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LADIES' CLASSIC DIARY JULY 3, 2009
That brings up a very important question, though: Will super filly Rachel Alexandra get a chance to face undefeated super mare ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire])? The answer, according to both Jackson and Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss, is that they would love to have a match-up between the two. That's an answer? Moss did go on to say that he was willing to come east to face Rachel Alexandra, but neither party will commit to a race. Jackson has mentioned the July 19 Delaware H. (G2), July 25 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), August 2 Haskell Invitational (G1), August 22 Alabama S. (G1) and August 29 Travers S. (G1) as all possible starts for Rachel Alexandra following her dominating, record-setting performance in the Mother Goose S. (G1) on June 27 at Belmont (I won't even go into that race other than to say that she faced only two fillies and turned it into a public workout). Of those five races, the only option for Zenyatta would be the July 19 Del 'Cap as the other four are restricted to three-year-olds. With that in mind, and taking into consideration that Zenyatta is slated to go for a title defense in the August 9 Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) at Del Mar, the likelihood of the two top horses (not just distaffers but horses period) in training facing each other is pretty slim. Horse of the Year is on the line, and it would have been fantastic -- not just for the fans but for the sport of horse racing itself -- if we had a chance to see those two go at it. Zenyatta is now two-for-two this year, successfully defending her title in the Milady H. (G2) and, more recently, the Vanity H. (G1). The Vanity did prove to be somewhat of a test for the dark bay five-year-old, as she was assigned to carry a hefty 129 pounds beneath jockey Mike Smith. She even looked to struggle for a time in the stretch, but once kicking into gear quickly asserted her superiority over her overmatched rivals. I cringe to think how much she'll have to tote in the Hirsch. Leaving Rachel Alexandra aside, Zenyatta has nothing left to prove in the distaff ranks. Her one foray out of California resulted in an easy score in the Apple Blossom H. (G1) last year, so her status on dirt should not suffer one iota. The mare needs to be sent against males and out of state if she's to have a shot at taking Horse of the Year for 2009. If she doesn't get the opportunity to face Rachel Alexandra she should, at the very least, be entered in the Classic and not the Ladies' Classic. If her connections are worried about her getting beat, then they should just go ahead and retire her, because at this point she is demonstrating nothing but her ability to dominate overmatched fillies and mares. Let's not forget: UNBRIDLED BELLE (Broken Vow) showed some of her old spark on June 20 at Delaware Park, easily defending her title in the Obeah S. (G3) by 11 lengths leading wire-to-wire. The Todd Pletcher charge pulled her way to the front and was never truly challenged after leaving the first turn. She loped along the entire way under a snug hold by Richard Migliore, extending her stride and margin throughout the stretch. I had all but given up on Unbridled Belle following dismal performances in the Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland in October and the Louisville Distaff (G2) in her 2009 bow. She returned in a big way, though, earning a 110 BRIS Speed rating, which is surpassed in her career only by the 113 she garnered for taking the 2007 Delaware Handicap. The six-year-old mare began the year a bit differently, opening her campaign in the Louisville Distaff instead of the Obeah as she had for the past two seasons. The change may have done her some good, and it's on to the Del 'Cap for another shot at that race. Unbridled Belle finished third in last year's running before filling that same spot in the Personal Ensign S. (G1). Unfortunately, the mare's time on the racetrack may be coming to an end right when it's heating up again. Team Valor, who owns the Grade 1 winner, sent her to A.P. Indy in the spring but said she would continue to race through the summer even if she came up in foal. The Breeders' Cup, however, does not occur in the summer. Unbridled Belle skipped last year's Breeders' Cup after running fifth in 2007, and her shot at glory may once again be cut short. Two to watch: MISS ISELLA (Silver Charm) has claimed Churchill Downs as her turf (or dirt, however you want to say it), which, unfortunately, won't benefit her much this season as the Breeders' Cup is held at Santa Anita. If the four-year-old gray stays in training through 2010 -- when Churchill has been slated to host the races -- she'll be tough to deny, especially if she gets yet another Calvin Borel rail trip. It's a case of size belying guts, as the filly is actually quite small when compared to her rivals. That hasn't stopped her from pushing her way through on the inside against runners who tower over her. Case in point, the June 13 Fleur de Lis H. (G2) at Churchill. Borel kept her down on the inside throughout the race and began making for a hole as they exited the turn. Just as they were going through, the tiring pacesetter Distinctive Dixie (Fusaichi Pegasus) veered in and gave her a resounding bump that sent Miss Isella bouncing into the rail. The miss merely pinned her ears, regained her stride and proceeded to hold off the closing Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway) to earn the three-quarters-of-a-length score. Miss Isella, winner of the Louisville Distaff (G2) and Falls City H. (G2) at Churchill, was handed a 100 BRIS Speed rating for the victory. Trainer Ian Wilkes mentioned after the Fleur de Lis he would like to take the feisty filly to Saratoga. The August 2 Go for Wand H. (G1) seems right up her alley. One of those Miss Isella may end up facing at Saratoga is SEATTLE SMOOTH (Quiet American). The Tony Dutrow-trained four-year-old added a fifth straight stakes win to her record on June 13 when rallying for a 1 1/4-length score in the Ogden Phipps H. (G1). Jockey Ramon Dominguez took a quick look behind entering the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile, one-turn test and angled the bay miss out to begin her run. She overtook Apple Blossom H. (G1) queen Seventh Street (Street Cry [Ire]) and pulled clear late to earn her first Grade 1 victory. Following the race, Dutrow said he believes Seattle Smooth can do just as well around two turns, as evidenced by her closing out 2008 with wins in the Go for Wand S. at Delaware Park and the Cotillion S. (G2) at Philadelphia Park. The bay will go for her first two-turn race of this year at Saratoga. I was a bit disappointed by MUSIC NOTE's (A.P. Indy) effort in the Ogden Phipps. Winner of last year's Gazelle S. (G1) Mother Goose and CCA Oaks, as well as placed in the Alabama and Ladies' Classic, the bay lass was making her return off that latter event in the Phipps. She put in a sudden charge to challenge rounding the turn but just as quickly began backing up, eventually finishing fifth, beaten a total of 10 1/4 lengths. Music Note is going to have to show drastic improvement if she hopes to continue competing at the top level. Hard knockers: EUPHONY (Forest Wildcat) earned her sixth straight victory in the Iowa Distaff on June 27 as part of the Iowa Festival of Racing at Prairie Meadows, but the game filly had to work for the win late as pacesetter BEAR NOW (Tiznow) came back briefly nearing the wire. Bear Now, honored in 2008 as Canada's champion older mare, is known stateside more for her misses than she is for her wins, but one thing can't be denied -- the five-year-old throws it down every time she races. She led the way in the Iowa Distaff with Euphony and Mint Julep H. (G3) fourth Day of Victory (Victory Gallop) close on her heels. Jockey Robby Albarado appeared to have a strong hold on the dark bay all the way down the backstretch, which, in hindsight, might have been a mistake. It was only rounding the turn that he loosened his grip and began urging Bear Now on, but by that point Euphony had overtaken the pair on the outside. Bear Now wouldn't give up so easily, though, re-rallying on the rail, but she was forced to settle for second by a length. It was still an encouraging performance from the veteran, who faded badly in the Humana Distaff (G1) on May 2. The return to 1 1/16 miles probably helped her immensely following two straight sprint tries, and Bear Now has retained her form going into this year. Her performance in last year's Ladies' Classic, where she was used early to set the pace before falling back to finish last of eight, was regrettable, but Bear Now could vindicate herself this time around. The dark bay is no stranger to synthetic tracks, with the Breeders' Cup coming as her only off-the-board placing from 14 tries, and she fits in well with the midrange runners who seem to be comprising much of the division this year. I only hope that Al Stall Jr., who took over training duties on the mare in 2009, will give her another shot in November. Euphony is three-for-three this season, and though she's now competed, and won, on all three types of surfaces (turf, dirt, synthetic), trainer Donnie Von Hemel indicated she'll stick to the latter two in her upcoming races. The dark bay four-year-old is supposed to be nominated to the rich $1 million Del 'Cap, which conveniently enough, is also one of only four Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races for the Ladies' Classic. Up-and-comer: WITH FLYING COLORS (A.P. Indy) registered a first stakes win in the Heatherten S. at Belmont Park on June 21 and stamped herself as a filly to watch. As a daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner My Flag (Easy Goer) and a granddaughter of the great Personal Ensign (Private Account), the Shug McGaughey trainee has the bloodlines to be something special. Facing only three rivals in the Heatherten, the bay lass stalked the early pace in last while racing along the rail. Never far out of reach of the front runners, she commenced her bid under Edgar Prado rounding the turn, split rivals in midstretch and drew off for the 2 1/4-length victory. The track was sealed due to extremely sloppy conditions on that day, but the four-year-old didn't appear to have any trouble with the off going. With Flying Colors earned a career best 93 BRIS Speed rating for her first stakes score, and may have finally found her stride. The Kentucky-bred miss began her career in New York last year, racking up two seconds and a third on the dirt at Belmont and Saratoga, but returned in 2009 on the turf at Gulfstream still seeking her first win. It wasn't until she was switched to Keeneland's Polytrack that she finally broke through with a maiden score on April 8, but she was immediately put back on the green for her two starts prior to the Heatherten. A compelling point in With Flying Colors' favor is that she beat Cocoa Beach (Chi) (Doneraile Court) in the Heatherten. Though that dual Grade 1-winning mare was making her first start of the year, it still bodes well for With Flying Colors that she managed to hold off the 2008 Ladies' Classic runner-up. Also, the fact that she broke her maiden on Polytrack could mean she might be up to handling the Pro-Ride at Santa Anita in November.
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