep the three-tier Stallion Stakes series.
The Stallion Stakes races were the main attraction for Calder’s Juvenile Showcase, a 13-race card restricted to 2-year-olds.
Blue Eted Sweetie won the $100,000 Lindsay Frolic for fillies, and Ayoumilove took the Catcharisingstar for fillies on the grass. Too Experience finished first in the $83,000 Seacliff and Machisa ran away with the $70,000 Fasig Tipton Turf Dash.
Gourmet Dinner paid 3.60 and 2.60. Rough’n Royal paid 3.60 to place. There was no show betting because the field was limited to five.
Gourmet Dinner, a son of Trippi owned by Our Sugar Bear Stable, has won all three of his starts, earning $137,390.
Awesome Feather paid 2.20 and 2.10. Crital Hak paid 2.40 to place.
Bred and owned by Jacks or Better Farm, Awesome Feather is four for four with earnings of $196,235.
Teaks North wins Monmouth feature
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Teaks North held off Beau Choix in the stretch to win the $100,000 Restoration Stakes by a length at Monmouth Park on Saturday.
Trained by Justin Sallusto and ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., the 3-year-old gelding covered the 1 1-8 miles over a firm turf course in 1:46 2-5 and paid $24.60, $9 and $4.80. The win was the third in seven career starts for Teaks North, who has now earned $118,900.
Beau Choix returned $3.60 and $2.60, while Lighthouse Sound was another 1¾ lengths back in third and paid $3.60.
In the co-feature, My Irish Gal drew off in the stretch to win the $100,000 Miss Woodford Stakes, beating Karmageddon by 2¾ lengths.
Ridden by Israel Campo and trained by Brad H. Cox, My Irish Girl ran the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10 2/5 and paid $8.80, $5 and $3.80. It was the seventh straight win for the 3-year-old filly, who is undefeated since losing her debut race last December.
Karmageddon paid $25.80 and $10, while Funny Feeling was another three-quarters of a length back in third and returned $4.80.
