Mega Happy

I had thought I could only dream of such a thing...but thanks to some awesome parents, I AM GOING TO THE BREEDER'S CUP!
Needless to say, I am a wee bit excited! Not only do I get to see the best of the best competing all in one day, have a chance to see some very famous jockeys both retired and in the irons, but I get to see Zenyatta's last race. Bittersweet indeed but I am glad that I can say I actually saw her! Makes me want her to win that much more! (Even though the ticket that I will get for her will not be cashed in).

But yay! I can't wait for it! Going to be a super day!

Can't wait to share pictures that I don't have to provide citations for! =D
(Unlike the Breeder's Cup Logo used: http://www.colonialdowns.com/grandslam/breederscup.php)

Gio Ponti Does His Thing

I don't know about you guys, but these horses that prefer to have a late charge are starting to give me health issues! Even though this is personally my favorite thing to watch in races (along with, of course, a horse leading by a lot then winning by even more all the way around) it is seriously terrifying when the horse you are rooting for is making that late charge! Oi!

That being said, Gio Ponti did his thing again this weekend and easily won the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keenland park. He put in a performance I would definitely want to see my horse do before the Breeder's Cup races. Gio Ponti looked pretty easy going throughout the race and held off a group of fellow late runners.

With this brilliant run under his belt, Gio Ponti is headed for Churchill to take on the the other potential champions in the Breeder's Cup. However, it is still undecided whether he will run in the Turf Mile against super European Mare Goldikova, or in the Classic against a rather strong dirt field and of course Zenyatta. Interesting choices, I'm sure they have their reasons for debating that choice.

Congrats Gio Ponti! Continue to run strong and healthy!(Pic from: http://www.vtablog.org/ and go them from:http://www.flickr.com/photos/easygoer/3710359307/#/photos/easygoer/3710358847/lightbox/)

She Gone and Done It Again!

Wow Wow Wow! Zenyatta is still undefeated! Simply amazing! Although, I wish she wouldn't scare us like that!

For those of you who watched, didn't you worry for a little bit that maybe Switch had her? Ack! But I should not lack confidence in this mare! She always gets the job done! I loved it when Jerry asked Mike as he passed whether Mike felt he had that race, and Mike just grinned and nodded with enthusiasm! What an amazing team!

Also, Wow! Look a that little filly! Switch is going to be something to watch! Now having taken down Blind Luck and giving Zenyatta a wonderful show of heart and grit, she will surely make a ruckus at the Breeder's Cup! Good luck to you Switch!

As for the Breeder's Cup...Good luck in the Classic Zenyatta! I have absolutely NO doubts that she can win this race! But if it is true that she has never given a full 100%, I think she is going to need to give it that day. It's going to be a tough field after a long travel on the dirt. But again, I don't think it's out of her reach in the slightest!

As my poll shows, I think Zenyatta should and will be Horse of the Year regardless. And I don't want to hear it from haters about how you can't be Horse of the Year just by beating a bunch of mares and 'weak' horses on synthetics. She is beating the best that is out there right now. What was the number they said yesterday? 60 some horses have been beaten by Zenyatta at least once? That's quite a few. If she could just add a few more to her list, she's got HOY locked in, but I think she should anyway.

Well Zenyatta, make this next race bittersweet! Bitter because it will be your last, but oh so sweet because you wipe the dirt with those boys! Good luck! Hope she forever stays healthy and strong!

(http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/12/zenyatta-rachel-alexandra-serena-williams.html)

Real Quiet

1998 Three year-old Champion and closest almost winner of the Triple Crown, Real Quiet, passed this previous Monday after a fall in his paddock.

Winner of 6 races. Five of which included the Hollywood Futurity in '97, The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in '98 (losing the Belmont by barely a nose) and the Hollywood Gold Cup and Pimlico Special in '99.

He was an amazing horse and good stallion.

RIP Real Quiet, the racing world will miss your power.

(Picture from the picture tribute of this amazing horse: http://community.tvg.com/t5/The-Grandstand/real-quiet-picture-tribute/td-p/111039)

Oh Dear, Rachel's Retired

Well, it happened. Reining horse of the year Rachel Alexandra has been retired.
That's the bad news. The GOOD news is it wasn't injury related. When I saw the head line...I was "Oh dear, what happened to the poor gal?" But luckily (as lucky as one can get when retired) she's still as healthy as ever. Her racing form, however, simply never returned to the bang up filly she was last year.For the record, I don't like her trainer...I don't think he quite knows how to keep horses in their prime, because once he gets them it seems that they drop from fame fast. But, I'm sure he knows more than me on the subject! It's just something to chew over. At least he was patient with her and gave her the chance to be the best she could be!

So now Rachel leaves the track to a "less stressful" life of breeding (other than the pregnancy, birthing, and pain the the a** colts, it's pretty easy =P ) and her first match.....*drum roll* Two time HOY Curlin. Yea, that's right. I don't know about you, but I think this could be an interesting match. I hope all goes well with RA and her colts will forever make a ruckus on the tracks!

Cheers Rachel Alexandra, if nothing else, you gave us a few amazing performances to remember!

(Thank you Google for having a good collection and these sites for having good pictures)

In order of their appearance:
http://www.racingpost.com/
http://rachelalexandrafan.blogspot.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/
http://www.nj.com/sports/
http://rachelalexandrafan.com/

Races Worth a Million!

WOW! That was an incredible race! Just when you thought Gio Ponti had it won, here comes little Debussy on the rail, with his jock pulling a "Calvin Borel" as the announcer called it by flying up the rail!
Gio Ponti and his jockey ran a great race! Coming in a close second, and even though he thought he had it won, the jockey kept urging Gio Ponti on. However, Debussy just "sprouted wings" and ran down the turf champion! I was super excited, because, although I like Gio Ponti (and General Quarters who was regretably way out of the money) I randomly picked Debussy before the post parade because I thought he was pretty and it was odd he wasn't being ponied. (And if you watched after the race, he was trying to bite that his pony horse the entire way back the winner's circle!) When I saw a horse come flying up the rail, I was "come on Gio Ponti! Hold it!" then I saw it was my colt and was "COME ON!!!! CATCH HIM!!! GO BABY GO!!" Funny how things change!

Simply amazing!

Paddy O'Prado was 1st in the Secretariat Stakes, Dean's Kitten coming in 5th.
Eclair de Lune was the winner of the Beverly D. there as well.
Elsewhere at Saratoga, Blind Luck took the win against Devil May Care! Wow! Congrats! If betting I would have been safe here too! Seeing as I would have placed both to win! So, lost one won one! But wow that was a neat race! Blind Luck came zoomin from behind to get into a stretch battle with Harve De Grace. Amazing!


And just an odd tidbit, Debussy the person was a composer of a song called Clair de Lune. Neat!

Congrats to all the winning connections! I hope all the horses come back healthy!

Synthetics Are Out

Santa Anita announced that the track will no longer be synthetic as of the first week of December. After encountering problems with rocks from the base making their way to the surface of the rack, as well as facing endless drainage problems, the dirt surface will be making a comeback.

I'm sure many people are going to be happy about this switch, and hopefully "PolyZen" as some people call the mighty mare, will be just as formidable on her home track after the change.

If the maintenance of these synthetic surfaces is as hard as they seem to be, perhaps this change is for the better. I know the jockeys have had issues with these new surfaces, saying they don't provide the "bounce" that a dirt track does, meaning, if the jockey falls off it's like hitting cement. So, for track maintenance workers as well as the jockeys, this is a good change. Hopefully, the horses will continue to run well on dirt and the number of breakdowns will stay down.
For more details on the track change, check out: Santa Anita Track to go to Dirt

Zenyatta yatta yatta

She went and did it again! Super Mare Zenyatta won her 18th race Saturday in the Hirsch Stakes. In her same attitude she started picking off horses around the last turn and pulled away in the stretch, holding off a desperate and impressive chase by Rinterval, who would lose by a head. I love watching this mare go. The track announcer makes comments about how easily she loads into the gate, how wonderfully she breaks, the easy pace she runs at, and ears...that's mare never runs with her ears back! I am beyond happy that they continued her career, it is obvious this girl just loves to run!
I do not care what anyone else thinks (primarily commenters on ESPN's online coverage), this mare can be and is a Champion! No matter the surface she runs on or the horses she beats. I don't care what happens in Churchill this fall, if she loses, she loses, but you cannot tell me that revokes her power in her previous 18 races! But whatever, I think she has the potential to win the BC Classic this year. She can handle the distance, I do believe she has handled dirt a few times, and she can and has handled top males. Yes, this one will be difficult for her! She has to beat Quality Road, Lookin At Lucky, and hopefully Rachel Alexandra! That is one heck of a field! She will have to work for it, but I think it is possible!

Other news this weekend, the arguable best older colt, Quality Road, lost out to Blame this weekend in the Whitney Handicap. With this win, Blame automatically secured a spot in the Breeder's Cup Classic through the win and your in program. Blame put on one heck of a performance, with a strong late charge. It was really impressive. In that same race my favorite racing gelding, Mine That Bird, came in fifth...out of six...still love you dude!
Concord Point was also the victor in Saturday's West Virginian Derby. After having some gate issues, he broke well and took the lead early. After that, the grey simply never let it go! Another awesome race!
Congrats to all the winning connections this weekend! It was a weekend full of big races and bigger racers! Hope all the horses come up healthy and work clean to their next start!

Fantastic Fillies!

Congrats to a couple of incredible girls for two first places victories today!

Devil May Care pulled off a GI victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga and won by a respectable 4 lengths. This is her second GI win (the other being the Mother Goose) since the Derby, showing the world she still has what it takes to be one heck of a filly!
And the other win of the weekend goes to Super Filly Rachel Alexandra. She took down the crowd at Monmouth Park in the Lady's Secret Stakes. After stalking Queen Marth throughout the race, Rachel took to the lead to win by 3 lengths.
Love these ladies! Continue to stick it to 'em girls!

Fun Racing in the Sun!

Ok, again I want to say how much I LOVESS Equibase's Virtual Stable! Because of their service, I was aware that Dean's Kitten (a Derby pick of mine) and General Quarters were running at Arlington Park on the 17th......so...after some begging for rides...I GOT TO GO!

It has been way way way too long since I've seen racing at the actual track, and boy was it fun! (Even if it did get into the upper 90s). The TV simply does NOT do the speed of those magnificent animals speed! I loved it!
Most of my day was running back and forth from paddock to trackside getting pictures! It was so much fun, despite the massive draining affect it had.
And Goodness! General Quarters! Can there be a prettier grey out there? Wow, he is simply stunning in the flesh! I was way too excited to see him walk past me, a mere few feet away. AWESOME!!



Dean's Kitten is a pretty boy! He ran well too! He ended up getting 4th in his race, after actually getting 3rd but being DQ'd to 4th after running into another horse in the stretch, due to a left handed whip. Oh well...He was still pretty!

My handicapping, well that needs some work. >.< All the horses I bet on were out of the money (or DQ'd...Dean's Kitten, sadness) The last race we saw I didn't bet, but picked a horse just for fun...and well, of course that horse won. -_-'

Mam Bird (The horse that I should have bet on)

Anyway...it was totally amazing to see horses I actually knew. It was beyond exciting!!

Plonk's Got a Point

So, in case you don't know, I read a lot of ESPN horse articles, and Jeremy Plonk is definitely one of my favorite journalist.

His latest article "All the Ducks are in Line" outlines the ideas behind what could revive the horse racing industry for the public. Many people say "you need a superstar horse" but Plonk argues, how many more do you need?

We have a lot of strong horses out there right now, making this years Breeder's Cup Classic a must see race this year. But Plonk argues that the public is still not that interested. Everything is there, good horses, good people, and even a (hopefully) good movie coming. So if it doesn't happen now, what will it take? Much more than a good horse probably.

It's a really good article. Totally worth the read, check it out!

And also, Mine That Bird is making his debut this Sunday in the Firecracker at Churchill! Go Baby Go!

Silly Video Games

All right, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone, but I am a frequent player of horse racing games. Of course you go through some of these games and go, "Hey! That looks like...(some horse)" but of course, the do simply look like the real thing. In fact, these games come with a disclaimer:

Any resemblance to any human or animal, living or dead, is simply coincidental and unintentional.

Or something like that. You get the picture, they don't mean to have the horses be another horse. (Except in the NTRA published game, in which point you can race the legend, it's fun and an exception) But general game play horses are not meant to be anything but fictional.

However, I am currently playing GI Jockey 3...and they are doing a bad job of hiding these real life horse replicas. For example...so far I have come across:

Pint Given
Lemon Syrup Kid
Peripheral Ensign
Azel
The Min Man
Winning Honors
Street Ply
Go For Band
Sunday Science
DC Indy
Easy Grower

These horses are the same coat color, gender, and run under the same colors they did on the track. Yea, totally a coincidence. I'm just hoping I come across a super awesome bay named Cigarette or maybe a chestnut named Man O' Peace....War Sergeant vs SeaMuffin?

Don't get me wrong, I totally love this game! I just find it really find it funny that this is supposed to be merely a coincidence and totally unintentional. If you play this game, let me know what other horses are out there!

Nicanor!

First off, I am totally happy I finally got around to creating a virtual stable on Equibase! Updates on all my favorites e-mailed to me, such as Mine That Bird breezing 5 furlongs in 55 seconds at Churchill. Heck yea, run little dude.

But on another note, it has also allowed me to track Barbaro's littler brothers. Nicanor especially has been left out of much media attention due to his lack of a Derby bid, but I am glad to report that the little guy won one today at Delaware Park. Awesome Awesome!

Congrats Nicanor! Keep it going!

(Pic from the Blog CatsWorking)

Love These Girls!

What a weekend!

Just wanted to send my congrats to Rachel Alexandra for making one hell of a comeback! We knew you would make it back to the top! And also to Zenyatta! Way to be girl! Congrats on yet another win and a record at that!

Keep it up girls! Show the nation what you got!

Belmont 142

And yet again, I am thinking wow! I do like it when a horse wins that got little attention from the press. I thought that stretch run was pretty fierce! But Drosselmeyer showed the most heart and determination and crossed the wire first!

Congrats to Drosslmeyer and double congrats to Mike Smith (I really do like him) and Bill Mott for their first Belmont wins!! And to WinStar Farm, winning two of the three Triple Crown Races. This Triple Crown season was filled with a lot of first, and wow it was fun!

And more good news, this is the first gem that I actually had a horse finish in the money!! Thanks to First Dude, I actually came away feeling almost ok about my handicapping skills. And for the record, I was also rooting for Game On Dude (Love Baffert and I Love geldings) as well as Stay Put (Like the name) who finished 4th and 6th respectively. Sorry Ice Box! Waiting to see what they think happened there, hope you're ok.

What fun! I hope all the horses come up healthy! Can;t wait to see what these colts will do for us in the future!

Changing the Triple Crown...Should They?

Should they change the format of the Triple Crown? People have been asking this for years, as after each season we go longer and longer without seeing a triple victory. So what to do?

Many people feel that with modern day race horses, it is simply not right to ask them to run that many races in that short of a time frame. And they make a point. Most of these modern-day, top level racehorses touch the track once every month or so, if you really have something special, you may be able to pop out a monthly race. But with so much invested in breeding, and the scary relaity that horses break down frequently, people run them less. And I feel it is true, these horses are not made the same as the older ones especially since we entered the new milenia. It's all about speed, so the horses require more time to recover after a race than their ancestors. What should be changed, if anything?

People argue to change the distance of the races...personally...erm why? That would definitely be changing too much, and I don't think the distances are THAT varying to affect a great horse.Yes, the Belmont is the longest race these horses may ever run, but it's the Triple Crown! Something has to distinguish greatness.

The other aspect of the Crown people are considering...is the time in between races. Again, seeing as theses horses don't run as often as the greats of the past, should be give them a Triple Crown series which is more realistic for the times? I will admit, if they are going to make a change, this is the one they should make. Perhaps we would get a more constant field, and a larger fan base around the horses, which would be great! It would make more of the top horses come to the tracks more frequently, Great! The best three-year olds would face off more often, Great!! Who knows, if the Crown was ran say, one race a month, perhaps Rachel (or less likely but more amazingly, Mine That Bird, sorry I love him) would have won it! Wouldn't that have been amazing? However, I can't lie, I would go completely crazy whenever they say "so and so won the Triple Crown," because they won the modified Triple Crown. Now, if they could bite their tongue and at the very least, not compare a modified Triple Crown to the current method, I would be ok. But comparing a modified Triple Crown winner to a traditional Triple Crown winner, would just be irritating.

I know people are really talking about making changes this year because this is the first time in a long time, that neither the Derby winner nor the Preakness winner are taking part in the Belmont. But...I don't think that is a huge deal, not this year. I remember very clearly they announcers talking rather lowly of the crop of three year-olds that showed up to the Derby. They were unhappy with the horses in the DERBY! Why would they think they field would be any better in the Belmont?

Personally, I don't think all hope is lost when it comes to a modern day colt winning the current Triple Crown grind. Since just 2000, two horses have shown, that if their Derby trip had gone better, they would have won the Triple. Point Given and Afleet Alex lost the Derby, but came back to win both the Preakness and Belmont. Not to mention Point Given's daddy, Thunder Gulch, who won the Derby and came back to win the Belmont in '95.

So what do you think? Should they change it to accommodate the new type of racehorse? Or should we be patient and wait for that special horse that is going to blow the nation away?

ESPN's poll (with 16,000+ voters so far) currently stands at:

Changing distance=6%

Adding more time in between=25%

Changing distance and adding time=18%

Leave it alone=51%

As much as I would LOVE to see a traditional Triple Crown winner, I am, and always will be what is best for helping the industry gain interest, and of course, what is best for the horses.

(Yes, it's Rock Hard Ten, he ran in the Gems, but well...we know how that turned out. But he is a favorite of mine! That horse was a monster! Anyway, this is from HorseHats.com, is for sale, and is beautiful!)

Quality Road

Ok, so he was always in my picks when he raced, but never really for the top spot. Last I remember him, he was causing quite a fuss at the Breeder's Cup, such a fuss he was forced to scratch. But after three wins already this year, perhaps I should change my betting style!Quality Road is really starting to be a top top contender! After winning the Metropolitan this past weekend, he is right on track with the path Pletcher hopes will take him back to the Breeder's Cup. I can't wait to watch him continue his career! Stay Strong and Healthy! Best luck to you!

I Was Not Looking at Lucky

Dang. I need to take a handicapping class. Super Saver, sorry bud, I think you just lost your hole and found yourself behind a wall of horses with no where to go!

However, Congrats to Lookin' At Lucky! Glad he finally got a clean trip and could again show what a powerful colt he is!

Great race! Congrats to those who did well!

Can't wait to see what happens in the Belmont!

Pre-Preakness Jitters

I just wanted to get it out there, how much I really like the connections of Super Saver. These NBC stories are really getting to me this year. haha.

Calvin is such an awesome guy. Maybe it's just what I see, but I think he really loves his mounts and works like a dog to get the rides he does.

Pletcher, well, I've always liked him. He saddle a lot of great horses, and I think he's got another!
The owners seems like great people. Very proud of the horses they breed and run.

I don't know, I hope they win it all! But at the very least have tons of fun and great rides with this colt.

Ok, that's all! Enjoy the race!

Internet Comment on Rachel

So...maybe I am simply putting off the start of my final paper that's due tomorrow...or maybe I am actually perturbed by what I found while most definitely trying to put off starting that paper...

As I was going through ESPN's site like I usually do when procrastinating, I read a few articles in response to Rachel's efforts in the La Troienne...Obviously people are disappointed...but her trainer is relatively confident that she's not done winning quite yet. The PUBLIC on the other hand seem to think differently.

I was AMAZED by some of the anti-Rachel and anti-Rachel connection comments out there. Sure I agree with some statements of she may just not be the same horse, but I also agree with Asmussen in the fact that she is just a bigger girl now. After rewatching the La Troienne again, she has grown up a bit. Perhaps she is just adjusting to her new self, we know it takes people awhile, so why not a horse?

But there were tons of comments about how her connections are over running her. Thinking they were crazy to run her in the Preakness (I thought she ran that fairly easily), and then to run her against the males three times after that was simply absurd (but she beat them too). Many other people think she began to decline once she was sold. Many feel Asmussen is also just really good at taking excellent horses, riding the fame, and then ruining them (in which cases they site Curlin). They feel Calvin is suddenly doing a horrible job as a Jockey...holding her too long, whipping her too much, driving to her to the point the commenters feel she is going to kill herself. Is he? Is he really? Is winning the Oaks, Preakness, Woodward, and three Derbies (in four years I feel obligated to ad because I am very happy for him), and the other races with Rachel won last year really because he is a bad Jockey? Maybe this is because I am fan of this hyper and happy guy, but I think he is doing his job all right. And yes, maybe he does 'pat' his horses a little too energetically when he does well...but the horses don't seem to flick an ear or blink...I don't know....

For each of these comments there were at least ten more about how Rachel is overrated and should have been retired a long time ago. Overrated? Really? I mean yea, I still think (and always will) that Zenyatta should have been Horse of the Year, but let's say she wasn't in the running for it, who would have even come CLOSE to beating Rachel for it? She had a fantastic season! But, as the commenters would say, the horses she beat were nobodies...yea...I guess Macho Again is suddenly a nobody...of course they say he's a nobody because he beat a nobody once...so Einstein is also a nobody....? I get confused by this. I thought the crop of three year olds she beat were fairly strong. I know many people scoff at Mine That Bird (we all know by now that I love him) but seriously, being able to hold off his late charge in the Preakness was still something. And she beat most of those horses again and again, not to mention adding in the crop of ol' guys with experience...But still a lot of people feel she is a nothing horses that should be sentenced to the breeding life now.

I wish we could talk to these animals. Really ask them how they are doing, if they still want to run...I think in the La Troienne Rachel showed an immense improvement of heart down the stretch. I think she really wanted it this time, but Unrivaled Belle wanted it a little more.

Rachel, I think you are still doing fine. Although I am beginning to think more and more that a Rachel v. Zenyatta showdown will never happen, I am still rooting for you Rachel.

Stay Strong, kick some ass, drop some jaws!
Found the pic on a random flickr link google led me too...it's getting harder and harder to find pictures of her I haven't used and actually like....BUT I love this one! She has her ears up, which I have problems coming across it seems. She looks so happy and pretty, keep them ears up girl!

Super Win!

Wow wow wow! The Derby did not disappoint! Congrats to Super Saver! That was one heck of a run! Wow, just wow. Borel keeps showing that he is a dangerous contender on the rail! With Street Sense, Mine That Bird, and now Super Saver, that is three Derby wins all running up the rail. I LOVE watching that! No matter where they come from. That was a fun race, and Super Saver seemed really cool and collected afterward. Oh, and kudos to my mom for picking Super Saver!

Speaking of Borel, need to mention that he is the first jockey to win three Derbies in only four years! That is something special! He's going to be a Top Jock. (Totally off topic...how about Talamo? Twenty and had his second Derby mount! Both were serious contenders, even if they did lose or scratch).

Also...Todd Pletcher...they won't be able to spend next year constantly reminding everyone your lack of a Derby win! With twenty-seven horses saddled for the Derby, one finally pulled it off! Enjoy the win!

Last, but certainly not least, congrats to Glenn Fullerton! The man who was lucky enough to win the chance to make a $100,000 bet out of thousands of people...AND lucky enough to pick the winning horse! With Super Saver's odds, Glenn walked away with $900,000! Not bad eh?

What a great day! Congrats to all the winners and their connections (such as General Quarters, I was so happy to see him come back...and to win like that against Court Vision...whew...Loved it!)

For those of you who remember my picks...*sigh*...I was having an off day.
Devil May Care-10
Discreetly Mine-13
Dean's Kitten-14
Maybe I'll do better next year.

Super Saver, stay strong, stay healthy, and hopefully see you at the Preakness!

(Picture 1 is from ESPN's Gallery, Picture 2 is from CullenBloodstock.com)

Opposite Oaks

Wow! Congrats to Blind Luck in winning the Oaks!

In the complete opposite style of the Oaks winning run by Rachel Alexandra, Blind Luck rallied from behind to win the Kentucky Oaks by a nose!

I'm glad she won! I liked her daddy (Polard's Vision) and I like her too! Hope she continues to run strong and healthy!

Past Derbies on the ESPN Classic

For those chance readers today, I want to let you all know that ESPN Classic is showing select years of the Kentucky Derby!

I just saw Genuine Risk win her race and am getting ready to watch Alysheba win his!

Other horses to be shown:

Winning Colors

Sunday Silence

Thunder Gulch

Silver Charm

Real Quiet

Charismatic

This is super cool! If you get the chance you should watch these horses win won of America's most popular races!

ALSO! Don't forget to check out the Oaks today!

(Picture from: RailRunner.com)

The Positions are Set! Derby Day is Upon Us!

Well, it is that time of year again! Derby Day is on it's way!

I don't have much to say seeing as I have done a poor job following this crop of horses, but based on names and the pretty factor, these are my picks! (And don't harass me if I mess up...I'm going off names here! And that fact that the filly has an awesome face marking)!

Dean's Kitten

Discreetly Mine

Devil May Care

Get excited people! The Derby is awesome!

Don't forget to watch the Oaks! And for those Rachel fans, word has it that she is running in a race on Oaks day as well, and there is rematch with Zardana.

Love this weekend!!

(Picture from The Sydney Morning Herald)

Baby Pic!

I don't know how I stumbled upon this Blog, but I am happy that I did.

Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider covers a lot of different horse discipline so check it out!

I really wanted to share was a picture, from Bunnynorider's Blog, of Rachel Alexandra as a baby! She's cute as can be!

Great Win, Great Comeback, and a Great Loss

A lot has happened in the horse world. Happy and sad...

First off, a Great Win! A BIG congrats to Zenyatta! Another race, and still a perfect record! Stay strong and continue to kick it!

Secondly, a Great Comeback. Ok, so it may or may not be great...but Stardom Bound is making her way back to the track! In a previous post, it was mentioned that there was a bunch of fuss around this girl, and hopefully she'll be able to prove that she hasn't lost it!

Lastly, a Great Loss. Unfortunately for the racing world, another legend leaves us. Personal Ensign died at age 26. She was a great mare both on the track and in the pastures. After a horrific accident, she came back as a three year-old and won 13 of her 13 starts, including a Breeder's Cup win against Winning Colors. She won both Champion Older Mare and Broodmare of the Year. Her legacy will live on.

(Pictures from BloodHorse.com and personal.psu.edu)

Still Strong

Zenyatta is 15-0 after yet another grade I win in the Santa Margarita. I couldn't not say something about this race...I love watching this girl run...just love it! It was admittedly not as impressive as her usually runs as far as winning lengths...but there was a lot of traffic action down the homestretch that truly reminded me of those run on Gallop Racer you'd swear would never work in real life. How I hope this mare continues to kick total butt this season! I'm really glad they took her out of retirement, because I would miss her at the track. Congrats Zenyatta! Stay strong and healthy!

Rachel also had a decent start to her 2010 career in the New Orleans Ladies, and yes I am aware that she lost. However, 2009 horse of the year ran second, and simply looked worn out when she crossed the wire. She did give Zardana a good stretch run, but in the end Zardana's heart finally overcame the power of Rachel. I hope her connections don't completely flip over this loss. If she comes up healthy, I hope they continue to get her fit for the Apple Blossom. I don't think this will effect her in the next race, she just needed to get back on the track, and we all need to remember just how long it has been since she has raced. Rachel, you too stay strong and get fit! We want to see you continue winning too!

(And this I just found humorous, but when you Google Zenyatta, pictures of Rachel come up to...rivalry much?)

(Random racehorse silhouette from DJclassics.net They make lots of neat art, Check it out!)

Finally, a race.

Oi. I don't know where to begin.

The connections of Rachel Alexandra suddenly are very interested in racing Zenyatta...however...the Apple Blossom was too soon for Rachel to get in top form...so Rachel's connections suggested a series of three races that would 'rival the Triple Crown'. First off...really? Do you really thing it would rival the Triple Crown? Yes, they would be amazing with the potentially the top horses showing up...but there is just something special about the Triple Crown that can't be matched...Anyway, it seems like an odd request, that left many unanswered questions. (ESPN: Owner Proposes 3 race series)

Moss (co-owner of Zenyatta) was confused by Jackson's (Rachel's owner) request.

"I have no idea what he's even talking about. Which three races? And where? And when?"

But it seems all that mess has been fixed. After Jackson asked, was denied, and asked Oaklawn again, they finally caved and moved the Apple Blossom back so Rachel will show. Friday, April 9th is the Apple Blossom Showdown where these two titans will meet should all go as planned.

I know I keep going on about this...but again with the Seabiscuit, War Admiral thing...the HOY and East Coasters are making quite a few demands.


Well, that's all for now! Hope the girls stay healthy! Because this is a race I want to see!











(Image from: http://www.fredstone.com/ They have a lot of awesome racehorse paintings. Check it out!

Ok...Really Now. Deja Vu.

I have definately said it before...but just for the record...this Rachel Alexandra vs Zenyatta thing is most definately turning into a War Admiral vs Seabiscuit thing.

Despite all the points brought out in my previous blog, Modern Seabiscuit vs War Admiral, such as the whole West vs East thing, one being older, the other being a super star three year old, the one not thinking they need to prove anything by racing the other amazing horse, etc. Now Oaklawn is making an amazingly huge purse for one of their Grade I races. The purse has recently shot up to $5 million if both girls show up, otherwise it will remain at $500,000 dollars. Seriously folks, this match race is worth $4.5 million dollars! That's huge!

Hope we actually get to see this! Good luck and Good health to both you amazing mares!


Picture is from another totally awesome blog.
Summerhill Stud, Check it out!

Oh, and there Will Be a Breyer

Yup, in addition to my Congrats to Rachel being Horse of the Year, I also give my congrats to you being made into a very pretty Breyer Model! Needless to say they put her in a very awesome mold, and personally the one that suits her best. She is portrayed as running flat out as we've seen in the models for other superstar fillies, Ruffian and Rags to Riches.

I'm still hoping Breyer will recognize Zenyatta (sorry, I love her too) for being totally amazing as well. That way we can create (or potentially recreate) the Epic match race between these two outstanding fillies!

In the meantime, I cannot congratulate Rachel Alexandra enough! You earned every drop of reward you have gained! And it should go without saying, but I will be looking for mini-Rachel in stores.

Congrats Rachel

Sorry this is so long over due, but Congratulations to Rachel Alexandra for taking Horse of the Year! No one can say you didn't earn it.

Sorry Zenyatta, you were unbelievably amazing this year as well! But there has been some minor talk about you not being done yet...which is odd since I swore they had the breeding date already...But I'd rather have you back! So good luck with that! Continue to kick ass!

And as for you Rachel, we know you will come back and kick ass! So stay healthy, stay strong, and stay fast! Everyone enjoys watching that filly run and I hope to see her doing that for a few more years yet. Maybe they'll allow her to pull a Zenyatta at this year's BC Classic. I can hope right?

Congrats again to Rachel! It was an amazing year with some amazing runs! Keep it up! Your fans are forever rooting for you!

Congrats to all the other Eclipse winners! Your wins were no small feat either!

Go Baby Go.