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Rachel gallops in advance of New Orleans Ladies Horse of the Year RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the track Wednesday morning for an easy gallop three days prior to her four-year-old debut in Saturday's $200,000 New Orleans Ladies. On Tuesday, the filly walked the shed row in trainer Steve Asmussen's barn, the normal routine on the morning following a workout. Wednesday's exercise came over a fast track on a breezy morning with temperatures in the low-60s. "She came out at 6:20 (a.m. [CST]), turned and went the right way, then galloped about three-quarters of a mile," said Fair Grounds clocker Billy Pettingill, who has observed Rachel Alexandra's progression on a near-daily basis since the filly arrived at Fair Grounds in late November. "It was pretty easy. Then they picked her up with the pony and she was off the track at 6:28. "They didn't even gallop her a whole round, they just let her stretch her legs a little bit. They turned her loose about the three-eighths pole and she went from there, through the stretch, and back to about the five-eighths pole. (Assistant trainer) Scott (Blasi) picked her up and they let her jog out a little bit, then turned around and went off. She looked terrific." Aboard for the exercise was Dominic Terry, who continues to elicit praise from Rachel Alexandra's connections as well as observers for his deft handling of a strong filly who has been eager to run this winter. "Dominic, man, he's got her down pat," Pettingill said. "She just about does whatever he needs her to do." Saturday's New Orleans Ladies is Race 10 on Fair Grounds' 11-race program and will go off at 5:15 p.m. (CST), a time that was set in cooperation with Santa Anita Park, where champion older female ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) will make her 2010 debut in the Santa Margarita S. (G1) at 5:40 p.m. (CST). "Everyone involved agreed it would be best to have both races within the same hour," Fair Grounds Vice President and General Manager Eric Halstrom said. "There is such intense interest in these two great females and we want to make it easy for racing fans all over the country to see both of them run." Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are expected to meet April 9 in the Apple Blossom Invitational (G1), a race that would be worth $5 million if both superstars start.
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