From the desk of...Z.Black: September 2009

Rachel Alexandra, the Great

Yesterday, in what is likely to be the final bow of her three year-old campaign. Out of this world filly Rachel Alexandra took on older horses for the first time in her already stellar career. The results were stunning.

Not only did Rachel due away with an impressive field of older horses {Beating older horses is only really a factor in a horses three year old campaign, partly because two & three year-old horses spend the first two years of their racing careers competing against horse their own age.} that included (just to name a few) 08' Belmont Stakes winner D' Tara, 07' UAE Derby winner Asiatic Boy and $1,625,247 career earnings winner Macho Again but she may have shut this reporter up for good.

I've made no secret about my feeling regarding Rachel Alexandra. I simply don't believe she's as good as peopled have you believe. A quote this week from trainer Marty Wolfson pretty much summed up my feeling toward the reigning queen of the three year-old division.

"I don't want to say she's great yet, I grew up around Affirmed and Alydar, horses like that. Those are great horses. I cannot tag her great yet. She's a top filly. I've seen a lot of top fillies, too. My stepmother had Affectionately and Priceless Gem and horses like that. They were top fillies, but they weren't great horses. I think she's a top filly"

Rachel beat Wolfson's charge It's a bird on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga to claim the fifty-fifth running of the Woodward Stakes. Rachel Alexandra was pressed on the lead from the outset of the 9 furlong race by D' Tara who never let Rachel relax on the lead. As Rachel made her way into the home stretch, her rivals on the front end gave way to a charge from the back of the pack. Asiatic Boy was strong but in the end it was Macho Again who came from the back of the pack to challenge Rachel.

Rachel's rider Calvin "Bo-Rail" knew he he had company headed home and asked his filly for a little more with a little left-handed encouragement. Rachel just kept on truckin and Macho Again continued to close the gap on her. Rachel did not appear to be slowing down, just unable to keep pace with Macho Again who was in full flight right in front of the Sartoga grandstand.

Robby Albarado aboard Macho Again had finally done it. He'd pinned down the super filly and was about to wipe the floor with her when Calvin Borel stepped in. Borel adjusted his encouragement from left to right and Rachel responded with another gear costing to the finish-line neck in neck with Macho Again who just couldn't get by owner Jess Jackson's pride and joy Rachel Alexandra, the great.

Rachel's Future

Rachel Alexandra defied fifty-four year of history becoming the first filly to win the Woodward Stakes. It's unclear what's next for the potential horse of the year candidate, however Jess Jackson has already made a couple of things clear.

First, he, Jess Jackson fully intends to run Rachel next year during her four year-old campaign.

Second, he, Jess Jackson does not believe in running horses over the synthetic poly-track at Santa Anita where this years Breeders' Cup will be held. This is unfortunate because the one obstacle I see in viewing Rachel as one of the greatest horses of all time is that she has not proven that she can win on multiple surfaces.

Rachel Alexandra, better then great?

Sure some of the greatest dirt horses ever could not match their dominance on the grass and vice versus, turfers aren't always apt to run well on dirt. Synthetic surfaces have already been installed at major tracks across North-America. Synthetic surface are very new and were very costly to install, so their not going anywhere anytime soon. If Jess Jackson or Humbum Joe Gambler wants me to believe that Rachel is one of the greatest horses of all time she is going to have to win one on the Poly-Track. More specifically I want to see Rachel beat probable 09' Breeders' Cup Classic starter and fellow filly Zenyatta on a synthetic surface.

A bet for my NowPublic readers!!!

I'm so confident that Zenyatta can catch Rachel on the Poly-Track that I'll eat my own hat if it happens (I'll also make a video of this exercise {eating my hat} to be posted with a future article entitled Rachel Alexandra, the Greatest... ...Pass the salt)

Zoltan Black

NowPublic

Friday, September 4, 2009

Turn $2.00 into $656K at New York's lovely Saratoga Race-Track

This afternoon at 4:09 p.m. race four on today's Saratoga card will go to post with a little something extra on the line.

Thanks to a host of long-shots that paraded to the winners circle during the first four legs of the pick-six on Thursday afternoon the pick-six payout was going to be a huge one. When Thursday's card was finally in the books, nobody had claimed the massive pick-six pot that had been growing for two days and now toppled the $200,000 mark.

The objective of the pick-six wager is a little obscene, the betting public is expected to correctly select the winner of 6 consecutive races. To make matters more difficult the 6 consecutive races are preselected by the racing authority, meaning the six race wager can often times feature races that are extremely tough to handicap in the first place.

Track-Mites like myself often use the "keying" technique when trying to capture elusive multi-race wagers like the pick-six or the win-four. This technique consists of selecting one "sure fire" winner in just one race, well pairing any number of possible winners in the other events. This type of wagering is even more obscene then the wager it self!! Often times these wager can also be very costly. A standard pick-six wager with one horse selected to win each leg cost just two dollars, however when you add multiple selections to your wager the cost significantly rises. It is not uncommon for one of my fellow Track-Mites to spend $40, $60 or even $100 on just one of these multi-race exotic wagers, but this is not sound advice.

With $656, 000 at stake today in Saratoga Springs, New York my advice to you would be to reach deep into your pocket....find the change from your morning coffee and pick-up a $2.00 pick-six ticket from your local O.T.B. (Off Track Betting --facility)

But I know next to nothing about horses?

If your not familiar with the sport all I have to say is ... ...haven't you heard of beginner luck? Us Track-Mite are race-track staples, however with all of our knowledge, racing forms and insider tips we were still unable to wrangle in Saratoga's pick-six two days in a row.

If your really nervous about making the wager just tell the teller at the O.T.B. that... ...you would like to make a $2.00 wager on the pick-six at Saratoga. If you have selected horse based on names, number or some other form of selection inform the teller on the horse number that corresponds with each race. As long as you have only selected one horse in each leg of your wager the cost will be just $2.00. If the idea of picking horse by name, number or some other form of selection is already giving you a headache I suggest you inform the teller that... ...you would like to make a $2.00 wager on the pick-six at Saratoga and that you would like this wager to be a quick-pick. Quick-pick if you are unfamiliar are random computer generated numbers and because no logic goes into the selection of these number the winning pay-outs on a quick-pick ticket can be enumerable.

What: A $656,000 pick-six carryover
Where: Saratoga Race Course
When: Friday (Races 4 thru 10)
Why: A chance at winning $656,000
How: Off-Track Betting of Saratoga Race-Track

Who: Zoltan Black

NowPublic

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Friday, September 18, 2009

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Monday, September 7, 2009

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