Rachel vs. others at AllSurfaceDowns.

[KidCapper]

It's post time at AllSurfaceDowns for the 1st running of the It'llNeverHappen Stakes at 10f. Here's the field as they load..#1 Rachel..#2 Zenyatta..#3 Quality road..#4 (Harness Champ) Lucky Jim...#5 Gio Ponte...#6 MTB rounds out the field. AND THEY'REE OFFFFFF!!!!

Into the 1st turn on Dirt.. it's Quality Road opening up a big lead with Rachel stalking in 2nd..Gio Ponte in 3rd.. 7 back to Mtb and Zenyatta another 10 back to Lucky Jim. They get the half in a blistering 44 4/5 as we head to the Polytrack backstretch and the pace slows to a crawl with the field tightening up. Making a bold move into the slow pace.. Harness sensation Lucky Jim takes the lead as they get 6f in a pedestrian 1:21 4/5. its Quality Road in 2nd..Rachel 3rd..Gio Ponte 4th and MTb and Zenyatta can see them all. Entering the far Turf turn the pace quickens and Harness runner Lucky Jim fails to make the turn and breaks stride. Leaving a tiring Quality Road getting pressure from Gio Ponte and Rachel bides her time in 3rd... the rest are closing in as we get the mile in 1:43 2/5 ..Transferring to the Cushion track and down the stretch they come!!! It's Rachel on top by 2 with a fast closing Zenyatta coming down the center of the track.neck n neck..you can't shine a flashlight between em..... They hit the wire together....... to close to call....photo finish............................................ ....After a 10 minute delay....the announcement.."Ladies n gentlemen we have a photo finish...unfortunately do to the economic situation we were unable to afford film for the camera and we are unable to delcare a winner" All bets are now refunded and all horses are declared non-starters!!!!

[illinoisbred]

Too funny!

[Bochall]

Rachel won the photo dude...too bad it's the only place they will face each other. This TVG/Betfair promo of raising the Beldame purse if they both show if ridiculous. Zen ain't gonna ship cross country 1 month before the Breeders Cup to face Rachel or anyone else. If Rachel beats the guys in the Woodward and wins out the rest of the year she will be horse of the year, even if Zen wins the Ladies Classic again. Maybe Gio Ponti could take down HOY honors if he continues his streak, which must include the BC Turf. 12f may be beyond his limit though. Sadly, again, the Rachel v Zen possibilities will continue but I have seen racing in action before...and this action won't happen.

[Robert Goren]

Rachel wins because she avoids the Europeans in the breeders cup. It is not the plastic dirt they are scared of, but the European horses. The plastic dirt is just the excuse!!

[Robert Fischer]

Rachel wins because she avoids the Europeans in the breeders cup. It is not the plastic dirt they are scared of, but the European horses. The plastic dirt is just the excuse!!

Jackson is rich and has contributed a lot to the sport - he is entitled to whine about the surface beating Curlin, even if it was the premature move by Albarado and the talent of the Europeans that did him in.
Who are we to correct him?
It's just a shame that he may keep the most exciting Americain racehorse (Rachel) out to protect his pride.

[bisket]

Jackson is rich and has contributed a lot to the sport - he is entitled to whine about the surface beating Curlin, even if it was the premature move by Albarado and the talent of the Europeans that did him in.
Who are we to correct him?
It's just a shame that he may keep the most exciting Americain racehorse (Rachel) out to protect his pride.
just thought i'd let you know that after the classic the trainer of the winner was quoted in drf in an almost apologetic manner as saying "polytrack is not a good surface for a grind it out type runner like curlin" anyone who's handicapped poly knows that whoever has the fastest last two furlong time wins routes on poly. it makes races very much like european turf racing. the horses basically gallop lightly for a mile and then turn it loose. a horse who has good route speed like rachel can't hold fractions as long on poly as she can on dirt. curlin was basically a horse that could run 12's from the first furlong to the last; he wasn't gifted with that 2 furlong 22 second burst. this is what is significantly different from dirt. most of your succesful dirt horses are grind it out types or a speedster like rachel who doesn't have a significant drop off in her times past 1 mile. since the eclipse for american horses are usually tilted to the best dirt runners this is where the rub comes in because your traditional dirt horses just can't be succesful on poly. which was sold to the public as an alternative to DIRT. if poly was truelly an alternative to dirt curlin would have won the classic last year!!

[kenwoodallpromos]

Thank you Kidcapper! Great race! If Seabiscuit had kept avoiding a match race instead of finally having one I would ask you to do that one too!!

[WinterTriangle]

Kidcapper, cute post. My results for 10 F would be different. Taking a quote from another topic, I've added to it:

Goldikova received the highest Racing Post rating (130) for a filly in a decade. Even 3 points higher than Rachel Alexandra (127).

Racing Post Rating: Timeform Rating:

Sea the Stars has 134 :eek::eek:Timeform is 136



for comparison: Racing Post Rating 1st column, Timeform Rating 2nd

Curlin ? Timeform 134

Well Armed 131

Goldikova 130 Timeform is 129 (and scary to realize that last year, Zarkava *toyed* with her. Goldie is way better THIS year. :eek:

Rachel alexandra 127 Timeform is 129

Quality Road 124

JJ the Jet Plane126

Rip Van Winkle 132

Sacred Kingdom 130 (sprinter!)

Gio Ponti 123

didn't finish but you get the gist. Apparently Racing Post Ratings "are different from Timeform Ratings. Usually, they are lower by few pounds and are not comparable with Beyer Speed Figures. Racing Posts Ratings are ascertained by various factors. The significant factors are level of race, quality of field, and weight carried."