The Historic Campaign of Rachel Alexandra
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- A look at the races of Rachel Alexandra in 2009, a season in which she went undefeated in all 8 starts...3 of which were versus males. After trouncing her female competition in the Kentucky Oaks, she faced males in the Preakness and won from the far outside post. She again destroyed females in the Mother Goose, then went on to win the Haskell beating Belmont Winner Summer Bird. To cap off her unprecedented season, she defeated older males in the Woodward Stakes, the first time a female ever won that race.
Ruffian cheering from horse heaven as Rachael A, floats across the finish line!! What a beautiful horse! Poetry in motion, is she!
Tom Durkin with another legendary call, “SHE IS INDEED RACHEL ALEXANDRA THE GREAT!!!”
What a beautiful stride! I've watched thousands of races-but these 8 exquisite presentations brought a tear to my eyes. Unforgettable athlete:-)
Very enjoyable! What a great overview of this amazing filly's 3yo campaign. Watching the final stretch of the Woodward...God, I almost felt like I was there! Keep up the good work!
KM
What a great summary of the best 3yo filly campaign ever. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you so much for watching and appreciating her campaign. Horses only have so much gas in the tank, plus they endure wear and tear from travel. So by the time she faced older males in the Woodward, it still amazes me she set suicidal fractions while every horse took their shot at her, and she still battled courageously to win. Campaigns are hard to sustain, and the fact that a 3-year old, immature filly was able to prove successful is almost unbelievable. Also, she beat these horses when they fired their best shots (Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Macho Again, etc.) I wish more people could understand the history of the sport and realize just how hard this was to do. Again, thanks for watching and enjoying! :-)
Yes indeed best 3 year old filly
I truly believe the woodward is what did her in 😟 took every ounce of her talent and ability to overcome that kind of pace and she still dug in and found enough to win. Unfortunately, she was never the same horse after that😢
She wasn't. But to this day it's the best 3 yo US campaign I've ever seen. That includes the triple crown winners we've had since IMHO. I have her plaque of her in the stretch drive of the Woodward hanging in my home. Always makes me happy to look at it no matter what kind of day I'm having.
What did her in was not going to the farm after this race. She should have been sent to the farm for a few months instead of remaining in the barn. She could have used the time to fully recover from the grind of the racetrack.
Agree.
I keep watching this from time to time and never fail to have goosebumps, total involved Joy and even sometimes tears.
Forgive me, but I don't recall Macho Again catching Rachel...nor do I remember Mine That Bird passing her. Oh that's right, that's because they NEVER got by her even after the wire. We must have watched different races. How would you like it if I said if Anaaba's Creation almost held on, therefore Rachel will beat her? You would say that I wasn't accounting for the pace scenario, which you are not doing for Rachel in those races. Borel also said she is the greatest horse he ever rode.
Rachel was the 3 year old filly queen.... arguably the toughest campaign by any filly.....
She was absolutely incredible I don't think we'll ever see another like her
Rachel's 3 yr old campaign is truly historic for a filly. Only the great filly's can endure males multiple times in grade 1's and not lose. She was an amazing horse and took on all comers. Thanks Rach!!
What a champion. Love this lady. One in a lifetime filly. Ruffian, personal ensign and Zenyatta , three of the greatest fillies ever I don’t think could do what Rachael Alexandra did. To me she’s the greatest filly of all time. Zenyatta has so much heart too. Both are two of the best fillies we will ever see.
Check out “black caviar”, and “winx”! They are just as good as these fillies in the video! It’s a shame we didn’t get to see what ruffian could have accomplished!
How can anyone watch this and say she didn't desrve HOY! True champion. Great vid.
Because she didn't show up in the biggest race and zenyatta won it
Great video....what a tremendous filly, absolutely remarkable. The Woodward was one of her most incredible performances out of many, especially after those suicidal early fractions. Goddess Bless her.
Laughable that people think RA could have beaten Zenyatta at 1 1/4.
I was really rooting for Mine that Bird. It's so rare for a gelding to preform that well and that derby win was amazing.
Pitty we never got to see Rachel vs Zenyatta.
I've come back and watched this video over 5 times. Great job noting her accomplishments!!! It's just so exciting to see her run!
I'm glad that you, too, appreciate the fact that we all got to see a campaign for the ages in which a filly dominated all she faced. One day when people reflect back upon the year 2009, they will realize the difficulty of her feat. Take care and thanks for commenting! :-)
Yeah... and she retired early that year... to avoid the BC and Zenyatta. She got beat by Z's stable mate in her first start at 4 years old. With today's whip rules, she'd have lost the Woodward.
I agree it wouldn't been easy for any horse unless your were Secratierat,no horse could of beat her at 3 including Zennyata years from now
her 3 year old campaign will get its due unfortunately it doesn't get the well deserved praise it deserves now to many haters .
2009 was a phenomenal year for racing. Zenyatta, Rachel, Sea the Stars, and even harness had Muscle Hill!
😂
lol
Her connections put her out to pasture for 6 months AFTER
Woodward. No training or galloping.
Then, made the MISTAKE of bringing her back into the Arena.
Zenyatta NEVER saw a 1:46 or 1:47. Seriously?
Zenyatta had 2 races as a 3 year old. TWO !!!
A Maiden & an Allowance race.
She had 3 Lifetime races on dirt.
She was Also TWO years older than Rachel the Great.
Rachel’s 3 year old Campaign is IRREFUTABLY the best & Greatest
EVER.
Opinions Are Frivolous.
According to Rachel
Facts!!!
@@emancifyappreciate the accomplishment, little man
Simply amazing year. We will never see a 3yo filly like that again. She was on fire at 3. I often wonder if she could have won the triple crown that year. We will never know but she did handle Belmont(stakes record) like a beast. Such a shame she cannot produce anymore offspring. Her genes need to be in the genome for sure.
08 Belmont Winner Da' Tara tried to cook Her in the Woodward. Rachel Destroyed that Boy.
She was special at 3 exceptional no other horse could of beat her at 3 that's the reason she won Horse of the year glad I got to witness her running my dog would sit on her rear & watch & bark when she ran.
I am so proud of both Rachel and Zenyatta. It has been an amazing year due to both of these horses. I am so sad that there is so much in-fighting as to which horse is better in what could otherwise have been an amazing year for horses period. This type of thing is what keeps the industry in the background. Just my opinion--I'm weary of the fighting about the subject.
True, all-time greatness!
To beat males three times in "racehorse" times with legit fractions ...as a 3 year old...to include open company G1 males!
She was the definition of a true champion.
Wow factor? You bet!
TRULY ONE OF THE GREATEST FILLIES EVER, I PUT RACHAEL IN THE SAME CLASS AS RUFFIAN AND LADIES SECRET THE SUPER TALENTED DAUGHTER OF SECRETARIAT.
Amen to your comment. God bless you Julie.
Thank you Rachel,I Love you very very very much. 🐎
I guess you never saw Zenyatta run. Or maybe I bet you don't pay attention to California racing and the BC.
I am sure she has seen Zenyatta run. They were both great but 2009 was Rachel’s year.
@@GoHawksGoBlue Zenyatta was undefeated in 2009and beat the same horses RA did
She could have been a Triple Crown winner had she run in the Derby and Belmont. I am a Zenyatta fan but I believe Rachel would have beaten her based on racing styles. Rachel has the speed and pulls away from the pack early and with Zenyatta being a late closer I don't think she would have been able to catch Rachel.
Sadly we will never know, but it's safe to say both were monsters capable of beating the other if circumstances suited their respective styles. Both were absolute joys to watch! God Bless!
U am a huge Zenyatta fan.. Based on facts I think Zenny would've won by a neck or nose
+Kirby Grubb Dude, Rachel was never going to go a mile and a quarter...she barely won the Woodward vs. G3 company and would never have won the Belmont let alone the BC Classic v. Zenyatta....
bijoux: I agree with you. Rachel, great as she was, would not have handled Zenyatta at 10 furlongs or longer. At 8 or 9 furlongs, I'm convinced the results would have depended on pace. Loose on the lead, Rachel wins. Someone with speed presses RA on the lead (think Pharoah's Travers, Slew in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Fager losing to Damascus), Zenyatta wins.
Kirby Grubb your looney she barely held on to beat Mine That Bird in the Preakness and no way would she of won the Belmont and ZENYATTA would of smoked Rachel on any track at any distance
The filly did it! :)
I like your name, 2 of my fave racehorses! I think Winx is better then Zenyatta. Too bad Z didnt have more races against the boys. Really wish that her last 2 yrs the trainer would have put her in more races w males.
The idea of pitting this horse against that horse and negative comments is a complete waste of time! When I was a child in 1967-68, I was in love with Damascus and considered Dr. Fager and Buckpasser "enemies." Only as I have matured have I realized that all of these horses were amazing. Rachel WAS a brilliant filly... a deserving Eclipse Winner. Now this year we will have the Wise Dan vs. Royal Delta fans and the Beholder vs. Exec P. fans. EVERY YEAR, the same ol same ol. Keep on. BRIAN
Landaluce was way better too but she died as a 2 year old before the day she was gonna run against colts. And Fashion won all her races except one against a female that she beat by more then once and she won her match race against a colt! she won 32 races! And Don't get me started on Rachel Alexandra.
A truly remarkable performer. Given her racing style, it would have been an absolute treat to watch her going stride to stride with Big Brown in the home straight.
Well thank you very much! I've been a fan of racing my whole life and Rachel is definitely one of the most stunning and electrifying I've seen. My heart skipped a beat when the announcement was made today that she will in fact face Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom. I hope both run their best and provide us with a race for the ages!
Except lets not leave out the fact RA lost to female horses on multiple occasions.
The best filly we see in the history of racing always my number 1 race horse 🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇.
Period
Not even close, she had a great 3 yr old season but she also ducked the best mare of her time in the classic that year ... flash in the pan that lost to zardana
The fillie ain't silly another unbelievable horse that lovedddddd winning and wouldnt give any lead up lightly God bless racheal Alexandra what a horse you knew what you was getting with her and your bet would give you a good return if you backed her in any race I'm sure of that
I'm totally with you about Oaklawn being the perfect venue for them to compete. Zenyatta is a stout closer, but Rachel doesn't quit, even after setting suicidal fractions that wilt those who try and run with her early. Although the two have different running styles, they both have courage, heart and the will to win. The potential media exposure would be tremendous. Rachel is going to be bigger and stronger this year which is quite scary. It's so exciting to think about what we might see!
one of the greatest campaigns in a year for any horse ever - If Zenyatta faced her this year Rachel would have beaten her -- she was just too good but Rachel didn't come back as good as a 4 year old - still good but not great
Scott Cacciatore no doubt she had a great year but no doubt she would of gotten smoked if she came up against ZENYATTA
I'm calling bullshit...RA had a chance to face her several occasions and they ducked Zenyatta.
Google it
wow she is an amazing horse, she has to be one of the greatest horses of all time, is as good as ruffain, shes out of there leage
She doesn't get the respect she deserves after her two races in which she lost that's when the nay sayers started abandoning ship I just an opinion think she needed a different trainer one who could train a Philly her style was to rough and awkward at 4 she use to float with ease at 3 on tracks looked like a struggle at 4
* Rachel Alexandra *
Brilliant Video
Thank you so much
I am speechless. She has her place among the greatest horses like Secretariat, Ruffian, ZENYATTA, Frankel or Black Caviar...
"I am speechless"
Proceeds to write a 16 word sentence. Dumbass.
I love how Rachel Alexandra defeated American Pharoah's dad lol.
Why is it that big of deal to you? Weird.
I ♥️ her too
Inside of Rachel Alexandra, is the soul of Ruffian! HE allowed her to come back and finish her remarkable destiny! ❤
I was at Saratoga. That day. Super race. Thought the stands would collapse
Amazing just wow. Great memories of a great filly
Was the greatest filly since Ruffian..
Modern day best filly ever. Chrome/A.P. would have struggled against.
Very well said... I find that, if someone ends up putting up a Rachel or Zenyatta video on you-tube, it becomes a place where people end up fighting about who's better, instead up enjoying each special filly in their own light.
Ok: I wasn’t at Woodstock in 1969, but I was definitely in Saratoga, 2009, for this. I like Hendrix, The Who, Richie Havens, Santana so much, but I love Rachel more. I cry every time I watch this. Stunning!
I just watched all of her races and without a doubt she is one of the greatest fillies ever and rivals Ruffian for that title- my God what a horse---what a filly
+Marilyn Shively Thanks Marilyn...it's so fun to watch the raw talent bestowed by God upon these magnificent creatures. Ruffian was an absolute phenom. I don't think I will ever get over her death. However, she left a mark so indelible that people still refer to her as the greatest, and it's hard to argue. As I always say, there is room for more than one great filly. I love them all, and I'm happy you do, too!
In my opinion, I could see Zenyatta and Rachel beat each other any given race, but they both have races where nobody would ever beat them. Rachel refused to give up her lead in the stretch, and Zenyatta fought as hard as she needed to to get it. Would've been awesome to see them face off.
does any zenyatta fan really believe that she would have beat rachel in the Oaks---PUH-LEEZ---oh yeah the Preakness-----zenyataa?---puhleez----basically a west coast phenonomen who turned great at 4
I'm her biggest fan no one knows her more than me I love her so much live in a happy retirement beauty queen
During her peak, I think Rachel smokes Zenyatta.
Win her maidens by 15 lengths and sets a new stakes record.
@Temple95 You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it! It took quite a while to make. I love montage videos and wanted to make a no-frills video without music just to feature the best portions of each race from '09. In my opinion, the best video of Rachel is called "Arise" and is made by Pliokota. The music perfectly complements her performances. You should check it out if you haven't already. Thanks for commenting and appreciating the video!
Such an amazing horse. One of the greatest I have ever seen in my lifetime. You also gotta love the Woodward call. I remember I was in Vegas with a bunch of people watching this race. I was the only one who bet on her and said I will not bet against her, she has so much heart and will find a way to win this race no matter what they throw at her. The race she ran left all of us in a wow factor. For that moment, I shined because of her.
Be great to have a match race between all the great girls. Including Black caviar in Australia.
long live Her Highness Rachel Alexandra, Dominatrix of Dirt and Warrior Maiden of all Thoroughbreds!
The first race on this video reminds me that Zenatta race on this track also and won! This has to be the track for both of them to meet and if I remember correctly that the Apple Blossum for Filles and Mares is coming up ! What a great race this would be.I sure hope that the television media gives this the just due it so richly deserves. ! I can see the end of the race in my dreams as Rachel is leading the way and then Zenatta comes up to her and they match stride for stride the last 100 yards!
Amazing filly!
And I think this is like the first time the race for Horse of the Year has been between two fillies.
Summer Bird had a really good campaign that would make him a contender any other year, but he's never even been mentioned XD
Talk about girl power!
The 2nd best 3 year old campaign after the immortal Secretariat.
Such fantastic horses! I don't care WHO would win if they ever met. I'm just glad to live in an era where TWO wonderful mares raced!
You don't care because you know RA ducked Zenyatta multiple.
They were both scheduled to race the same twice and RA pulled her out of both
simply the best 3yo filly to ever set hoof on the track. an absolute joy to watch
She was a truly sensational filly up there with greats of all time dahlia, sceptre, ruffian, zarkava and arguably better than them all. Nice work this is a great compilation.
Zenyatta would have caught her.. we will never know since Rachel dodged her every chance they had
@@michaellucas669 I agree.
Love how at 7:04 he knows he's got it and just cruises. A truly incredible filly. W. O. W.
+Hannah Arnold Yes, that gives me goosebumps. Wish I could have been the jockey and know the feeling of riding a horse of that caliber. Wow!
Zenyatta's connections said come get some. Rachel Alexandra's connections wanted none of that smoke.
This is true Chard Best ....they wanted no part of Zenyatta
Calvin Borel is just chilling in most of these races lol. He didn't even have to do anything most of the time.
I couldn't agree more!! I feel privilidged to be alive to witness the greatness that is Rachel Alexandra. I can't wait for the Apple Blossom....a race for the ages is right!!!! I hate to see either of them lose, especially Zenyatta's perfect record, but with Rachel's sustained speed, I don't think Zenyatta can catch her. She better be a LOT closer than 8 lengths from Rachel's rear end coming into the stretch or it's lights out. I am SO excited!!
I think Rachel and Zenyatta are two totally different horses with totally different racing styles. They are both great in their own respects. However Rachel and Curlin's first colt, Jess's Dream and Zenyatta and Bernardini's colt Cozmic One are both 2 and I hope one day we will get to see these two regally bred colts on the track.
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this video and comment so eloquently. I appreciate that you are a genuine fan. I agree that Rachel could have won the TC given the form she maintained at that time and the level of her performances. I think we all know that both Rachel and Zenyatta were phenoms, albeit in different ways. Zenyatta was a freight train with human-like qualities, while Rachel had tactical speed that she could also carry a distance. In their prime, and on their best days, either/or could have won depending upon the specific circumstances. We were spoiled by them...I really miss watching them run! I certainly look forward to the prospect of their progeny becoming champions. Thanks again for commenting and let's hope we have much more to look forward to in this amazing sport of thoroughbred racing. :-)
I love both
@@rachelalexandra79 Zenyatta didn't set track records like Rachel Alexandra & Ruffian did. Zenyatta was not in the same class as Ruffian & Rachel Alexandra!
I agree that the blogosphere has been filled with hateful and unnecessary comments regarding these two beauties.
A healthy respectful debate is positive for the industry, but unfortunately, some have taken things to a crude level...and yes...that is not helpful to the sport.
I feel that Rachel had the better *year* and the Zenyatta capped off her lifetime record in stunning fashion. My vote is for Rachel, but whichever horse wins the title, no one will soon forget their accomplishments.
Zenyatta beat the same horses and was undefeated.
How?
Whenever I need a boost of happiness, I watch this. Works every time.
Zenyatta couldn't even beat Blame she barley won the classic against those low class colts. She didn't do anything but beat fillys by heads and noses. Ruffian won by lengths and she never was behind in any race by any pole of each race and she even set a stakes record on a hair lined fracture and no horse could win there maidens by 15 lengths and setting a track record for both females and males.
Has to be the greatest three year old campaign by a filly ever? Superbly put together video and a brilliant tribute to her .... great news as well regarding her new foal (a filly) that was born a couple of days ago
What a fantastic year that was, she was the best horse that kept getting better, unbelievable heart, stamina, and fitness, I also believe that she and Borel had a very good relationship. Thanks for sharing this especially when we are all sitting at home, hang in there Everybody, we are going to see stuff like this again, Be Strong/Be Safe!!
Holy Bull and Rachel Alexandra, always my "golden couple" of horse racing. Both had more guts then anyone out there
No horse is better than Ruffian
Nah, there's a lot of horses better than Ruffian. Zenyatta, Secretariat, Man O war, Rachel Alexandra. The only time Ruffian ran against an actual good horse she couldn't handle it and broke down.
Gender does make a huge difference first of all. Second of all, I'm not arguing, I'm responding to someone else's comment. Is that allowed or do I need your permission? If you don't know that gender matters, particularly with 3-year old fillies vs older males, then I'm not sure why I'm even bothering responding to you. People should know what they are talking about before posting as if they have supreme knowledge on the topic. Thanks, though.
RA lost to female horses though.
I am fine. Thank you for your concern (haha.) I happy that Zenyatta won, but I would greatly appreciate folks not tearing down Rachel, especially since it was obvious she was not 100%. I could say the same thing about the field Zenyatta just beat, but why must we continue to go down that road? I don't want to tear down either horse. They are both champs. Please don't make this negative. Thanks.
If we speak facts its not tearing down
RA lost to female horses Zenyatta never lost to a female horse.
They also ducked Zenyatta on the 2009 BCC where she beat the same horses RA beat.
Lets keep it real
great racehorse.
Just below the video and the the ratings stars you will see the word "Favorite" with a heart to the left of it. While you are logged in just click the word favorite and it saves. Thanks for watching the video! Take care!
Great compilation about a great horse.
Thanks for the video!
😎👍
the best 🐎 ive seen in last 20 years n no zen couldnt close into that .n unless she changed her style or Rachel did its not a good match up for zen at all .you need to push rach the whole way for zen to close into .its like Rachel loose on a comfortable pace n zen having nothing to close into .trainers n owners for the most part pick whats best for their horse n thats why no u cant say zen comes n gets her cause modt good horses would avoid that race leaving rach to pick her pace n zen either nothing to close into or having to go early either way its a loss to zen
+William Girard Thank you for your thoughtful response William. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. I hope you enjoy all the races this year, and hopefully we will get to see another great one soon! Take care :-)
One has to think that this filly could have won the triple crown. AH! What might have been.
And by the way, how often do 3-year old fillies face older males? The answer: quite rarely. So for you to make the comment that she faced older males "one time, that's it, one time," how many times should a 3-year old filly face older males? The natural progression made sense. Dominate her own sex and age, then move on to 3-year old males, and then finally older males. The point is that while Rachel was doing things NOT expected of her, Zenyatta was enjoying a nice easy year with one big effort.
I suppose the closer-favoring Pro-Ride that eliminated all dirt horses wasn't "tailor made" for Zenyatta? After an arduous 8-race campaign, RA should have traveled to a seventh state to run on a biased surface in Zenyatta's backyard? Question...if Zenyatta were the supreme animal that year, then why didn't she face males in Cali earlier and before the Classic? She didn't travel, raced sparsely, and faced virtually nothing good prior. One was put to the test and one wasn't. Lol right back :-)
The best horses in the world race on turf. This is evident from the IFHA ratings every year. Agreed that the ratings can be Eurocentric. Dirt racing is far more dangerous for horses than turf racing. I don't agree though that the European turf tracks are anywhere near the best. They are certainly, on average, the heaviest. i think the US & Southern Hemisphere turf tracks are as good as anywhere. Just because they don't rise & fall as they do in Europe doesn't make them any better.
@rachelalexandra79 1, Ruffian is the greastest so don't even try putting RA next to her she would leave her in the dust 2, Ruffian placed all new stakes records in 8 of her races 3, Ruffian was never whipped 4, What fillie or colt wins there maidens race by 15 lengths and sets a new record 5, Ruffian beat Secretariat records in a mile and a quarter 6, Ruffian also equaled two track records 7, Im done here -.-
@205seeme Both horses are great. What's going on is that people are saying untrue things about both and tempers are flaring. With the advent of the internet, any moron can say anything behind the security of a monitor. Legitimate gripes can be made about both horses. Even when I try to put things in a nice way based strictly on facts, someone attacks me. We should be able to debate with hostility, but unfortunately, reviling begets reviling. Not good.
@27showgirl No offense...but Zenyatta has not faced a single GI winner this year, so I would not be bring up competition. The females Rachel faced have put up FAR superior numbers to those Zen faced. That is in black and white on the past performances and cannot be denied. Let me ask you this...why isn't Zenyatta facing males out west? If she is the greatest horse in the country, surely she could beat Rail Trip. Right? Would love to hear why you think she doesn't have to face males in CA.
Your argument is weaker than the competition she faced. If you want to call the fillies weak...that is why she won by 20. She could have won by 50 and you would still bash her. And you obviously don't understand the rarity of a 3-year old filly facing and beating older males. Perhaps because we NEVER see that! Oh yeah and she crushed the first horse to win the Belmont, Travers and JCGC since 1989 on his favorite sloppy surface while almost breaking the track record. So unimpressive and weak!
That is pure conjecture because it didn't happen. Also, Zenyatta didn't have to travel all across the world and win against the best males all year and endure a lengthy difficult campaign like Curlin did. Please don't misunderstand I think she is an absolute monster and anyone who doesn't recognize her greatness is a fool, but Rachel deserves MUCH respect too. I don't want this to turn into a Rachel/Zen debate. I'm tired of that. They are both awesome and I'm sure neither is seeking revenge.
I'm not interested in foolish fighting. I dislike rude people very much, especially ones who need to do their homework. To be honest, what the other horses Rachel faced did before and after has ZERO to do with her! She is only responsible for her own performances, not those of others. Like you said...every race is different. The circumstances under which others performed doesn't change what she did. You don't make sense. I like a good debate, but not one filled with rudeness.
I NEVER said she was automatically better. I said she would have beaten those who competed in the past. And if I can't refer to any history, including the last 20 years(our era), then to what shall I compare her performances? I was making the point that she beat history, the clock, not just the others she opposed. That's why she beat the fillies by 20 lengths. She is vastly superior. If you only look at competition and not her records, perhaps you are the one with myopothy?
That's a foolish comment. An average/good horse would NOT be setting records or nearly breaking track records in every start. So to answer your question, she has beaten almost every single horse in history that competed in those races and at those tracks. DO people dissect Ruffian's competition? The answer is no. People recognize she was amazing regardless. You can't always have a field full of Ruffians, and you shouldn't have to to recognize greatness. I'm sorry you can't. Honestly.
I agree... to a point. The hardest part for me is the fact that, had both Go For Wand and Ruffian not broken down, they may have demolished the boys. We all know that Rachel was even FASTER then Ruffian. But I also believe that, from the way Zenyatta runs her races, she deserves to be an all-time great too.
But, as this is a Rachel Alexandra video, I will let her have her spot-light.
Hi elvira (where is that name from? Is it Kazakh?). I'm neither from the US nor Europe. So hopefully my opinion is impartial. If you have a look through the IFHA ratings for the last few years I think it paints a pretty good picture of where the differences lie.. although, IMO, the bias towards Europeans is obvious.
I still get chills watching this. Rachel and Big Z are the two greatest fillies of all time and I’ll never forget having the pleasure of watching them both.
Man o war won a race by 100 lengths while putting a world record and he won the belmont by 20 lengths and beat the triple crown winner in a match race by 7 lengths and Ruffian did more! She was in front when she broke down she was pulling away by a half of a length when she broke down.
From an outsiders perspective. I can't believe anyone would debate who deserved HOTY for 2009. And furthermore, who honestly thinks that Rachel Alexandra was not a better horse than Zenyatta. I seems obvious to me. Not debating Zenyatta wasn't great, but RA was a force of nature.
I never liked Zenyatta for the fact that to me, she was a jughead. Her ears stuck out to the side. She was always looking around like she didn't understand that she was even there to race. It was LA de da LA de da. She needed a hood on her to be honest bc to me she was very distracted. Then, at the last, she was like, oh we're racing! Ok. Let's run!
It was very disappointing. She would make a last ditch effort and squeak by.
I just didn't like her mindset at all.
Zenyatta won something called the BREADERS CUP CLASSIC AND 2ND BY A WISKER IN ANOTHER breeders cup CLASSIC
Zenyatta lost to a colt name Blame and she didn't do anything but won races by heads and noses not lengths or putting stakes record. Ruffian raced better horses and was always in front by every pole. Zenyatta is a donkey too me.
AND THE FILLY DID IT!!!! Goosebumps! What a great call by Tom Durkin!!!
Sorry but RUFFIAN is way better no matter what even if she won the mother goose by a little more at least Ruffian never gets whipped nor pushed thats why Ruffian is the best !