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Rachel Alexandra gallops, schools one day before debut
Unlike Saturday, Rachel Alexandra had company for Friday's session. The last three stalls in the Fair Grounds paddock were occupied by, from left to right, schoolers Rachel Alexandra; Devil's Humor (Distorted Humor), a promising three-year-old filly making her debut for Asmussen in Saturday's 4TH race; and Zardana, the second choice in the New Orleans Ladies.
Incidentally, one of Rachel Alexandra's halters, signed by Asmussen and Rachel Alexandra's jockey Calvin Borel, is encased in a handsome shadow box on display at Fair Grounds and subject to bids during a silent auction that ends March 20. The two top bidders at the silent auction will be invited to continue to bid publicly at the Horsemen's Dinner during the evening of March 26, Fair Grounds Oaks Day. Profits from the auction will go toward a barn-raising fundraiser for the Remember Me Racehorse Rescue facility operated by Donna and Dallas Keen. Remember Me Rescue placed 36 retired race horses in new homes in 2009, some of which were rescued from slaughter by the couple, but new horses on coming in constantly. "We have to build a new barn at our facility because I refuse to stop taking in new horses," Donna Keen said. Others were also confident in Rachel Alexandra's chances, including Fair Grounds-based trainer Bobby Barnett, who was leading conditioner for several years at Oaklawn. "I don't think there's any way they'll beat her here tomorrow," Barnett said, "and I don't think she'll get beat up there either. It's always been her track up there, but I really think she takes her track with her wherever she goes." The two-part question was put to Frank Bernis, longtime assistant to Fair Grounds' nine-time training champion Tom Amoss. "No chance," said Bernis, speaking of any potential upset Saturday at Fair Grounds. Concerning the possible meeting with Zenyatta, Bernis added, "That's a tough call, but when Rachel's at her top she's a lot better horse than Zenyatta." New Orleans native Al Stall Jr., a three-time trainer champion at Fair Grounds, was less definitive -- but only slightly. "They all can be beat," Stall stated. Concerning Rachel's possible future face off with Zenyatta, he added, "We'll have to see how their comeback races go and how they (each) come back out of those. They're very close." Eddie Johnston, one of the hottest trainers on the grounds in recent days, was more definitive when asked if Rachel Alexandra could get beat Saturday. "No," he said. Asked about Rachel's next possible assignment, Johnston added, "The biggest question is, does she get enough out of the race tomorrow? If she does -- she'll beat Zenyatta. I think she's just a better horse." "Not the way she's been training," agreed Ruth Schmidt, assistant to Canadian-based trainer Josie Carroll. What about the next race, if it happens? "That's a tough one," Schmidt said. "It depends on how the race sets up. They're both obviously stupendous fillies." Finally, the two questions were put to Evan Downing, now an assistant to trainer Greg Foley but formerly an assistant at the Asmussen barn. "I think she (Rachel) is probably the best horse in the race tomorrow," Downing said, "but if there's a day she could get beat, it would be tomorrow. I love Rachel, and I like Steve and Scott Blasi, but I'm also a big Zenyatta fan. I saw Rachel get really tested in the Woodward last year, and I saw what it did to her. I haven't seen Zenyatta nearly as much, but from what I've seen, it looks like nothing that she has faced has ever bothered her."
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