Rachel visits gate at Fair Grounds; Zenyatta arrives at Santa Anita

Rachel visits gate at Fair Grounds; Zenyatta arrives at

Santa Anita

On Thursday, Horse of the Year RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) and unbeaten

two-time champion ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) each took another step toward

their respective 2010 debuts. Rachel Alexandra schooled in the gate at Fair

Grounds in preparation for Saturday's New Orleans Ladies S., while Zenyatta

vanned to Santa Anita in advance of Saturday's Santa Margarita H. (G1).

Rachel Alexandra went to the head of her gate-schooling class shortly after 7

a.m. (CST), when she familiarized herself with the Fair Grounds starting gate

for a second time this month

That's according to a verbal report offered by Glen Miller and "Shaver"

Naylor, two members of Fair Grounds starter Frank Comberrel Jr.'s gate crew.

"We never have any trouble with that man's horses," said Naylor, speaking of

Steve Asmussen, defending Eclipse Award-winning trainer and conditioner of

Rachel Alexandra. "That's because he schools them so well before they get to us.

We never have a problem with any of his horses."

After standing placidly in the gate for a couple of minutes, the Horse of the

Year was backed out and galloped once around the oval with regular exercise

rider Dominic Terry in the irons. Because the racecourse was enveloped in dense

fog at that time of the morning, there were few witnesses to her gate

performance other than those in the immediate vicinity.

"We brought her in there with the pads on and took them off when she got in

there," Miller said. "She just acted like a little lady in there, staring

straight ahead. She was all bright-eyed and attentive like she always is."

Rachel Alexandra will school in the Fair Grounds paddock Friday from about

2:20 to 2:45 p.m., before and during the 4TH race.

The racing world hopes a Zenyatta victory in the Santa Margarita will lead to

the "Race for the Ages" against Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the $5

million Apple Blossom Invitational (G1) at Oaklawn Park on April 9.

HRTV will present a special one-hour live show Saturday featuring the 2010

debuts of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. Entitled "The Champions Return," the

HRTV show will be hosted by Scott Hazelton and Gary Stevens, who will be at Fair

Grounds for Rachel Alexandra's race.

ESPN's SportsCenter will take both the New Orleans Ladies and the Santa

Margarita from HRTV.