Distaffers
Odd Voter Out
A rumor was swirling before the awards ceremony that at least one Eclipse voter had cast a ballot in protest, primarily against synthetic surfaces, for a mare other than Zenyatta as champion older female and that the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner would be denied a unanimous victory in her division. The gossip proved partially true: When the totals were released, Personal Ensign winner Icon Project was revealed the recipient of one vote to Zenyatta’s 231.
Reaction online was incredulous and outraged:
How in %$#* was Zenyatta not a unanimous selection as top older female? There’s always a wise guy in the crowd … Icon Project? Well, nothing in this industry should surprise me. (Art Wilson)
I see you, East Coast bias, raising your ugly head. Who the fuck gave ICON PROJECT a vote for Older Female? (@shirozora)
Icon Project voter probably same moron who voted Court Vision top male turf horse, I Want Revenge top 3yo male. (@filliesfirst)
The eejit who voted Icon Project as champion older female should out himself & not hide behind anonymity of DRF. She wasn’t even a finalist. (@francesjkaron)
Strong words.
Unfortunately for the curious and annoyed everywhere, the voter is part of the DRF bloc, which grants anonymity to its members. What the voter was thinking, what point they may have wanted to make, or what errors they regret — the rumor now circulating is that the voter made a mistake — will have to remain in the realm of conjecture, unless he or she comes forward to explain.
Update: The voter erred. “I’m so sorry. There is no way I meant to do anything but put Zenyatta on top,” said Duke Dosik. Vote totals were retabulated in light of his blunder; Zenyatta is now a unanimous champion.
A Well-Deserved Rest
Owner Jess Jackson said on Sunday that it is unlikely Rachel Alexandra will race again this year following her Woodward Stakes win:
“She had a campaign since winter, this is the fall. She’s raced more races in two years than most fillies ever run. She’s done things that no fillies have ever done. She deserves a rest.”
After Saturday, who could argue? This campaign needs no embellishing:
I haven’t watched the Woodward replay yet. Like Maryjean Wall, I’m still in “a dreamy state” brought on by being at Saratoga to witness such an amazing display of heart, talent, and speed. I’ll surely watch the replay soon (the better to comment on the race and what it means), but for now, I want my memories of Saturday only to be of her in the lead and the crowd rising and roaring as the field streaked down the stretch, as I saw and felt those intense seconds.
9/7/09 Addendum: More from Jackson on the likelihood that Rachel Alexandra will not race again this year: “She needs, I think four or five months off.”
Distaffers Due
Foolish Pleasure launches a new site with a timely theme:
… what I envision here is a mix of racing and breeding news from around the world, along with a strong dose of thoroughbred racing history — all focused exclusively on current and past fillies and mares. I certainly wish to appeal to fans of both sexes, but most particularly to women and girls who like me love horses with a passion, and find themselves reawakened to, or falling in love with, the sport of horse racing.
It won’t be trite. It won’t be “girly†in a negative or stereotypical way. And it certainly will not be patronizing.
It will be informative, and, most importantly, serious in presenting the sport of racing — past, present and future — with a clear intent of … Fillies First!
What a great idea, with all the exciting fillies and mares running these days. It’s a good year to be female in racing. (Well …)
Peerless
Rachel Alexandra and Calvin Borel win the Haskell. (Uploaded by Rock and Racehorses to Flickr.)
She’s beaten the winners of the Illinois Derby, Arkansas Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Tom Fool Handicap. She’s won eight consecutive races, four of those Grade 1s, one a Classic, at six different tracks, and she’s done so by a combined 69 3/4 lengths. Her winning time of 1:47.21 for nine furlongs in the Haskell Invitational came within one-fifth of a second of the Monmouth stakes record; her preliminary Beyer speed figure for the race is 116, which is the highest yet given this year to any horse of any age at any distance over any surface in North America. The leading contender for Horse of the Year, she’s the best of her generation, male or female, and quite possibly, the best American thoroughbred in training.
She’s Rachel Alexandra, and she’s great.
Superlatively speaking: Her Haskell win was preternatural … awesome … surreal … easily the most scintillating seen this year … spine-tingling. (For more, including photos and the race replay, visit R360.)
Meanwhile: Earlier in the day and across the ocean, Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova turned in a flawless front-running performance to win the Fr-1 Prix de Rothschild. Writes Sue Montgomery in the Independent,
Unlike those commercially driven, demeaning occasions now prevalent at feature race meetings, yesterday was a ladies’ day with a degree of dignity attached. At Deauville, the four-year-old filly Goldikova won the European weekend’s most valuable prize because of her deeds, not her looks. Her class as an athlete was being judged, not the style of her plaits or the colour of her saddlecloth.
Sing it, sister.
The brilliant Goldikova is expected to return to Santa Anita this fall to defend her title. “We’ll follow the same plan as last year,” said trainer Freddie Head.
And at Del Mar: Perfect Zenyatta breezed five furlongs in 1:00 in prep for the Clement Hirsch (video). Could the champion beat Rachel Alexandra, if the two meet? That’ll be the question for the rest of the racing year.
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Jessica Chapel writes and edits in Massachusetts. Railbird is a Thoroughbred horse racing blog published from June 2004 to July 2019. More / Contact
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