Of course the Apple Blossom was not a match race, but it did potentially
involve the \"Match Up of the Ages\", between two of the best fillies/mares
in History.
History says that these match ups for \"the Ages\" aren\'t brought about
expeditiously. Possibly the 2 most hyped match races in History, and I
am going back well before my time here, were the 1920 battle of Man o\'
War and Sir Barton, and Seabiscuit\'s 1938 match against War Admiral.
The two main accounts of these races tell of a lot of bickering between the
opposing camps, looking for some advantage. A lot of Racing venues wanting to
host the great events, putting up large sums of purse money. History says
that the public was made to wait for these races,longer than they wanted to,
sometimes due to a physical ailment of one of the competitors, but mostly
due to the gamesmanship of the opposing camps.
Gamesmanship. Like retiring your mare yet keeping her in light training. Your
competition has turned their filly out for a well deserved rest after a brilliant
campaign, and you\'ve been in light training.
Jess Jackson got rope - a - doped here. First, the bitch is back, having missed
what? 2 or 3 weeks of training. Moss/Shireffs say that dirt will be no problem.
Oaklawn comes up with $5 million. Jackson commits his filly to a race which will
put her on a tight schedule preparation wise. Foundation, foundation, foundation.
Even the great ones need the required foundation.
(Condolences here to TGJB, who had a tremendous publicity set up with the trial
starting what 3 days before the big match?)
Jackson should have said no to Oaklawn (even though in one way it was a good
venue in that Z had already raced there). No to Oaklawn because the timing was
not right for RA. Zenyatta had a conditioning edge-- why not wait until May or
June?
RA got a little dinged up here due to his owner\'s ambitions. She lost a race she
never would have lost if properly prepared.
The match up will occur, but there will be fits and starts. And gamesmanship.
The NTRA, useless as they are, should be working to find a track to put up the
5 Million.
The match up should occur in an open to all handicap race at America\'s Classic
Distance. These two babes made their bones by beating males. It should not be an
Invitational race, because I could never convince myself that RA and Zenny\'s
connections weren\'t cherry picking the invitees.
I would have no problem if both of these Amazons stayed sound and didn\'t face
each other until November. At CD. In the BC Classic.
As they said in \"The Deer Hunter\", \"one shot\".
Richie...nice editorial as always.
I think Zenyatta showed her connections that she wasn\'t ready to wrap up her career. They may have given her the benefit of the doubt considering she\'s just won the BC Classic and showed that 10 furlongs was in her wheelhouse.
I agree with TGJB that had Zardana not run and Rachel had won by 12, she\'d be running at Oaklawn, even if she wasn\'t 100% fit, and this board wouldn\'t be filled with excuse after excuse on why Rachel came up short.
Honestly, I think Jackson and Asmussen figured the older mare division was gonna be cupcake city, and then, as you say, the bitch came back. Damn, now they\'re gonna have to earn it. To add further insult, Shireffs sent out his 3rd stringer and pulled the upset.
It should prove to be an interesting year.