Figuring out the Foster

Saturday’s closing added money event of five straight graded stakes at Churchill Downs promises to be the best race of the weekend. A field of 11 solid older males is set to slug it out in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster over nine furlongs. In recent years the Foster has become one of the most important handicap races of the year, and this year’s edition will be no exception. It appears to be one of those fun races, where almost any horse in the race is good enough to win. In these types of races I generally look for some horses that will not be favored to use, but not always. If you simply like the favorites best, you should stick with them, and in a race like this, the exotics, even using the favorites, should still be worthwhile. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on ThoroFan*** Click Here

Friday Night Lights, Rachel and Blame

The Kentucky Derby may be over for 2010, but this weekend at Churchill Downs, the atmosphere will be electric. And electricity is just what the venerable Louisville oval will need to light up the night sky on Friday, as the track rolls out the first of several after dark racing cards. Last year's immense popularity of night racing, in which the track averaged over 30,000 in attendance, prompted a $4 million permanent lighting system to be erected. Friday’s theme will be Disco at the Downs, so polyester should be seen in abundance, as costume contests and dance competitions spice up the live racing. Churchill Downs will offer free parking and shuttle service, and gates will open at 4 p.m. with the last race scheduled for after 11 p.m. The on-track party will continue in the paddock past the witching hour. The partying should be over in time to welcome a daytime card on Saturday afternoon, and what a card it is. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

To Rachel or not to Rachel

That is the question.  I am heading down to Churchill Downs this Saturday for two somewhat disproportionate reasons; to see what should be a strong edition of the Stephen Foster Handicap, and to get my first glimpse of Rachel Alexandra this year. Sure the Foster is a big race, but truth be told, this is a Rachel trip. But will I see her?  Trying to get info out of Jess Jackson can be tougher than hitting a two-iron to an island green. The Foster, the Fleur de Lis, (both at Churchill on Saturday) the Ogden Phipps, and the Obeah Stakes, have all been mentioned as possible starts for my heroine. Secretive to a fault, Jackson leaves us with four races, three tracks, and two regions of the nation where she may appear in five days. Come on Jess, tell me, will I see her? ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Vacation Over … What’s Next?

Seven days in Maryland over and out. I had more than my fill of crabs, the boardwalk, and sand in my…well you get the idea. Candie, Kendra and I did have a great time, and who knows, maybe we will make it back to Ocean City, Maryland sometime down the road. We decided on Maryland in the first place strictly to visit Pimlico, and a couple of days there was an experience that I will not soon forget. The pilgrimage to Pimlico and the Preakness was something I needed to do. Would I recommend the Baltimore oval as a racetrack destination? Maybe. It is different than any other racetrack I have ever been to, and as you know, I have been to a lot. A city track that is either old, or steeped in tradition, depending on your point-of-view, I will say that Pimlico puts on a good show for the Preakness. The traditionalist side in me hopes that Maryland never loses the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Heading back to Chicagoland on a jet plane, or actually a Mazda 5, in our case, I got to thinking about what is on the horizon for us horse racing fans. That is what I do after all, as the mile markers whiz by. Maryland to Delaware, back into Maryland, to Pennslylvania, to Ohio, to Indiana, and finally home in Illinois. Of course I’m going to think about the horses at least a little. Here’s what I was thinking about. The queen of the turf mile, Goldikova, returns on Sunday in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, and she should have her hands full with the classy filly, Stacelita. Eight days after that, the Met Mile will be the third race of 2010 for Quality Road. In case you missed it, his last race in the Donn Handicap was one of the most impressive performances seen so far in the 21st century. Keeping my attention at Belmont Park, the Test of Champions, will be run six days later. While this year’s Belmont Stakes does not boast a list of big names, it is still a Classic, and one that I am salivating over as a betting race. One week later, Zenyatta the great, puts her unblemished record on the line in the Vanity at Hollywood Park, and that same weekend I will be road tripping to Louisville for a sure to be interesting Stephen Foster Handicap. Finally the first half of June may include the next race for my favorite horse Rachel Alexandra, and who knows, maybe it will be the race where we see the real Rachel. Am I deflated by another year without a Triple Crown winner? Nope, not me.

Mark Your Calendars Rachel Maniacs

All of a sudden the city of New Orleans is the place to be for the sporting inclined. Those oft downtrodden Saints, are scoring points by the bushels and sport a spotless 12-0 record. Big news for a team who’s fans wore more paper bags over there heads than most. Across town, a quick glance down the Asmussen shedrow at New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course reveals an even bigger star than Drew Brees, Who dat? None other than the Ragin Cajun, The Queen of Bourbon Street, the Grand Mistress of Mardi Gras…Rachel Alexandra. The magnificent filly who has stormed through the racing world, with all the subtlety of dear, departed Sam Kinison, in winning the Golden Rod, Martha Washington, Fair Grounds Oaks, Fantasy, Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell, and Woodward in succession, is being courted by the good people of New Orleans. If everything goes to plan, their wooing should see Rachel make her triumphant return to the races in the New Orleans Ladies. Mark your calendars and secure your plane tickets now. The date is March 13 and the place is Fair Grounds Race Course. The $200,000 New Orleans Ladies is newly created and a Rachel inspired race. It will be 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. The New Orleans Ladies should fit very nicely into the superstar’s 2010 schedule. A schedule designed to culminate at Churchill Downs on November 6, in the 27th running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Now we know the likely starting point for our heroine and the ultimate climax, but what shall be in between? I’d like to take a crack at that right now. After a score in the New Orleans Ladies on March 13, Rachel will make a return trip to one of her favorite tracks, Oaklawn Park for a start in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 3, also at 1 1/16 miles. The three weeks is a bit of a quick turn-around, but should set her up with a nice foundation for the bigger races to come. Rachel then will head North and take up residence at Churchill Downs. A little freshening should have her razor sharp for her first attempt against the boys in the Stephen Foster. The Grade 1 in June will be 1 1/8 miles over the same strip as the Breeders’ Cup. In July, Rachel will become the greatest horse to run at Delaware Park since Spectacular Bid, when she competes in the million dollar Delaware Handicap. This will give our star her first chance to excel at 10 furlongs. With four major wins under her belt, it will be time for Rachel to get some more work in against the boys. She will thrill the fans on the Jersey Shore one more time as she cuts back in distance to 1 1/8 miles around two turns in the Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park in August. From New Jersey, Rachel will make the short trip to New York, where she will use the prestigious Beldame Stakes in early October as her final prep for her date with destiny. Belmont is a track Rachel likes, and the Beldame will afford the nation’s largest market another glimpse at greatness. Rachel will then arrive at Churchill Downs as the greatest female horse in history and the most popular thoroughbred since the glorious Triple Crown runs of the 1970s. The world will be watching on November the 6th as Rachel Alexandra makes her final lifetime start. Here is what the proposed schedule would look like laid out: March - New Orleans Ladies April - Apple Blossom Handicap June - Stephen Foster Handicap July - Delaware Handicap August - Iselin Handicap October - Beldame Stakes November - Breeders’ Cup Classic There you have it, a schedule fit for a queen. Seven races and seven more wins. Will this be the path that Rachel the Great follows to immortality? Ultimately that is up to Jess Jackson, as my proposed schedule is only conjecture of course, but isn’t it fun to imagine? Photo Courtesy and Property of Eric Kalet