Translation: She doesn't want to do this anymore

[smalltimer]

I\'ll probably get yelled at by TGJB, but I think this post will have a valid point
In the DRF a day or so ago, in an article by Jay Hovdey, he mentioned a California radio interview between Roger Stein and Steve Asmussen.  When the subject of Rachel came up, Asmussen said, according to Hovdey, \"while Rachel is in fine fettle physically, his crew has thus far been \"unsuccessful\" in returning her to what Asmussen defines as her competitive level of last year.\"  

Translation? Rachel doesn\'t want to do this anymore.

I\'ve been convinced since she was laid up last September that she is really burned out, physically exhausted, and I think she has lost a lot of confidence.  3 of her last 4 races have been all-out wars.  

I remember Borel talking about how RA really disliked being whipped during the Preakness.  She may interpret being whipped as amounting to punishment. After the long layoff, and then her return at the FG, again, Borel whips her a half dozen times when she\'s clearly giving everything she has in the race.
If Rachel is to resume her career, Asmussen will have to be very careful where he spots her because it seems her heart is just not in it.  She would not be the first, nor will she be the last great racehorse that just lose their desire to run and win. Although hundreds of thousands of us race fans hope she can return to her past greatness, we may be denied, and if so, she supplied plenty of thrills last year.  Just because RA\'s biggest fans, and other fans want her to resume her dominance doesn\'t mean it\'s gonna happen.  Unlike her human counterparts, it can\'t be explained to her how important her re-emergence into the national scene makes to both the sport and to race fans alike. At this point in her career it\'s probably impossible to drill that \"desire\" back into her. I could be wrong, but if I am, then why hasn\'t Asmussen and his crew found that formula to re-invigorate her?  It\'s fair to say, that camp would spare no expense, leave no stone unturned to find the answer.  Yet, Asmussen seems to be warning the public to lower their expectations on her return to greatness.

To presume the Asmussen/Jackson camp can enter her in easy spots as an older female now, is not realistic. Everywhere she goes now, there will be a Careless Jewel or some other fast, hard-knocking, hard closing mares awaiting you, or shipping in dead fit from the west coast to test her.  Older mares that have been through the wars and know how to leave everything on the racetrack. Some of these older mares can throw a good one at you on a given day. Maybe, there will be a couple occassions where she can find a creampuff field like Z had on Friday and help re-build her confidence and desire. That\'s really what she needs, not another head knocker.  She earned HORSE OF THE YEAR.  She doesn\'t owe us anything.

[jimbo66]

Smalltimer,

It does happen to horses, especially fillies.  Nobody would deny this.  But one race, off a layoff, is WAY short on evidence.  If she runs poorly again, we will see.

She a long campain last year.  She was not at her best when almost run down by Macho Again.  Those that know something about pace figures know that the margin there was deceptive, but nonetheless it wasn\'t her best effort.  Her effort off the layoff was wanting.  

As for those \"great tough older mare fields\", me thinks you are baiting people on this board with that comment.  There are no great older mares, except Zenyatta.  Zenyatta has been trouncing the same group of slow older mares for awhile now.  There is nobody that Zenyatta has beaten that can come close to Rachel (when Rachel is at her best).  Rachel will have to get back to her best to beat Zenyatta, but there are no other mares in that category right now.

[smalltimer]

Jimbo,

Nice to chat with you again!!  Actually, there are about a half dozen fillies and older mares that have run triple digit Beyers this year in a route.  So, no, I wasn\'t referring to Z, I was referring to others who are capable of running well....assuming Rachel is not at her past greatness.  It\'s always (when Rachel is at her best....When Rachel is at her best).  Jimbo, maybe those days are no more!! Asmussen is showing concern, so if Rachel isn\'t at her best, she \"becomes\" beatable by horses that would have had zero chance last year.  

But, it\'s agreed, if Rachel can recapture her 2009 greatness, then the only one with a chance would be that one West Coast mare.
And Jimbo, these guys are WAY too smart for me to try to bait---miff?? mjellish?? P-Dub??? TGJB?? and a host of others would call me out, including you.  lol

Anyhow, glad you\'re back on the board, I\'m hoping you and I can keep the decorum at our normal high levels.....BTW, looks like a guy can throw out 14-15 of the starters for the Derby.  Sure hope I don\'t throw out the wrong one.

[Funny Cide]

I saw that in Hovdey\'s blog, but honestly I\'d want to hear it myself before making of it the same that Hovdey did.  Hovdey has worn Zenyatta on his sleeve, and his comments about this, saying it\'ll be nice to just forget about Rachel now and concentrate on Zenyatta smacks of that bias.  How would anyone think it nice to just forget about EITHER horse because they\'re no longer in the picture?  That\'s just petty to say.

Regarding Rachel, it could be the case.  I was dismayed that they didn\'t send her for a real layup but instead kept her at the track during all that time off, but no one pays me to train their horses and Asmussen knows 1000 times more than I do.  Maybe the fire in her belly has gone, but I certainly hope that\'s not the case.

[smalltimer]

Seems since Z had all the ink on Friday it should be natural for all of us to be getting excited about Rachel\'s next start. She\'s had about a month off now since the FG race, so you\'d think she\'d be getting ready to roll. The idea they haven\'t declared her for a race at CD or somewhere is odd. I think she\'s had about 10 weeks of training to this point, in addition to her race off the layoff.    

Other than the interest beginning to peak as the Derby nears, as far as I\'m concerned, until Rachel returns and throws a clunker, she IS the only horse people are clamoring to see.  Granted, Quality Road can be a big draw, but nationally the recreational fans don\'t know who he is, so not a bunch of anticipation for his next out.

But, to \"forget\" Rachel does seem petty for a national turf writer.

Thanks for the comments.

[jimbo66]

Smalltimer,

Thanks for the \"welcome back\".  Let\'s agree to keep it civil until Rachel and Zenyatta are set to face each other (then the gloves come off)...  

As for the Hovdey blog.  He is a schmuck.  Too bad they don\'t track \"blog hits\" for the DRF guys.  I would give 10-1 that his gets the least amount of hits.  I don\'t remember ever checking it and seeing some type of insight or handicapping value in his blog - ever.  Awful.  Mostly inane comments.  Perhaps he is looking for the \"Kenny Mayne audience\", certainly not the serious handicapping demographic....

[smalltimer]

I hope we get the chance.  If all else fails, Plan B....Quality Road.  right??

[Silver Charm]

Asmussen is in no rush and as good as Z\'s form is right now why he should he be.

This reminds me a little of Silver Charm vs Skip Away where Bob Baffert kept screaminging they are ducking me and he was alsways somewhere else away from Skip Away.

Meanwhile Z needs to set out on her own campaign. Lay it out and say that is where we will be. If you are there fine if not we will see you at CD in Nov.

Just better hope she is still holding together by then and Rachel is not starting to come around. But last year was last year.

[Wrongly]

Nominations for the LaTroienne close on Wen.  Anyone know if Rachel was nominated?

[Silver Charm]

Probably should be. A logical spot in comeback. I want to add I don\'t mean Asmussen is ducking just in no hurry to go find the Big Z.

And right now for good reason. He needs to take care of his horse first.

[Lost Cause]

Silver Charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
 If
> you are there fine if not we will see you at CD in
> Nov.

There is absolutely no chance of them meeting in Nov..They want no part of Z going that distance.  It would have to be at 1 1/8 max.

[Funny Cide]

Lost Cause Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Silver Charm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>  If
> > you are there fine if not we will see you at CD
> in
> > Nov.
>
> There is absolutely no chance of them meeting in
> Nov..They want no part of Z going that distance.
> It would have to be at 1 1/8 max.

Why do people say things like this?  November is a long ways off and neither of the connections have decided absolutely where they\'re going to run.  They\'ll see how their horse is doing and look at the competition and other standard thing that connections do in making their decisions.

Don\'t forget that Zenyatta may want no part of Rachel come November, or Quality Road, or whatever other horses rise to the forefront.

[Funny Cide]

Funny Cide Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw that in Hovdey\'s blog, but honestly I\'d want
> to hear it myself before making of it the same
> that Hovdey did.  Hovdey has worn Zenyatta on his
> sleeve, and his comments about this, saying it\'ll
> be nice to just forget about Rachel now and
> concentrate on Zenyatta smacks of that bias.  How
> would anyone think it nice to just forget about
> EITHER horse because they\'re no longer in the
> picture?  That\'s just petty to say.
>
> Regarding Rachel, it could be the case.  I was
> dismayed that they didn\'t send her for a real
> layup but instead kept her at the track during all
> that time off, but no one pays me to train their
> horses and Asmussen knows 1000 times more than I
> do.  Maybe the fire in her belly has gone, but I
> certainly hope that\'s not the case.

I was right to be skeptical of Hovdey\'s reporting.  Here\'s what someone had to say who read Hovdey and also heard the radio show:

Jay is piecing together things that were said separately, not surprising considering the unbiased journalist that he is. Not.  

What Steve said was that they were unsuccessful trying to adjust her system and that they\'re now working on getting her back into the rhythmn that they had success with last year, and that they\'re not quite there yet.

Steve never said he and his crew has been unsuccessful in returning her to her competitive level of last year. That was never said or never implied. Typical Hovey spin.

[Lost Cause]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56393/rachel-alexandra-fires-bullet-at-churchill

[sekrah]

:12.80, :25.40, :37.20, :48.40, 1:00.20, 1:12.00. She galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.20.
..
“I was very pleased with her work,” said Asmussen. “She looks happy and she cooled out great. It was a very strong move.”
..
“I’m very anxious to see her attitude off of the work,” said Asmussen. “How she acts, how she rests in her stall, and if she’s comfortable with everything we’re doing. From a work standpoint it was very impressive and fast, which she is.”
..
“We’re trying to get her back in the rhythm that she had success with last year, because we were very unsuccessful in trying to alter that,” said Asmussen.