Ladies' Classic Diary

LADIES' CLASSIC DIARY

JULY 3, 2009

by Jennifer Caldwell

Rachel turned the Mother Goose into a laugher (Ross Woodson/Horsephotos.com) This year's Triple Crown produced some great stories, but none more so than that of RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro). The massive filly towers over her rivals, male and female, in stature, talent and maturity. But her biggest challenge may come, not on the racetrack, but in the ballot box. I don't see how anyone can say she's not wrapped up champion three-year-old filly honors. The only thing left is to decide if she might not also receive Horse of the Year. The vote could go either way, as the year-end championships will have to do without her presence. Division leaders: Owner Jess Jackson stated quite plainly during a recent teleconference that he did not want to run Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) due to the fact it was being contested on a synthetic track. Jackson didn't mince his words, saying, "I'm not going to run on plastic. We don't need to risk her that way." He has reason to be cautious considering Curlin's dull fourth-place showing on the Pro-Ride in last year's Classic (G1).

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.