Edie Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Woo hoo!! Are you going?? Race on! Rachel vs Zenyatta in Ark. for $5 million By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Sports Writer 4 hours, 35 minutes ago NEW YORK (AP)—Rachel vs. Zenyatta. The race is on! One day after a matchup of racing’s leading ladies fell apart, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., worked out a compromise to match the champion females for the first time—in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational on April 9. “The race is a go,” a delighted Charles Cella told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “Both parties have signed off on it. I feel like we’ve been through the ringer on this thing. Now, we’re really excited about it. One day after a matchup of racing's leading ladies fell apart, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., worked out a compromise Thursday, Feb. 11, to match the champion females for the first time--in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational on April 9. “This is truly a race for the ages.” The surprising turn of events came less than 24 hours after Rachel Alexandra’s owner Jess Jackson said his filly was out of the 1 1/8th-mile race because she would not be in peak condition by April 3. Instead, Jackson proposed a three-race series in which the horses would meet, an offer Moss said he was never consulted about. Cella said he worked the phones Wednesday night and Thursday morning trying to make his race a reality. He agreed to move the race to April 9—the day before the track’s signature event, the Arkansas Derby—and apparently Jackson was sold. “We are delighted that the race is on for April 9 and want to especially thank Charles Cella and Oaklawn for moving the date,” Jackson said in a statement. Zenyatta’s owner, Jerry Moss, had said his unbeaten mare would run in the Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita on March 13 and then in the Apple Blossom. “We appreciate and applaud Mr. Cella’s effort to make this happen, and we’ll all be excited about traveling to Oaklawn to watch a great race,” Moss told the AP on Thursday. “We’ve been focused all along on Oaklawn.” Rachel Alexandra is training at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and could make her first start of the year in mid-March. The matchup has been the big story in racing for months, especially after Rachel Alexandra beat out Zenyatta for Horse of the Year. Rachel went 8-0 last year, and beat the boys in the Preakness Stakes, the Haskell Invitational and the Woodward Stakes. The 6-year-old Zenyatta, 14-0 overall, capped her ’09 campaign by becoming the first female to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Last week, Cella said he would boost the Apple Blossom purse from $500,000 to $5 million if both Rachel and Zenyatta ran. “The conditions stay the same,” Cella said. “Both connections felt they needed a little more time so they could run in a prep and I agreed to that.” Oaklawn Park appears to be the best place for what would be one of racing’s biggest showdowns. Zenyatta runs primarily on synthetic surfaces, but won the Apple Blossom on dirt two years ago. Rachel Alexandra won twice at Oaklawn last year, taking the Martha Washington Stakes and the Fantasy Stakes. Jackson kept Rachel Alexandra out of the Breeders’ Cup because he dislikes synthetic surfaces. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I booked a room, and scored a box in Hot Springs when the original date was scheduled for April 3rd. No luck after the rescheduling. This race is Friday 4/9 and the Arkansas Derby(one of the biggest Derby prep races) is 4/10. The crowds are supposed the largest ever for a sporting event in Arkansas. It will be insane. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 I booked a room, and scored a box in Hot Springs when the original date was scheduled for April 3rd. No luck after the rescheduling. This race is Friday 4/9 and the Arkansas Derby(one of the biggest Derby prep races) is 4/10. The crowds are supposed the largest ever for a sporting event in Arkansas. It will be insane. Ha -- thrilled you saw the thread. I frankly forgot about it Maybe you will get lucky and get tickets even for the infield. I wish I could get there. I almost don't care who wins as long at the trip is safe for both horses. I am a biiiig Rachel fan -- the way she swept through her races last year was amazing. A couple of her runs were just off the charts. Zenyatta is also a very special horse, but I will be rooting for Rachel! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Ha -- thrilled you saw the thread. I frankly forgot about it Maybe you will get lucky and get tickets even for the infield. I wish I could get there. I almost don't care who wins as long at the trip is safe for both horses. I am a biiiig Rachel fan -- the way she swept through her races last year was amazing. A couple of her runs were just off the charts. Zenyatta is also a very special horse, but I will be rooting for Rachel! Southwest flies to Little Rock which is only an hour away from Oaklawn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Southwest flies to Little Rock which is only an hour away from Oaklawn. It looks like we are going to the Derby in 2011 (in a box no less) and I think that's going to wipe out the money to be spent traveling to see horse races, sadly. I need to win the lottery to finance all of this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 It looks like we are going to the Derby in 2011 (in a box no less). Sweet. I'll book my plane tickets now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Sweet. I'll book my plane tickets now. got $875? I actually think its cheap. Plus I'll get to wear a hat! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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