Rachel Time To Answer The Question!

[martoon]

Pretty amazing the short shelf life of peak performance of these critters.  Anything can happen in a race or health wise so just remarkable how Zenyatta or anyhorse could ever reel off 18 in a row, no matter who you are racing against.  Especially coming from the back of the pack every time.  Question.. for a horse you own yourself, would you rather have a frontrunner or a consistent closer?   Also.. JB what are your quick opinions on Rachel this year?

[miff]

Martoon,

Tactical speed has always been the number one weapon in racing,all else equal.A look at thousands and thousands of races confirms that a huge percentage of races, at all distances, are won by horses within 3-5 lengths of the pace call.

As an owner, I would always want a horse that paid the bills and made money, style would not matter. As a player, one paced deep closers are easy prey.

Good Luck,

Mike

[miff]

Joe,

After Rachels first two starts it was obvious she was not as good as last year.After yesterday, I guess it\'s fairly certain we will never see the 09 version.

Still very shocked that a confirmed slow rat-esse ran Rachel down, even at the distance.

Mike

[Michael D.]

martoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Also.. JB what are your quick
> opinions on Rachel this year?


I\'m no JB, but ...

Jerry has her 2010 top 2 lengths slower than last year, Ragozin 3 lengths. Rachel is pretty much the same horse as last year, maybe a tad slower. the 2-3 length difference could be the result of track conditions. Of RA\'s 3 huge efforts last year, one was in a sea of slop, and the other two were over extremely quick surfaces against fillies that collapsed early.

As for yesterday, we don\'t yet know what happened. Could be an injury, could have been the distance. Might simply have been a bad day at the office.

[alm]

Considering the field\'s weakpoints (ie: cheap and slow), it looked like the distance did her in.  I don\'t think too many fillies would have beaten her at 9 furlongs had the race been that distance.  Remember she was all out to beat Mine That Bird with an additional 1/16th of a mile...she seems to draw the line pretty tightly on distance.

[Leamas57]

That horse had shown some talent in California in expensive company and closing at distance. Based on recent form, I couldn\'t have bet her, but it was was in there that she had a shot with the way she closed at SA--I think about 8 races back.

Leamas

[Silver Charm]

Michael Remember Serenas Song! Toward the end of her career she kept consistently getting run down late in races and getting beat. Rachel has lost 3 times and it was still in doubt until 50 yds were left.

She isn\'t aweful, just not as good. She developed early at 3 improved then we are where we are. Jackson was egged to keep raising the bar and was a willing risk taker.

In the end over the long haul the conservative Sherriffs had it right. But Rachel has the Horse of the Year Award.....