No Breeders Cup for Rachel Alexandra

Rachel Alexandra is a very talented filly that has taken the horse racing industry by storm this year, especially with her surprising win at the prestigious Preakness Stakes. Previous victories have included the Kentucky Oaks and since being purchased by Jess Jackson, majority owner of Horse of the Year, Curlin, meticulous and careful decisions have been made in regard to her racing career. It is because of the cautious decisions made by Jackson, that horse racing enthusiasts have been disappointed a little by the confirmation that Rachel Alexandra will not be in the starting gates at the Breeders Cup in November.

The Breeders Cup will be hosted by the Santa Anita Racecourse on the 6th and 7th of November 2009. Jackson, who is not the greatest fan of synthetic surfaces, watched Curlin suffer a loss on this track and is not prepared to take the same chance again. He is a firm believer that horses should be run on surfaces that they are comfortable with, and even though Rachel Alexander has run on synthetic surfaces before, he is not going to risk her under his ownership.

Jackson feels that Rachel Alexandra has already proven that she is capable of running and winning against her male counterparts, and there is a chance that she will compete against the colts and geldings again, later this year. Racing enthusiasts have been eager to see Rachel Alexander and Zenyatta face off against each other, but it seems, for now, that they will have to wait until another opportunity arises. Rachel Alexandra will be in action this weekend at Belmont Park in the Mother Goose Stakes which carries a purse of $300 000. Other possibilities for Rachel Alexandra include the Haskell Invitational, the Travers and the Delaware Handicap.

No matter how disappointed fans of Rachel Alexandra might be about her not being run in the Breeders Cup, Jackson is adamant about his decision, commenting: “I have a very strong dislike for plastic surfaces and I don’t believe she should be exposed to that. I’m not going to run her on plastic. We don’t need to risk her that way.”