Let's see if Zenyatta "Forfeits" This Race- my Prosaic Tryptich About Rachel Alexandra V. Zenyatta

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Earlier in the month I sounded off about a tweet sent out by the author of the West Coast horse racing website Pick4AndWin. The Tweet alleged that if Rachel Alexandra did not run in the Breeder's Cup against Zenyatta that it should be considered a "forfeit" by Rachel. As my link attests, I disagreed with that viewpoint.

Now the tables have turned. Kind of. TVG and BetFair.com have agreed to add 400k to the Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct.3 if both Rachel and Zenyatta participate. With the added 400k, the purse now stands at a cool $1,000,000. This is of course, the inverse of what the Breeder's Cup is offering to Rachel. Rachel, a dirt horse, will not be running in the Breeder's Cup Ladies Classic (formerly known as the Distaff). because that race will be run over a synthetic surface on the other side of the country from where she's based. The cross-country trip isn't much of a deterrent for Rachel's connections, but the surface change certainly is.

The offer is on the table Zenyatta.

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Another Reason for Rachel to not Face Zenyatta in the Ladies Classic

While I wrote an allegorical article mentioning why Rachel has no obligation to race Zenyatta on a synthetic surface, I recently thought of another. What makes Zenyatta's connections think that Rachel Alexandra would even race in the Ladies Classic? Why not THE Classic? Afterall, Rachel Alexandra has the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year, she beat the KY Derby winner (in the Preakness), she won the Preakness, and she beat the Belmont winner (in the Haskell). She also won two Grade 1 filly races by a combined 40 lengths. This year also has a relatively weak crop of older male foes to oppose Rachel in the Classic compared to recent years that featured Curlin, Saint Liam, Flower Alley, Bernardini, Invasor, and Ghostzapper. With the purse for the Classic a $5 mil., and the Ladies Classic at $2 mil, why would Rachel take a 60% pay cut to beat a horse that she is clearly superior to? I don't hear any AA baseball teams telling Albert Pujols that if he were a REAL baseball player he'd leave his contract with the Cardinals and try his hand for their farm team for 40 cents on the dollar- while playing on a new surface.

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The East Coast Aint Got No Love for Zenyatta and Jon Shirreffs?

This analogy will probably alienate some of my zero readers, but I'm gonna write it anyway because I think the analogy stands up- there just aren't many people with gangster rap knowledge and horse racing knowledge that will be able to verify its accuracy.

In 1995 the East Coast versus West Coast rap feud started to heat up. It heated up at the Source Awards when Suge Knight took a very thinly veiled dig at Puff Daddy, and was later accelerated when Snoop Dogg (at the :42 mark) sounded off about the he East Coast aint got no love for Snoop Dogg





I saw an interview with Snoop a few years ago where he explained his diatribe. He said that as a West Coast rapper, he always held the East Coast rappers in reverential esteem- rap was invented on the East coast, and they dominated the rap scene for years until NWA came onto the scene on the West Coast. Snoop said that as a burgeoning rapper in a relatively newer rap market, he strove to impress the rap pioneers and their successors- any time an East Coast rapper came out west, they were always shown plenty of respect and appreciation for coming out, but the inverse was not true. When Snoop and others went out East, they were not afforded the same respect and were treated with relative derision. This lack of respect hurt Snoop's feelings and fueled his animosity, manifesting itself in the rant seen above. In short, Snoop felt that those on the East Coast were provincial snobs who looked down their noses at what they considered perversions of a form of entertainment they're credited with inventing.

Sound familiar? I think a lot of that is reflected in the Rachel Alexandra v. Zenyatta debate. West Coasters may feel slighted that Zenyatta isn't as gushed-over as Rachel despite an undefeated record. Fans of east coast (not capitalized since it's not part a rap feud) horse racing take great pleasure in deriding not only the "plastic" running surfaces in California, but also the small fields in so many of their races.

While the coastal feud is nothing new to horse racing, the "racing surface feud" is. I think many Zenyatta supporters (i.e. west coast horse racing fans) feel that Rachel is turning up her nose at an inferior horse, over an inferiors surface, in an inferior race (Ladies Classic v. The Classic) on an inferior coast. It isn't that Rachel's connections don't want her to run on a surface alien unto her, it's that she's being a snob. This provincial upstart has taken away the nation's collective thunder for Zenyatta, who west coasters feel is the superior race horse. Westerners may feel that the snobby old cigar-chomping, pocket-watch-toting east coast guard can't be bothered by Zenyatta- an ok horse but one that runs on a phony surface that wasn't the one THEY invented horses to race upon.

Am I a secretly hoping for the 2009 Eclipse Awards to turn into the 1995 Source Awards? No. I'm publicly hoping they do:


Rachel's connections: If you don't want your horses to be races all on a plastic surface, all in 4-horse fields, and all in front of a martini-drinking crowd that can't read a Racing Form- come to Saratoga and Belmont!

Zenyatta's connections rebuttle (while wearing the colors of Zenyatta's owner on a scarf around their necks): Y'all aint got no love for Zenyatta and Jon Shirreffs??!!! *expletive* *expletive* *expletive*






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

My Socratic Homage Regarding the Breeder's Cup

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


As many of you know, much of Plato's philosophy was written in the form of dialogue. In fact, a lot of Philisophy is written in that manor, Socrates himself never wrote anything, all we know of his philosophy is what Plato recorded in his dialogues. With that background, allow me to analogize the Breeders Cup Zenyatta/Rachel debate.

Breeder's Cup Tweeter: Rachel Alexandra's avoidance of the Breeder's Cup is clearly a sign that her handlers admit that she would be defeated by Zenyatta, and is therefor the inferior race horse.

TR Slyder: I see. And why are you convinced of this?

BCT: Well, the challege has been issued. One party has accepted and the other one has backed away. Surely that is a concession of inferiority.

TRS: I see what you mean.

BCT: Indeed, I can see of no other explanation for her avoiding such a challenge if not for fear of humiliation in defeat.

TRS: Surely. And a wise man you are. Afterall, you Tweet on behalf of the Breeder's Cup. I assume that you are confident that, in a debate between you and me about Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, you would emerge victorious.

BCT: I am confident of that, T.R., yes.

TRS: Being that your confidence is so high, I'd imagine that you feel you could defeat me in that debate regardless of circumstance- be it on an airplane, or at breakfast, or outside, or inside or on a paddle boat, standing up, sitting down, etc.

BCT: That is correct- very confident.

TRS: And being that your case for your horse is so strong, and your debate skills are so adept, surely you would have no fear or apprehension in debating me, would you?

BCT: That is absolutely correct.

TRS: Outstanding, my good friend. Well here is the thing, being that I had a late night out last night, I was groggy this morning, as can happen after late night bar crawls. When I awoke this afternoon all I had for breakfast was leftover chili, which I ate ravenously before having 3 espressos to counteract my grogginess from from my late night. If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom rather urgently.

BCT: That is rather disgusting, T.R.. But I won't stand in the way of your personal biological necessities. This discussion may continue when you are finished.

TRS: Well, Breeder's Cup Tweeter, it is funny that you mention that. I think that I am ready to have this Rachel Alexandra v. Zenyatta debate once and for all.

BCT: Oh you are? Surely, you know it's a debate you cannot win.

TRS: A worthy advesary you are indeed. I am nearly ready for the debate now in fact, however I must use the restroom this instant. Please meet in there in exactly 75 seconds and we can then begin our debate over which is the better race horse.

BCT: Um, TR... I really rather would not. That sounds a rather crude venue for any competition. Debating was not intended to be carried out in a restroom, afterall.

TRS: What do you mean?

BCT: Well, I hardly think that is a reasonable forum to settle any kind of competition. In fact, didn't you offer to debate me there last year in October?

TRS: But you claimed your arguments were far superior to mine, and you had no fear of debating me. Yet you now express fear.

BCT: Well, I think this is different. This isn't what I had in mind.

TRS: Earlier you stated that such concession necessarily states that your point inferior, yet you profess to have the better argument. This perplexes me, Breeder's Cup Tweeter. How can both be true? Surely as a sagacious man, you can resolve this incongruity.

BCT: Well it isn't that my argument is any less cogent in your restroom, it's that I find the venue unsuitable to my liking, and given the circumstances of location and what would be going on in that venue during our debate, I find it to be more suitable to you as a debater than to me. A more fair debate can be carried out in a venue that disadvantages no one, then and only then can this argument be resolved. Being that this debate is so important to us both, you should not be allowed to pick a venue that favors you, yet repulses me and any debating purist. The suggestion of that venue is disgusting to anyone who respects debating. And you have suggested it two years in a row now, T.R.!

TRS: Ah, yes. All that have you just said is indeed correct and we agree most happily. Now you know what Rachel Alexandra thinks of Santa Anita's Synthetic surface, my dear friend.




See also: The Breeder's Cup Tweet that inspired this post

Cheering for Laundry with Socrates and Ron Santo






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Advice on how to Decrease Already Dwindling Revenue By Alienating Fans: Breeders Cup Twitter Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I follow two less people on Twitter now than when I woke up.

I follow a lot of horse racing Tweeters. One of them was a west coast handicapper whose Twitter ID is Pick4andWin. Today he posted the following Tweet aimed at owner of Rachel Alexandra, Jess Jackson:

Jess Jackson why don't you bring your superbowl horse to play on the artificial turf? A "NO-SHOW" in the B/C should be considered a forfeit

I don't blame a west coaster for feeling slighted that the best horse trainer doesn't want to run on their fake surface, especially after that fake surface swallowed up Horse of the Year Curlin last year. I disagreed, but didn't think much of it- he's entitled to his opinion.

Then I got a tweet from BreedersCup, which I can only assume is the official Twitter feed of the Breeder's Cup- it certainly looks convincing, and their tweets up until this point have all seemed in line with what I'd expect from their official Twitter mouthpiece. Until 3 hours ago. The (I assume) Official Breeder's Cup Twitter page re-tweeted the Pick4andWin tweet.

RT @pick4andwin Jess Jackson why don't u bring your SuperBowl horse to play on artificial turf? A "NO-SHOW" in BC shld be considered forfeit

For non-Twitter people, the "RT" means "Re-Tweet" which is like forwarding an email, and in essence is saying, "I echo this sentiment", or "Couldn't have said it better myself". So the (alleged) official Breeder's Cup Twitter page is now "callling out" Rachel Alexandra? For what? Being the best thing for this sport in several years?

Previously, I blogged about the inexcusable stupidity shown by the horse racing Powers that Be (very stupid) for scheduling TWO consecutive Breeder's Cups at a track with a synthetic main track- despite a reduced betting handle last year, and several disappointing performances by traditional dirt horses. I also defended Rachel's decision to sit out the Breeder's Cup on a surface that is alien not only to her, but to common sense as well.

Kudos to the head of the Moronic Department at the Breeder's Cup Twitter office for a job done all too well. Instead of drumming up enthusiasm and keeping your few followers (currently they are following 1,347 people and being followed by an anemic 1,383), you decided to draw a line in the sand and act provincial and tough. Simmer down there, tough guys- you're trying to attract the biggest number of fans you can, not draw sides. How about doing your job and being more PT Barnum and less Don King? This is horse racing, not West Coast versus East Coast rap feuds.

When the new kid in town hosts a party and invites everyone, and the popular kids sit the party out- who is the loser?



See my Socrates-inspired Follow up here.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

I Basically Got Plagiarized by the LA Times

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


I thought I was the only one who ever dreamt of seeing Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra racing against eachother. Either I am not, or I was plagiarized. I'm going with the latter.

It's a good article though, not just because it plagiarized a good article or 3 by me, it's good on its own merits.

The article came out today in time for Zenyatta's race in the Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar. Thank god it won't be televised nationally, enough with seeing all of those 11-for-11 horses already.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

A Cutesy Story

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I won't get mad at you if you don't click this link and read the story, but if you need a pick-me-up or are skeptical about why I like horse racing, then check it out.

I'll ruin the story for you anyway- a little girl got to pet Rachel Alexandra while Rachel was in her stall at Saratoga. That's pretty much it.

That's what's neat about horse racing. Human athletes can rebuff kids for autographs, or get arrested with a DUI, say something stupid in the media, or hold out for money and leave your town and break your kid's heart. But when your kid likes a horse, they get to pet its nose and maybe even feed a carrot or peppermint before it goes to sleep on it's pile of hay.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Some Context for Rachel Alexandra's 116 Beyer Speed Figure

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter




I'll try to put the 116 in context a little. First, it's the fastest Beyer Speed Figure of the year so far. Second, Big Brown's highest career Beyer was 109. I pulled out the lifetime past performances for every Kentucky Derby winner since 1992 (Lil E. Tee) and checked out their Beyers- so every race by every Derby winner in the last 17 years. Of all of those races, only three horses have earned BSF's of 116 or higher (the 1992 winner, Lil E. Tee ran a 116 Beyer in the 1993 Razorback Handicap, 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm ran a 118 in the '97 Preakness, a 123 in the '98 Kentucky Cup Classic and a 118 in the '99 Santa Anita Handicap, Monarchos won the 2001 Derby with a Beyer of 116, and 2004 Derby winner Smarty Jones won the Preakness that year with a 118 BSF. That's the entire list- 4 horses, 6 times total.

I was looking over some other Past Performances I had laying around and came across the PP's of the 2006 Breeder's Cup Classic. That race featured notables such as, Bernardini, Brother Derek, Flower Alley, George Washington, Discreet Cat (he scratched from the race, but his PPs are still here), Lawyer Ron, Perfect Drift, Suave, Sun King, Perfect Drift and eventual winner, Invasor. That's a nice group. Here is how they fared in a similar evaluation (based on their career PP's up until the Classic)

Bernardini- 117 in the 2006 Jockey Club Gold Cup, and a 116 in the Travers that year.
Brother Derek- Career high of 108
Discreet Cat- Career high of 115 (at that point)
Flower Alley- Career high 112
Lawyer Ron- Career high 105
George Washington- raced in Europe where they don't use BSFs. But received a timeform rating of a 132 and one of a 129, which translate to right around the 116s BSF mark. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Perfect Drift- 117 in the 2003 Stephen Foster
Invasor- career high 113
Lava Man- 120 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup

The 2008 Whitney Handicap featured exactly one horse who has ran a 116+. Commentator had topped that figure 3 times up to that point. The career Beyer high for the field in the Travers of that year was 106 (Harlem Rocker). None of the horses in the 2008 Arlington Million have come close to a 116.

Oh these are all male horses by the way. None of the horses listed has been female. To mix in some gender-based perspective: the high BSF for the (female) horses in the 2006 Breeder's Cup Distaff was Fleet Indian's 112. No other filly or mare had topped 105, and the highest BSF for a horse in the 2008 Beverly D. (also a race for fillies and mares) was 108.

Female horses just do not run 116's.






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra got a 116 Beyer Speed Figure for her Haskeel Effort

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


That is HUUUUUUGE. My first instinct was to call that figure "outlandish", or, "ridiculous" but I didn't want to convey that I don't believe in those figures' credibility. I believe in them. And I was expecting a a big figure, but closer to low 110's. I guess therein lies why I feel that Rachel Alexandra really demands me celebrating her, I've never said thought this about another horse before- Rachel Alexandra shocks me every single time I have seen her run.

I don't get called stupid very often, I'm rarely shocked, and I am very familar with the adage, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.". But I am happy to be shocked and shamed by her (does that make me a masochist?).

The list of other horse that have almost kinda nearly shocked me more than twice? Ummm. Off the top of my head? Ummm. Ghostzapper and Smarty Jones shocked me about twice each,but then retired. Other horses have shocked me twice, but for the sake of brevity their names were excluded. But Goddamn, my hat, shirt, pants and underwear is off to Rachel Alexandra. She is the best.












I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra Humiliates the Boys in the Haskell Invitational on Sunday

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

She is unbelievable. ESPN was derelict in not showing this race, but that is beside the point. I digreezy. The point is Rachel Alexandra is ludicrously awesome. You can watch the race (via YouTube) below. Over a sloppy Monmouth Park surface, she beat Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and Multiple Stakes winner Munnings in a time that was 2/5ths of a second off the course record. Not too shabby for a filly over a sloppy track.




Her connections still have no plans to run her in the Breeder's Cup, and I am still not blaming them.

Rachel is better at being a successful female racehorse than I am. And I have to live with that. Every day of my life.





I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra to Skip the Breeder's Cup

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

The news is disappointing but I applaud her connections for skipping it. The Breeder's Cup shouldn't be held over a synthetic track in the first place, and this just reinforces that. It would be a shame for Rachel to run over a foreign surface and underachieve- it would tarnish her record (justifiably or not), and would alienate fans who dislike betting on races run over synthetic surfaces.

Of course it is possible that she would run over the surface and win. Sadly though, Rachel has too much to lose in a possible showdown with Zenyatta, and cannot risk it over a surface she has never tried. That would be like asking Usain Bolt to run an olympic race over a gravel surface- he would maybe consider it if he were less successful or if the stakes were not quite as high- but why should such an accomplished runner be forced to alter their style to conform to anyone else's?

In a related story- you'll be shocked to know that the Breeder's Cup has been stricken by financial trouble. Huh. Who could have predicted that?

It's almost like if the Super Bowl were played on sand instead of a football field. Imagine the shock you'd feel when you read reports that less people were interested in watching the game, and far less were interested in betting on the game. It would just be a huge shock because it's such an outstanding idea- messing with tradition.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra's Next Race Will Be The Haskell

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Rachel's is pointed to the August 2nd Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, where she will again race against the boys. The race is run at a 1 mile and an 1/8th.

The other horses that are being pointed toward the Haskell include Papa Clem, Summer Bird, Atomic Rain and Munnings. We know what Summer Bird can do at a 1.5 miles, but I'm sure that 1 mile and 1/8th will flatter his talents. Munnings is the same, but the opposite, so to speak. His success has come via sprint races, where the Daily Racing Form's Mike Watchmaker currently has him listed on his Watchmaker Watch as the 2nd best sprinter in the country. His best distance appears to be 7 furlongs (where he has posted Beyer Speed Figures of 108, 110 and 111 in consecutive races since May 1st, which are similar to Rachel's Beyers at 1 mile and 1/8th.) , and the Haskell will be at 9f. So he has the talent to stay with Rachel, it's just a question of if his talent can be stretched out over 9 furlongs.

Should be a doozie.

YouTube Results

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Here is Rachel Alexandra kicking rear in today's 2009 Mother Goose Stakes. I went with "kicking rear" I could have went with any or all of the following: obliterating the competition, romping, blowing away the field, humiliating the other two horses, looking like a missle with a jockey on its back, giving anyone with a pulse goosebumps, inspiring ME to be a better female racehorse despite me being neither female nor a racehorse, etc.



Zenyatta's race isn't available yet. Here it is. This is what I like to call, "a strong late kick". She coulda won by more but chose not to. Kinda like in "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster", when they say, "real gangsta ass 'n-words' don't flex much, cuz real gangsta ass 'n-words' know they got 'em." Also keep in mind that Zenyatta was spotting the field betwixt 13 and18 lb.s, which is darn-near unheard of.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta Both Won

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

I'll post the YouTube replays of both when they are available.

This article from DRF.com was encouraging.

(This article is also worth reading. It asserts that Rachel is ducking Zenyatta)

I copied and pasted the article below.



Headlines | Posted 6/27/2009, 5:47 pm

Moss wants Zenyatta to face Rachel

By David Grening

ELMONT, N.Y. - Don't rule out a Zenyatta-Rachel Alexandra showdown this year just yet.

Saturday morning, in an interview on the "Down the Stretch" radio show on Sirius XM radio, Jerry Moss, the owner of Zenyatta, said "there's a good chance" Zenyatta would leave Southern California to race this year and that he "would very much like" to see his mare face Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra.

Moss said no decision on Zenyatta's schedule would be made until after trainer John Shirreffs assesses how the mare comes out of Saturday's Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Zenyatta scored her 11th victory in as many career starts in the Vanity. Rachel Alexandra posted her seventh straight victory with a romp in Saturday's Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont Park.

"Obviously, we take it race to race," Moss said. "[Shirreffs] is going to need a week to see how she's come through this . . . then maybe we'll say something about where our next start will be, and it could be out of the state for certain."

Last Wednesday, in a conference call to preview the Mother Goose, Jess Jackson, the owner of Rachel Alexandra, said his filly would not race in this November's Breeders' Cup because it was being run over Santa Anita's synthetic surface. With the belief that Zenyatta would not leave Southern California to race this year, that appeared to put an end to any possible meeting this year.

But Moss's comments opened the door.

"If the two horses are ready and at the top of their form, I would very much like to see a race between the two of them," Moss said.

There are a number of potential places for them to meet. There is the $1 million Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 19; the $300,000 Go for Wand at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 2; or the $400,000 Personal Ensign at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 29.

Moss added that he shares Jackson's negative view of synthetic racetracks.

"It's just that I'm a Californian, I moved out here from New York a long, long time ago," he said. "I like the people. This is where I live. This is where I race mostly."

Moss suggested that one reason he would consider shipping Zenyatta out of the state is to help make her Horse of the Year. She finished second to Curlin for that award last year.

"We want to win that this year if it's possible," Moss said. "The horses have got to perform, every step has got to be the right one.

"We hope both horses do well throughout the year and we can meet somewhere."

Update: This is really an update by I didn't want to make a new posting for something so small. I just noticed ESPN.com's horse racing page. I've been more of a drf.com and thebloodhorse.com kinda guy. I'm going to add ESPN's page to my list of links in the margin.

Urine Luck: I'm Writing About Horse Racing Again

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Saturday will feature some great horses, namely two I love talking about: Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. They will, however, be racing in separate races, much like they will be doing on Breeders Cup Day. Under different circumstances I would accuse Rachel Alexandra of dodging Zenyatta, but because the Breeders Cup will be run at Santa Anita over a synthetic race surface- which is Zenyatta's preferred surface, I don't blame Rachel's connections. With Rachel being a dirt horse, racing Zenyatta on her home track on her favorite surface wouldn't constitute a fair fight. Such a clash of the mare titans deserves a fair fight- and the unfortunate location of the 2009 Breeders Cup will be unable to deliver such a fight. It's unfortunate, but understandable.

Speaking of understandable, the 11 people who didn't understand why jockey Calvin Borel chose to ride Rachel in the Preakness, over Derby winner Mine That Bird, should understand today. Rachel is racing in a $300k race, while Mine That Bird will not be racing. She is installed as the 1-5 favorite in Belmont Park's Grade 1 Mother Goose (1 mile and an eighth) against 4 other, lesser foes.

13 minutes after the Mother Goose's post time, the undefeated Zenyatta will take on seven other horses in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park (1 mile and an eighth). She is also the 1-5 morning-line favorite. I usually don't pay much attention to the weights that a horse will carry, but this race wouldn't allow me to ignore it.

You noticed how Zenyatta's race is called the Vanity Handicap. Not the Vanity Derby, or Vanity Stakes. The "Handicap" part is similar to a handicap golf tournament, but instead of using strokes to even the playing field, they use weight. The theory being that, they can even the field by making the better horses heavier and the less-seasoned horses lighter. Usually what that means is the big favorite carries 3 or 4 more pounds more than the rest, and the rest of the field varies by like 2 or 3 pounds.

Saturday's Vanity, however, is unlike any handicap I can recall. Zenyatta will be carrying 129 pounds (that's the weight of the jockey, saddle and added weight in the form of lead bars for the sake of adding weight). The next highest horse will carry 116, with the others carrying betwixt 111 and 114. I've never seen that much disparity before. I also cannot recall another horse carrying 129 pounds before- male or female, and Zenyatta is a female.

You can expect to see the races on this blog tomorrow once they're on YouTube. Prepare to be impressed again. I just hope these horses can somehow find a way to race one another over a neutral surface. For me that would be a dream match up. Much like some people dream of seeing a Cubs vs. White Sox world series, or a Kobe vs. Lebron/Shaq NBA Finals or Duke vs. North Carolina NCAA men's basketball finals, Zenyatta and Rachel head-to-head is my single biggest, currently possible sports fantasy.

UPDATE: Two horses in the Mother Goose scratched this morning. Rachel Alexandra will now be racing against only two other horses. Finally a trifecta I can hit! The most surprising thing about the 3-horse field is that its in New York and not California.

Update #2: This is a great, brief write up about Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra and how it's unfortunate that they won't be facing eachother anytime soon.

*Sigh* My Derby Recap

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com


I got humiliated. I admit it. At least my misery has a ton of company on this one.

While I have noticed an inverse proportion between how much you follow horse racing and how much you enjoyed this Derby, I can't really call this Derby a fluke.

It's a fluke in that there was ABSOLUTELY no way one could have bet on this horse, and was impossible to see coming. But it was not a fluke in how it won. That may sound obvious, but horseplayers know what I mean. There wasn't a pace meltdown, the top 5 horses didn't all get boxed in or interfered with, there wasn't a horse that ran into tons of traffic early on but was running the faster at the end, but just ran out of room, etc. What I don't enjoy admitting is that Mine that Bird was the only horse running at the end. No one ran remotely as well as he did, and no other horse has an excuse. Sure the sloppy track conditions were a hinderance, but every horse was hidered equally, and a horse like Friesan Fire would have preferred the slop.

A few other things worth noting: Mine that Bird covered the mile and a quarter in 2:02:4/5 (two minutes, 2 seconds and 4/5ths), for which he received a Beyer Speed Figure of 105. In 2004 Smarty Jones, regarded as a borderline superhorse won the Derby over a sloppy track in 2:04 and received a Beyer of 107. 1994 was the next-most-recent Derby over a sloppy track, it was won by Go For Gin in 2:03:3/5, for which he received a Beyer of 112. In order for Mine that Bird to be assessed a Beyer of 105 indicates that the track was running faster on Saturday, than it was for the 2004, and 1994 Derbies, but the raw time itself lends credibility to the Bird's performance.

Taking away from Mine That Bird's glory is that Rachel Alexandra's Kentuck Oaks race the day before was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 108. This Steven Crist Blog article compares the two very nicely. Comparisons like this have several horseplayers lining up to point out that Rachel Alexandra should have raced against the boys in the Derby, and she surely would have won if she had. The brilliance of Rachel Alexandra shouldn't cast a shadow over MTB's performance, nor is she obligated to race against boys, but the discussion of "What if Rachel Alexandra ran in the '09 Derby" will probably remain a footnote in Derby lore for years to come.

Plenty of race fans are admiring Calvin Borel's masterful ride, and rightfully so, but many also assert that his ride was so good that he could have won with any horse on Saturday. That's taking things much too far. Mine that Bird was the only horse running at the end. As fantastic as Borel's ride was, I don't think he is responsible for all 6 3/4 lengths that MTB won by. Unquestionably, Calvin Borel was the best jockey in the Derby, but even though I don't enjoy admitting it, he also had the best horse that day.

Rachel Alexandra Kicks Hiney

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com


The impressive filly Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks today by only 20 lengths. Had she entered the Derby (she's a chick horse and would be racing against dudes) she would have been the favorite. Instead she raced against the girls, many of whom avoided her by not entering this race, and humiliated them.

The only bad part about this race is that Churchill Down's new announcer is annoying and sounds like CNN's aptonym, Richard Quest.