Day 33: 8/29/10

After the Traver's Day card, everything seems anti-climactic... even Rachel A. Why does everyone feel the need to re-visit her 2009 to get some type of consolation? The horse (Rachel) should have probably been retired after the Woodward. It is obvious Rachel doesn't want to prove anything to anyone... anymore. Borel is not the problem. Asmussen is not the problem. J. Jackson's wife is not the problem. She was ridden into the ground and owes nothing to anyone; except maybe Zenyatta... who was and still is the better athlete in 2009 or 2010.

Just realized that you're that guy who published Racing Times way back when. I have the first issue .Is it a collectable item ?

Valiant effort, brave girl. I'll take a horse that gives me it's whole heart--gate to wire--over any other sort on any day. As for the results; Pace Handicapping 101.

Steve, Rachel looked exhausted after the race. As she walked back in front of the grandstand she could barely lift her head up. After Zenyatta races, her ears are still pricked and its if she didn't even break a sweat. Clearly she just is not a classic distance type of horse. I hope the connections find a few shorter distance races that she can finish up a remarkable career. Cheers.

Steve, Rachel looked exhausted after the race. As she walked back in front of the grandstand she could barely lift her head up. After Zenyatta races, her ears are still pricked and its if she didn't even break a sweat. Clearly she just is not a classic distance type of horse. I hope the connections find a few shorter distance races that she can finish up a remarkable career. Cheers.

Silly me. I don't know what the Superfecta paid in the Ensign. Help. [No superfectas on five-horse fields. -SC]

Geez.. what is wrong with you guys? 1st- last year Rachel would have towroped this field even at 10 furlongs.. she is NOT the same horse as last year.. haven't you all noticed she does not have the turn of foot she had last year?? you know.. that burst when she seperated from the field coming into the stretch.. she is simply a slower horse.. and all the hand wringing and dissecting the particulars of this race are silly. If there has been something done wrongly by her it is from Asmussen for insisting she be on the lead whe her best races last year.. she came from behind the leader.. Listen as Steve says some get better at 4 some regress..Forego was in Secretariat's Derby.. he surely got better at 4. Affirmed could not beat Seattle Slew when Affirmed was 3.. next year he did the same to Spec Bid.. Rachel was a one of a kind 3 year old filly and she simply slowed down as a four year old.. she lost her turn of foot.. thats all

I hear a lot of complaints about burying a race with a lot of firsters in the middle of a pick six---it is almost as bad to run five of the Pick 6 races on the turf without a turf race in the opening races to give some indication how the turf is playing.

By the way, I see Gov. Patterson attended the Travers. Did he pay for his own tickets?

NYCOTB feed from NYRA was not much better, they showed someone (Phipps grandson?) walking the mare back to the winners circle but then the screen froze for about five minutes with an alchohol advertisement over the window where the winners circle presentation should have been. Not sure if it was OTB screwing up or from the NYRA feed, in either case it was really annoying to a fan of the game. Wanted to see the Phipps celebrate this historic victory. PERSonal Ensign goes to PERSistantly.

First the Phillies get swept in a four-game series. Then they sweep the Padres out on the West Coast. This just about sums up the boom-and-bust pattern of just about every Triple Crown contender in 2010 (do I have that right?); And is a hint that if Rachel is flown to Del Mar, she might win something. On the way home from Warwick NY (slowly passing, apprehensively, yet another aftermath-of-a-multi-car-crash, on the southbound Palisades Parkway), Mrs. Driver kept saying, “Persistently… persistently.” I knew it had nothing to do with the mini-golf at Vernon, where Lack Thereof led to her blowing a 3-stroke lead on the 18th (game ended in a tie). So what was she saying? “We’ve GOT to get home in time for the Rachel Race.” And despite the Palisades crash somehow we did and then she ran downstairs to the computer. Fifteen minutes later, in the haze of the heat and half-sleep I heard noise, a lot of noise, this might be Bad Noise! Alarmed, I yelled out, “What happened?!” “She won! She won!” I’m slow on Sundays. I had to ask who. And that’s how you win on the 19th hole.

CALVIN BOREL. Outside of CD, he is a very ordinary jockey. What is he at Saratoga, something like 3 for 50?

The bright side to this loss is we could see one of the best Ladies classics ever,even w/o the Big Z, Blind Luck,Devil May Care,Evening Jewel,Havre Grace,St.Trinians,Zardana,Unriv. Belle,Life @ Ten,and Rachel,if Jackson doesn't cower and pull the plug.

For all those who think it unfair that Persistently was able to waltz in after that "sucidial pace" and nab the gallant heroine right before the wire, after she got 3/4 in the blistering time of 1:12 and change... I give you the directions to find perhaps, the best example in the past 10 years or so of a horse picking up the pieces: 1. Go to youtube 2. Look up "Rachel Alexandra's Mother Goose" (I suppose the biggest differences are that Rachel in her winning effort earned a stakes record, a staggering amount of superlative praise and favorable comparisons to Ruffian)

Hi Steve, Just a few random thoughts and predictions after the SAR action this wekend: Zanyetta and Rachel will never confront each other this Year or any Year. Rachel may never race again. Zanyetta, robbed last year of HOY Honors, will try to win the Honor this Year, but fail. Looking at Lucky, or some other Male Horse, will beat Zanyetta in the Breeders Classic. However, if Zanyetta avoids the Classis, She may win HOY Honors, primarily based on Her Unbeaten Record. In any event, Zanyetta will be crowned Champion Filly/Mare this Year. I will not bet the NYRA Circuit for the remainder of 2010. Their racing product will further deteriorate this Fall/Winter. NYRA is the victim of Albany Politics and gross mis-management at the Senior Level. In addition, their High Take-Out Rates and over use of State Bred and Maiden Races have made their racing cards unbettable. This Fall/Winter, I will focus on quality racing at Keeneland, Churchill, Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay and Gulfstream. This will be my last post until Breeders Cup Week! Please remember: Bet Smart - and Play to Win! Good Luck and Good Health, Always! Diceman

I remember Bogie's comment to Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca when he said to her, "We always had Paris." and thus nothing could take that away from them. Well, Rachel, you had your three year old season and nobody can match that and take it away from you.. ( Guess I am a sentimentalist movie buff and HORSERACING DEVOTEE, or whatever ) Divot80

Personally I think Calvin Borel rode a poor race. Bet he wished he would have saved ground going into the first turn instead of trying to be smart and push his competition out. If I were the owners I would take him off. If you have the best horse in the race ride theem that way. You don't see Mike Smith doing that sort of nonsense.

We know Rachel is not the same horse she was last year but that said, she never proved she could win at 1 and 1/4, at least against males. Last year I believe she would have gotten beaten in the Preakness and the Woodward had they been 1 and 1/4 mile distance. Every horse, even the great ones, has a distance range in which he/she is at their optimum and Rachel has never showed that to be at distances greater than 1 and 1/8. This is not meant to be a knock at her, just a viewpoint from one handicapper's point of view.

Always enjoy seeing Rachel ... no matter what the outcome. She is and always be the filly that delivered the most exciting 3 YO filly season I have ever seen. Three generations of my family were there at the finish line to see Rachel, as well as family friends. Yes, of course, we would have liked to have seen her win. She did put away a gorgeous mare in the form of Life At Ten whom Rachel left for dead in the stretch. Persistently was the beneficiary of a speed duel. Ok. My read on the race was that Rachel lost enough ground when she floated Life At Ten way wide around the first turn to put Rachel in the winner's circle, though the same ground would not have put Life At Ten in the winner's circle. If that was a deliberate maneuver by Calvin Borel to foil his main opponent, then his judgment lost the race for Rachel instead. Good of her connections not to point that out. If not a deliberate maneuver, then I wonder how the horse that has cornered so well for the master of saving ground on the rail could not be prevented from from going so wide all the way around the first turn. Again, I question his ride. Hmmm. But nor do I think they should take the King of Churchill Downs off the horse when the Breeder's Cup will be held there in a few months. Her people elected to race her this year, and they are sporting people who will see it through. But ... there just might be a second and more important factor at play. I don't think anybody in this world loves and admires Rachel more than I, but no, it did not look like the same Rachel to me. More precisely, she did not act like the same Rachel we saw last year. I don't think it has anything to do with her being bigger and heavier, or lacking the ability she had last year because the proportion is the same. Just reading her attitude going into the Woodward last year, and in every subsequent race, my gut is that we are looking at a filly who doesn't wanna do it anymore. Looking back, a break after the Haskell might have left her able to come back with the same desire to vanquish her foes with joy. Oh, I enjoyed her Woodward, but she didn't. Or so my heart says. Was her throwing Calvin in the Woodward post parade Rachel Alexandra trying to tell everyone as eloquently as she knows how that enough was enough already? Is the reason that no 3 YO filly had ever previously defeated males in three Gr 1 route races in any given calendar year that it really is too much to ask of them? If she thought enough was enough before her grueling Woodward Stakes win over tough older males, what did she think after she laid down all but her very life in that race? Hmmmm. Was the 2009 Horse of the Year racing like a green 2 YO old in her first two races this year screaming as loud as she could that she didn't want to lay her life down anymore? When she looked over at the fillies that passed her near the wire in those two races was she saying "You go for it honey. Been there. Done that. And no matter what I did it was never enough for them." When Calvin called on her in the stretch in yesterday's Personal Ensign, I don't think she was spent and didn't have it to give. I think the answer was "No. This is all you get. Take it, or leave it." I even think she was well aware in yesterday's post parade that she had returned to the scene of the crime. She did not look happy or eager to run. The one thing I needed to see was a happy Rachel. She would go obediently around the track, but she was not gonna shatter her legs like matchsticks for anybody. Smart horse. Anthropomorphism? Maybe. I dunno. I do not fault her connections in any way. After all, they were in uncharted waters with their equine sensation that took us where no 3 YO filly has ever taken us before. Who knew what that sort of year would do to her? She seemed to be handling it physically. But what about mentally? Besides, if anybody is to blame, everybody is to blame .. or at least every one of her fans who were always screaming for more. That would be me. Front and center. Ain't hindsight beautiful?

Just got back to the Island from a great weekend at the Spaaaa. To make sure that things ended on a high note after an emotionally tough day of rooting for Rachel, my last stop was at PJ's BBQ. There, it was my pleasure to encounter you and your lovely wife, Robin. I thank you again for coaxing this life-long horse-racing fan to Saratoga, via your enchanting descriptions of the town and its many attractions e.g. PJ's. Perhaps back on LI, you could give an occasional review of a local eatery or venue. One thing that people should know about you Steve, because it is a generally rare quality to find today, is that you are an excellent listener. For one so knowledgeable about horses, you still took the time to digest the opinions and feedback of a stranger, while giving the impression that you cared about what I had to say. I hope that I can talk to you sometime at our autumnal home turf, Belmont.

George in Tampa, I noticed the same thing... No Post-Race coverage TVG didnt even interview Shug or any of the Phipps (what more of a storyline do they want?)

I agree with other comments that Rachel got a bad ride. Borel should have let Life At Ten go and just lay second with Rachel, then half way down the backstretch go up and challenge Life At Ten for a sprint to the wire which Rachel would have won. The other horses wouldn't have caught up. Borel and trainer Asmussen should have known this!!! We would have seen another Affirmed-Alydar matchup ala the '78 Belmont. I also agree with another comment that Rachel should race again. She lost Sunday only because of the fast unnecessay fractions. Zenyatta should cross enter in the BC races with the hopes of meeting RA and for the good of racing. I read and heard that Alydar ran the whole stretch run in the '78 Belmont on the wrong lead and thus couldn't get by Affrimed. Can anyone confirm this?

Any value oriented horse player should have tried to make a score betting against Rachel in this spot. I almost did in the Pick 4, but did not have Persistently...[It] was clear before and after this race that Rachel has 1 1/4 issues, especially when given the probable pace scenario today. Racing needs more horse like Rachel, but horseplayers must try to beat these fan heroes if you are going to make serious money...Steven, great job on the blog and on the NYRA show this year...as well as Andy, who is always fun to listen to.

Hi Steve I'm curious of what Beyer number Persistently earned for the win Preliminary: 95.]

Greg: Had no problems playing 2 day double early or late. There was a special "event" key which I used early and before the Travers hitting the double button allowed for it since there was not a 12 into 13 double. The only glich was the SAM did not show the program for the Sunday race.

Rachel's tongue nearly touched the ground. In 30 years of watching racing closely, I have never remembered a horse's tongue out of it's mouth so vividly. What gives? Before this race, I thought blinkers were needed.

Steve, I love the new format except for one omission. The previous format had the today and tomorrow front page of the form.Seeing it before reading the site was like holding the paper in your hands.Please bring it back.

Steve, Attended yesterday and Rachel day today. Yesterday, a classic race. Today? It should have been a special day but what was Borel thinking? This was a mile and quarter race, not a quarter-horse race. We all know that Rachel isn't the same champion as last year. And we probably had a feeling that a mile and quarter was too much. If we all knew that, how come Borel and his connections didn't? The track produced relatively slow times today -- I'll admit the final time was a crawl but the first six furlongs were pressured-packed when it didn't have to be. Borel should have let Life at Ten go and rate Rachel, thus possibly saving something for the stretch. I and the numerous fans around us in the grandstand, thought it was a horrendous ride. And on that note, Borel gets tons of accolades for his Mine That Bird rides and Supersaver. Not doubt, he can be a "big race" rider. However, he must be heavily criticized for this disaster today -- and so far, I haven't seen much. How does he get away with this? I think Borel rode Rachel right into retirement (which may be a good thing because she has no shot at beating Zenyatta). Would love to know your thoughts (and others) about Borels brutal ride today. Thanks for the great blog!

The result today reminded me very much of Birdstone surging past Smarty Jones in the Belmont a few years ago. Rachel ran her 2010 race which is good, but not the Woodward Rachel I witnessed last year. She will probably be retired. Travers day was fun yesterday and they had a good crowd. Time to say good bye to Saratoga, heading to vegas. Any machines on the strip? Last year had to bet with humans at Belagio.

With the traditional day after Travers hangover attendance-wise, why didn't NYRA goose the numbers by throwing in a gaveaway? Instead, i saw Jason & Andy on the NYRA feed promoting a $20 Poster for sale ... As Glad as i was that i went to see Rachel @ The Woodward last year, i'm glad i wasn't there for the bummerfest post-loss today must've turned into! (I can't wait for my annual Labor Day trek up there .. I've only missed 1 Holiday Closing Weekend since they expanded!)

With the traditional day after Travers hangover attendance-wise, why didn't NYRA goose the numbers by throwing in a gaveaway? Instead, i saw Jason & Andy on the NYRA feed promoting a $20 Poster for sale ... As Glad as i was that i went to see Rachel @ The Woodward last year, i'm glad i wasn't there for the bummerfest post-loss today must've turned into! (I can't wait for my annual Labor Day trek up there .. I've only missed 1 Holiday Closing Weekend since they expanded!)

Hey Steve, TVG drops the ball again. They are alot like ESPN. When something does not go their way. They take their toys and go home. All we heard for the 30 minutes prior to the Personal Ensign was Rachel, Rachel, Rachel. But what was most disturbing is for 21 minutes after the race, they left Saratoga, like the race never existed. Yes they did come back to show a few stretch runs long after the fact. But right after they crossed the wire, it was back to Del Mar for 80k claimer winners shot, up to Woodbine for more claimers, no picture of the Phipps clans emotional win with the colors of Personal Ensign in the race named for the champion. And only a brief mention of that as well. Tell me why when these guys do not get their storyline, they do not want to present the storyline that unfolds? Just because it is not what they want? Pathetic George in Tampa

Was Garcia truly showing his own emotion under the wire, or was that look toward the crowd with hand in the air a shot at Borel's antics?

First, if you're running the Thruway tonight here's hoping it's moving. I gave up coming back from Saratoga on Sunday nights some years ago. At least no rain to deal with. Might I opine that with Walt P's comment beginning and ending with ..., either he has disciplined himself (good going) or the advanced trait of mercy has been employed. Got to figure that somewhere the world's biggest Shuggie fan is counting up lots of cash. Even though Persistently owed me from 2008 I couldn't use her. Tomorrow would be Spinaway day back in the old four week format. Here's hoping the weather holds through Labor Day. Would like to join the commenter in the last blog regarding Mike Beer - very enjoyable. Know the P4 video with Harvey, Dan and Mike is a Spa special feature Steve, but it's very informative and entertaining. Any chance on keeping it up thru the Belmont fall meet?

Steve, any commentary on Calvin's ride today? I thought it was quite poor, considering we know that she has the ability to rate when needed. Looked like he was only concerned about one horse, and did whatever it took to prevent her from getting the lead. 27 seconds+ for the final quarter for a horse of Rachel's caliber in my opinion = too fast, too soon.

Why wouldn't Zenyatta (if she makes it to the Breeder's Cup) enter both the Ladies Classic and the Classic in the hopes of running against Rachel Alexandra (if she makes it to the same BC)? ...[W]hy not make your last race one against the filly who kept you from getting HOY.

Last time I was in Panama, the U.S. Dollar WAS the Panama's official currency. Unless that has changed (which it hasn't to my knowledge), how can currency discrepancy with Panama affect a U.S. Dollar payoff?

Hi Steve, I appreciate your books, articles and particularly this blog. I enjoyed your article on Rachel's 2009 accomplishments and I think you articulated the most cogent argument for Rachel being the 2009 HOY. Given the results of this season however, can't we say now without equivocation that Zenyatta's career on the whole and her achievements far surpass Rachel's? I feel like some under appreciate 18 for 18. I hope you will continue to blog regularly even after Saratoga concludes.

In fairness to Rachel on Sunday: Rachel was pressed a long way by Life at Ten and the winner (Persistently) did have an absolutely perfect trip. Personally, I would now point Rachel for the BC Mile on turf and go next at Keeneland in either the First Lady (Grade 1) or Shadwell Mile (also Grade 1). The mile distance might be better for her at this point.

Steve Nice to get a call from my Uncle to say "let's bet $200 to Win on the 3 longshot's to beat Rachel Alexandra. She cannot go the distance. She will get caught today" So I go to my on-line account and fire in the wagers and say to him, we are in at a 50/50 split. He says, I will need the Money for Wednesday and Thursday, because we are going up to Saratoga live and in person. I tell him that he will get paid right after it goes official. He says, I will see you in 30 minutes. True story. You saw the race. A $45 dollar winner and they will be staying at the Hilton on Wednesday night. He likes the breakfast in the lobby. Carryover into Monday. Rest up for the Monday card. It looks wide open. Whackymacky Out!!!

Steve, If possible, I believe the Colonel John, Mambo in Seattle photo could have been closer. Especially since, I had a big win bet on him. till can't believe he didn't go by him. Love the blog, keep it up.

Sean, Better than a giveaway day....Rachel day! Big crowd of casual races fans....

Could not beleive the 6th race - they let the 2 go off at 16-1 won it's last on the turf and the 10 who won its last on the turf I had the 10-2 exacta $157 for 2 and wanted to bet the super but no super. Wow - don't see that too often - is it a giveaway day?

Hello Steve, and I've got to say that some of the 8/28 comments make me chuckle. The Vineyard is beautiful as always and the only pool I've been involved with these last three weeks has been of the swimming variety. But I am reminded of the 1998 Travers where between the 2nd and 3rd race in my seat opposite the 1/8 pole the man seated next to me asked for an explanation of my system. I got three sentences in and he blurted, “The fastest horse wins the race”. To which I stated, “Not necessarily...” And he forcefully said, “The fastest horse wins. Period. If you don't think that you don't know what you are talking about.” So with that I proceeded to move around the plant as there is room to move at the Spa. And after Prado and Guidey had booted home long-shots with their only mounts of the day it was a positive experience. What I would have attempted to explain is that some horses run fast early and slow down late, and others start off slow and run fast late, while others are one paced. The first horse to the wire – not the fastest - wins and there are many ways to accomplish the feat. Discreetly Mine ran fast early and slowed late, but got the job done. A 93 Beyer seems a tad low, but should not be taken at face value in his next start. I'm more intrigued by the fact that many must have singled him in the P-4.. The pool was 1.4 mil and the payout was 845 which means there were roughly 1400 winning 2 buck P-4's. Seems the best way to get there was a single on DM. Good luck as always.

Apparently, nyra one users couldn't use the on-track betting machines to bet the two day double. I didn't try myself, but my wife tried to bet it and the double button was not available when she bet the Travers race. If that is true, that's a disgrace on nyra's part.

Steve, could you please post the win photo taken on the wire from the Travers? Thanks.

Steve, I enjoy taking a look at your picks. Is there any website to get them on a regular basis? [Sorry, no. I only make "picks" because I have to for Talking Horses -- I'm more interested in discussing races, as I try to do here, than in (often arbitrarily) ranking horses 1-2-3-4 in every race.]

...In the past, I've thought up of an idea that I have called "Saturday Night at the Races," a monthly series of horse racing broadcasts that usually would have 9-10 major races anchored by 2-3 major stakes events. Such would be designed to (mainly) air in Saturday night prime time...Until the Travers/Pacific Classic day programs came up, I didn't have what can be the anchor event of such a series, which this can be, most likely airing as a nine-race, five-hour broadcast from 5:00-10:00 PM ET. Using this year as a guide, here's how I would structure a broadcast: Saratoga: 5:12 -- The Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina; 5:49 -- The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana, lengthened to 1 3/16 Miles; 6:26 -- The Grade 1, $250,000 Kings Bishop; 7:03 -- The Grade 1, $600,000 Man o'War. Del Mar: 7:21 -- The Grade 2, $250,000 Del Mar Mile, winner to BC Mile. Saratoga: 7:40 -- The Grade 1, $1,000,000 Travers; Del Mar: 8:07 -- The Grade 1, $300,000 Pat o'Brien; 8:46 -- The Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks;9:25 -- The Grade 1, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic. As part of this, I would also have a series of national wagers that would include a 10-cent "Win and You're In" Pick-Nine on all nine races with a $500,000 minimum guaranteed pool; a 50-cent "Win and You're In" Pick-Six on the last six races of this sequence with a $1,000,000 guaranteed pool; national 50-cent Pick Threes and Pick Fours on every set of sequentual races not already covered by a Pick Three or Pick Four at the track in question, and national Doubles on every pair of races not already covered by the tracks locally, plus a special "Million Dollar Double" on the Travers and Pacific Classic. This to me presents the perfect opportunity to try something like this, and at the end of the summer attempt to get people who otherwise have forgotten about the sport back into the mix...