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Rachel out for revenge in La Troienne

Rachel Alexandra will clash with Zardana, who upset her at Fair Grounds (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) Reigning Horse of the Year RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) gets back to work on one of American racing's biggest stages in Friday's $400,000 La Troienne S. (G2), the highlight of the Kentucky Oaks Day undercard at Churchill Downs. Having won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last year, Rachel Alexandra is no stranger to competing in front of a crowd that's expected to reach six figures if ideal midweek weather conditions prevail through Friday. Formerly named the Louisville Distaff, the La Troienne is a crucial race on the Horse of the Year's agenda. Her four-year-old campaign got off to a virtual stumble in the March 13 New Orleans Ladies S. What was expected to be an easy prep for the Apple Blossom S. (G1), and an eventual meeting with dual champion Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire]), turned into a disappointing affair for her legion of fans when she was overtaken by the John Shirreffs-trained ZARDANA (Brz) (Crimson Tide) in the stretch and fell short by three parts of a length at odds of 1-20. Much of the blame for the loss was put on the wet New Orleans weather, which curtailed her training and forced her connections into a bit of a rush job in order to make both the prep and the Apple Blossom. Following the loss, majority owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen chose to take a step back and bypass the Apple Blossom, then wait for more positive signals that the filly was closer to her championship form. Satisfied that is the case after a series of strong works, three of them bullets, over the Churchill strip this month, a more representative performance might be in the offing. Under the allowance conditions of the La Troienne, Rachel Alexandra will spot four pounds to Zardana, who needed only a two-pound pull to overthrow the champ on her home turf at Fair Grounds. Zardana, who had spent all of her time in North America running on turf and synthetic, actually had some hidden dirt form from her South American days and, in retrospect, was an overlooked 9-1 in the New Orleans Ladies. Having slayed the dragon once, Shirreffs can give Zenyatta partisans, of which he is one, even more ammunition if he can shake Rachel's confidence again.

A fast pace in the La Troienne is assured, with Rachel being joined on or near the lead by BE FAIR (Exchange Rate), DISTINCTIVE DIXIE (Fusaichi Pegasus) and UNRIVALED BELLE (Unbridled's Song). Of these, only Unrivaled Belle has shown some semblance of being a long-term factor. The gray four-year-old won three of her final four starts of 2009, missing only in the Gazelle S. (G1) where she was a solid second in her graded debut. After a setback on the Santa Anita Pro-Ride, the Bill Mott pupil rebounded to take the March 20 Rampart S. (G3) in wire-to-wire fashion. The field is rounded out by MORENA (Per) (Privately Held), whose best effort in six U.S. starts was a second in the Falls City H. (G2) at Churchill in November.

Though not one likely to garner headlines or rewrite the history books, the rivalry between MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno) and BULLSBAY (Tiznow) has lasted much longer than most that have been labeled as such in recent years. Among the two leading older horses on dirt last season, the pair will square off for a sixth time in the $150,000 Alysheba S. (G3) over 1 1/16 miles.

Bullsbay finished first and Macho Again sixth in the 2009 Alysheba after busy winter campaigns, but both enter fresh as daisies for this renewal. Neither has started since the November 27 Clark H. (G2), a race the connections of both would rather forget as neither did much running. For those keeping score, Bullsbay finished ahead of Macho Again in three of their five meetings last season, registering his biggest win in the Whitney H. (G1), while Macho Again settled for a win in the Stephen Foster H. (G1) and a close second to Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward S. (G1). Unlike last season, when Macho Again tended to concede weight to Bullsbay on a routine basis, both are eligible to carry 118 pounds on Friday.

Grade 2 veterans FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) and ARSON SQUAD (Brahms) both merit respect. Friesan Fire, the beaten Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite last year, looked strong in taking the Louisiana H. in January before fading to fourth in the Mineshaft H. (G3) the following month. He is capable of better. Arson Squad, meanwhile, raced himself into winning shape for the April 3 Skip Away S. (G3), where he bested a modest field by nearly four lengths. Another who could do some damage is COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft), the speedy runner-up to Bullsbay in this event a year ago.

Other notables are Grade 3 victor CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), a bit player on the Triple Crown trail last season, and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained FLYING PRIVATE (Fusaichi Pegasus), who appears to be rounding into his best form following a narrow loss in the Fifth Season S. at Oaklawn earlier this month.

The Alysheba serves as a prep for the nine-furlong Stephen Foster, which will be renewed on June 12.

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