I have to say that I do not see the sport in buying a filly that is already recognized as one of the if not the best fillies of all time and then racing her in your colors. You want her as a broodmare, fine, makes sense but buying her and then celebrating in the Preakness winners circle like you really outsmarted the game by buying her after she\'s already confirmed as being amazing, I just don\'t see how what someone gets out of that.
Stonestrreet trying to buy Rachel Alexandra
By Marty McGee
LOUISVILLE, Ky. The Stonestreet Stables of Jess Jackson is interested in purchasing Rachel Alexandra, the sensational winner of the Kentucky Oaks last Friday at Churchill Downs, and was negotiating Wednesday to try to close a deal, according to a source close to the situation.
The possibility of a sale grew on Wednesday morning when Rachel Alexandra vetted out perfectly, according to the source, who cited a confidentiality agreement that precluded speaking on the record.
Kevin McGee, a spokesman and attorney for Jackson, declined to confirm nor deny the possibility of a sale, referring further inquiries to Caroline Shaw, a company spokeswoman who did not respond. Stonestreet is the majority owner of Curlin, the 2007-08 Horse of the Year who was retired to stud last fall.
A transfer of Rachel Alexandra would raise the possibility of the filly being supplemented for a $100,000 fee to the next jewel of the Triple Crown, the May 16 Preakness at Pimlico. The filly was not nominated to the Triple Crown, and her breeder and co-owner, Dolph Morrison, was adamant in the wake of her Oaks victory that she would not be supplemented to the Preakness or June 6 Belmont Stakes.
Owned by the L and M Partners of Morrison and Mike Lauffer and trained by Hal Wiggins, Rachel Alexandra won the 135th Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths, the widest winning margin in the race since 1910, the earliest date for which Churchill has such records. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 108 in the Oaks. The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d Oro has won her last five starts.
Should a deal be struck, Steve Asmussen, who trained Curlin for Jackson, would take over the training of Rachel Alexandra, according to the source. Asmussen said Wednesday afternoon that he had not been told that the filly would be joining his stable.
Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra made her first appearance on the racetrack since the Oaks when out for a 1 1/4-mile jog early Wednesday under regular exercise rider Rudy Gallegos. Until the possibility of a sale arose, she had been scheduled to train at Churchill until leaving a few days before her next scheduled start, the Grade 1 Acorn on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
If Stonestreet buys her, there is no doubt in my mind she will run in the Preakness.
She gets a move up trainer, too! LOL!
back in 2 weeks!!
goodness, I was worried about her running back on 5 weeks rest after the 4 negative and now they might bring her back on 2 weeks. Good lord
All of these outfits that are spolied by the once in a lifetime horse (i.e. IEAH with IWR after Big Brown) and now Jackson with RA after Curlin.
It\'s like they are all on tilt to get back to the big race(s) but they aren\'t appreciating the fact that what they just had was a once in a lifetime kind of thing for most owners.
I am terribly afraid (dead serious) that Jackson will discover the same thing that IEAH did, you don\'t catch lighting in a bottle twice and that the most likely outcome is the one that almost all of the horses that I and everyone else owns....they get hurt sooner rather than later, especially when you rush them back from big efforts.
No way i would sell this horse for only 10 million. You don\'t sell something you can\'t put a price on. this is a once in a lifetime horse.
Jerry,
Can you file a lien on RA to protect your interest?
The guys on the TVG set have just reported that Jess Jackson himself called TVG to say the deal was done. I think if she does run in the Preakness it\'s going to get a GIANT overnight TV rating. If she does go, who gets to ride that little mud loving \'Bird?
TVG confirms RA has been sold.
I\'m hearing its a done deal. Sold for 10Mil + a breeding interest.
If they do go in the Preakness, which I am hoping they don\'t, I hope Bo-rail at least has the common sense to pick the filly. Might be the first time ever the Jock on the Derby winner jumps ship.
If she gets transferred to Asmussen, Calvin might not get a chance to choose. He might be stuck with Mine That Bird.
Jackson just did a phone interview on TVG. Said the $10 mill was not the figure but also said the sale price was confidential. Said their team would discuss the jock but acknowledged Calvin\'s familiarity with the horse. He wouldn\'t commit to a race schedule but sounded mindful of the history of Philly\'s injuring themselves running agaisnt the boys...specifically mentioned Ruffian, EB and R2R
This one has the potential to put another nail in the coffin of horse racing.
Exactly what has Wiggins done wrong with this filly so far? The idea of moving from Wiggins to Asmussen makes as much sense as taking Stardom Bound from Paasch and giving her to Frankel, so he can screw her up and have her go backwards.
covelj70 Wrote:
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> I have to say that I do not see the sport in
> buying a filly that is already recognized as one
> of the if not the best fillies of all time and
> then racing her in your colors. You want her as a
> broodmare, fine, makes sense but buying her and
> then celebrating in the Preakness winners circle
> like you really outsmarted the game by buying her
> after she\'s already confirmed as being amazing, I
> just don\'t see how what someone gets out of that.
Its called I\'m rich and I can have anything I want. Racing\'s answer to Steinbrenner.
\"Wiggins said there were several offers made for Rachel Alexandra last fall and winter, including one from IEAH Stables, which vetted her for $1.2 million but decided not to close the deal because the filly had a small ankle chip\"
.....anyone know if the small ankle chip was removed or does she still have it? I now that there are occasions when they just leave it alone.
Mike,
They took the chip out. IEAH decided to pass when they found the chip in the vetting. The owners got very lucky as the chip hadn\'t done any damage to the surrounding area yet as it was very small and it was new and the filly wasn\'t exhibiting any signs of discomfort and there was no heat yet, etc.
If it wasn\'t for the IEAH vetting, the chip could have gotten worse and done some damage before they caught it.
Thank god for once!
Cov,
Thanks, knowing that crew they must be ill that they passed on Rachel esp with IWR\'s future in doubt.
Mike
P-Dub Steinbrenner was a bully. I do not get the impression Jackson is a bully though he certainly has had his share of opinions on Yearling Sales and the integrity of the Central Kentucky Breeders.
Some of these elderly guys have a ton of money, know they can\'t take it with them and are having fun. So why not?
Borel may not have to make a decision in two weeks and if they Derby winner doesn\'t win in Baltimore he may not have to make one at all becuase those same guys might skip the Belmont. But if you were wondering he is telling you who is best below.
Borel didn\'t hesitate Thursday when asked who he would pick if forced to make a choice between Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird.
\"Oh, the filly, I\'d have no choice,\" Borel told the Daily Racing Form. \"She\'s a once-in-a-lifetime horse.\"
When Ivaronne was telling me about it, I tried to make him feel better by saying, \"it\'s 50/50 that they ever come back the same from the ankle chips and run the same\" and he quickly came back with, \"no, it\'s more like 95/5 that they never come back the same.\" Hard for anyone not to be bitter about that.
my own experience is closer to the 95/5 with the ones I have owned so they definitiely got unlucky here.
That was a tough break.
I will say this though, the guy who picks out their horses really really knows what he is doing. He\'s a good guy and I like him alot. He really has an eye for horse mechanics. I didn\'t listen to him last week when he told me he was most worried about POTN beating IWR (before IWR got hurt). I could have keyed POTN instead of the dynamic duo from Dubai if I had half a brain.
This is purely racetrack gossip, but I heard one of the major trainers say that he believes Mr. Jackson has cancer. Once again, purely racetrack gossip.
Borel to ride Rachel Alexandra
Calvin Borel, aboard Rachel Alexandra, will become the first jockey to take off a Derby winner to ride a different horse in the Preakness.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The new connections of Rachel Alexandra issued a press release Friday to announce that the filly will face male rivals in the Preakness Stakes next Saturday \"if she continues to be in perfect condition\" and that jockey Calvin Borel has agreed to continue riding her in all of her races this year.
Jess Jackson, whose Stonestreet Stables purchased Rachel Alexandra this week in partnership with Harold T. McCormick and turned over the filly to trainer Steve Asmussen, said in the release that retaining Borel \"came down to the facts that he knows and loves this horse, that he knows how to get the most from her. We think this is a perfect match of rider and horse.
Charm,
Didn\'t mean to imply Jackson was a bully or bad guy. But like the Yankees, they acquire talent from other \"teams\" that have already established themselves, then makes an offer they can\'t refuse. Thats all. He seems like a good guy to me.
He ran Curlin as a four year old and did not duck anybody in the world. Others took the money or dished it out and ran to the breeding shed.
Owning and racing horses can become like a drug. Once you are hooked you can not get off it. This guy is hooked and has the cash to get his fix.
Rachel will not running on any undercards........and if you go back to the old Seabiscuit and Sam Riddle storys this is what racing used to be all about.
I would like to point out something that I don\'t think most American handicappers understand.
Fillies and mares can run successfully against males in Europe and Britain because they are racing on grass.
Fillies and mares cannot run as successfully against males in North American if the races are on dirt.
The difference is that when horses run on turf, they are racing on top of the ground. When they race on dirt, they have to slug their way through it.
Big difference.
Former requires speed.
Latter requires strength.
Just think of Curlin as an example of a dirt horse that couldn\'t as effective on the turf. He was a power runner, not a speed runner.
Most horses in America of either sex that act on grass and not dirt do so because they lack strength, especially in their hind ends.
Barry Irwin Wrote:
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> I would like to point out something that I don\'t
> think most American handicappers understand.
>
> Fillies and mares can run successfully against
> males in Europe and Britain because they are
> racing on grass.
>
> Fillies and mares cannot run as successfully
> against males in North American if the races are
> on dirt.
Rags To Riches and 8Belles were not underlays. If anything, the American bettor underestimated both. Not sure what they will do with RA though. If she were a colt, it would be even money. Let\'s see what happens.
So I assume RA hasn\'t scared Hull out of the race. Good news, and good luck.
And this differs from the Sheikh and IEAH how? At least Jackson doesn\'t seem to way overpay the way those do.
The sheikh buys, races once or twice, then retires them. Ala Street Sense (no races), Any Given Saturday (0 races), Bernardini didn\'t come back, Vineyard Haven - who knows ditto on the BC Juvenile winner last year.
lol. Yeah, they get retired, but it\'s not intentional.
Barry you were probably at Oaktree in 1975 and watched the first National Thoroughbred Championship.I hope you remember who won it. It was Dulcia an Argentinian mare. I was there and had my money on her. If I remember right she paid nice 8-1? Mares can beat the males if they are better then them on race day. Thinking anything else is foolish.
Silver,
Great points.Love the old school,however what\'s your stance on the breed itself
with regard to durability?They may have purchased the next one,so what\'s the hurry?If what you say is correct regarding Jackson getting his horse race on,then
wouldn\'t it be prudent with the buzz to see how good this beeeaaatch is at four,
let alone five?
respectfully,
mjs
This is a great post that encapsulates several things I\'ve observed over time. I just hadn\'t put it together in this way.
A sealed wet track or sloppy track has moved up one of my fillies against males too (although she doesn\'t like grass.) If that is somehow comparable to running on the top of a grass surface it would explain something that otherwise made no sense to me.
Barry you should be banned.
You come on here and say too many things that make sense.
So I guess what you are also saying is Rachel has a Nice Ass?
I do agree the two week wheel back is quick off that last effort. I don\'t care if someone said (Jellish?) The rider was not even moving on her. It was still an effort.
And yes there is a bully element to piling with $10M, moving to a new trainer and saying we are going after the boys NOW.
But maybe now is the best time and Assmussen is smart enough to determine if she needs a little break afterwards assuming she looks just as impressive
Also the Derby winner just SI Cover Storied so there is a lot of attention horse racings way and if more people tune in and see a repeat of what we all saw on Oaks Day then there could be some kinda buzz created.
I said to good friend of mine after the race who is a very knowledgable horse fan, \"Remember this one. A 20 length win much less in a Grade One. You may never see it again\" .
I saw Meadowlake break his maiden by 23 but that was a maiden race. The Ky Oaks is no freakin maiden race
I think we now know why Zeyatta scratched out that day........
Silver Charm Wrote:
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> Also the Derby winner just SI Cover Storied so
> there is a lot of attention horse racings way and
> if more people tune in and see a repeat of what we
> all saw on Oaks Day then there could be some kinda
> buzz created.
Silver: The only \"buzz\" you are hearing is the sound of flies circling around
Racing, which as far as the mainstream is concerned, is a dead sport.
Go into a sports bar in a sports crazy town like NY or Boston. Most of the big
sports fans in said establishment will think that Rachel Alexander is a country
singer or an adult film star.
Congress got involved with Racing for a few hours. PETA got involved with Racing
for a few days (I was looking for PETA recently. Instead of throwing blood and
red paint on celebrity\'s furs, they should have been running a full court press
on NYRA, which featured a one per week fatality rate during the Inner Dirt
racing season and then had \"L\'Affaire Paragallo\").
The powers that be in Racing are now in an all out effort to maintain its loyal
fan base; recruiting new fans is probably not feasible at this point.
Only the Derby creates a buzz among the mainstream. A lot of the folks who
catch a little Derby fever are not even aware that the event is part of a three
race series. The only chance Racing has for a mainstream buzz is if MTB repeats
in Baltimore, the chance of which only seems likely if it starts raining in
Baltimore NOW and doesn\'t stop until next Saturday.
I believe that Racing is not destined to make a comeback with the \"Mainstream\"
unless all of a sudden the horse becomes a major part of day to day life in
America, the way it was in the first half of the 20th Century. Racing now can
only look with envy at NASCAR, which had 3+ hours of Network coverage in prime
time last night.
Well Ritchie we do have a President who is big on Alternative Energy so maybe we will be back riding Horseback and using the Pony Express. Global Warming is killing people faster than the Swine Flu. At least that is what their science says and they used the same guys who said Synthetic were better. So it must be true.
NASCAR has its own issues now. Even some of their core base is getting a little weary of the commercialization. Was it 3 hours of coverage? They got my attention for about 3 seconds. If it aint Daytona, it aint racing. There are plenty of other sports with problems out there. The Phoenix hockey team went bankrupt. The Arena league cancelled their season. About 10 NBA Teams needed loans to help pay their bills. If a baseball player has hit 500 homers in the last 15 years then it is about 9 out of 10 he did it on drugs.
The country is going to have to start figuring out ways to pay the bills for everyones recent sins. Racing helps do that. And if Rachels wants to sponsor Rachel the sport should take\'em up on it.
They can call it a Sin Tax.........
Silver Charm Wrote:
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> Well Ritchie we do have a President who is big on
> Alternative Energy so maybe we will be back riding
> Horseback and using the Pony Express. Global
> Warming is killing people faster than the Swine
> Flu. At least that is what their science says and
> they used the same guys who said Synthetic were
> better. So it must be true.
Silver,
Keep politics out of the conversations. You sound ridiculous and you\'ll do nothing more than start a pissing contest.
> NASCAR has its own issues now. Even some of their
> core base is getting a little weary of the
> commercialization. Was it 3 hours of coverage?
> They got my attention for about 3 seconds. If it
> aint Daytona, it aint racing. There are plenty of
> other sports with problems out there. The Phoenix
> hockey team went bankrupt. The Arena league
> cancelled their season. About 10 NBA Teams needed
> loans to help pay their bills. If a baseball
> player has hit 500 homers in the last 15 years
> then it is about 9 out of 10 he did it on drugs.
Doesn\'t matter if you tuned in for 3 seconds. Enough people do, thats why they get prime time coverage on a fairly regular basis. I don\'t watch it, but I know many that do.
Wasn\'t the movie \"Seabiscuit\" supposed to jump start racing again?? A movie nominated for Best Picture?? If that doesn\'t get the masses interested or create a buzz, what makes anybody think anything else will??
P-Dub
You are a half empty guy and I\'m a half full guy. Lets leave it at that.
Racing is hanging in there when other sports with high fixed cost contracts and here today and gone tomorrow sponsors, licensing and TV revenue streams face some big problems.
Racing is face with supply issues with horses, several facilities on more than shaky financial footing and a dearth of new owners. But there are no $20M guaranteed contracts and the sport may be soon heading into an era where only the \"strongest of the strong survive.\"
Which is what a lot of people have said has needed to happen for a long time......
Silver Charm Wrote:
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> P-Dub
>
> You are a half empty guy and I\'m a half full guy.
> Lets leave it at that.
I\'m just more realistic than you are.
>
> Racing is hanging in there when other sports with
> high fixed cost contracts and here today and gone
> tomorrow sponsors, licensing and TV revenue
> streams face some big problems.
Yes they do. Every business in our country is struggling right now, its not just a sports thing. But it isn\'t hard to find them either. They\'re on television constantly and have great visibility. Can you say that about racing?? BTW, you say other sports have \"big problems\". Racing doesn\'t??
> Racing is face with supply issues with horses,
> several facilities on more than shaky financial
> footing and a dearth of new owners. But there are
> no $20M guaranteed contracts and the sport may be
> soon heading into an era where only the \"strongest
> of the strong survive.\"
I honestly don\'t understand your point here.
One of these days, we\'re going to agree on something.
How about agree to disagree?
There are too many small tracks, racing dates and therefore dilution.
With Sat TV and the Internet Racing can work to overcome being out-of-site out of mind.
Notice I used site not sight. There is a difficulty in building NEW fans is there is no live racing in that town. So that is an obstacle.
But fewer meets and dates proves bigger isn\'t always better........