Jerry Moss, who owns undefeated 5-year-old mare Zenyatta, all but ruled out meeting Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra at Saratoga Race Course this summer.
There has been much ballyhoo in recent days about the two super fillies hooking up at the most high profile meet on the planet, which opens July 29. The 1 1/8-mile Go for Wand on Aug. 2 or the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign on Aug. 30 were the logical spots.
Only, Moss is pointing Zenyatta to the Aug. 9 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar, and as much as Rachel co-owner Jess Jackson dislikes artificial racing surfaces he calls "plastic," Moss is opposed to the race-day detention barn setup at all NYRA tracks, including Saratoga.
"Every venue has its idiosyncrasies that are risky,” Moss told bloodhorse.com. “We had a very bad experience with Giacomo going to the detention barn at Belmont, which threw him out of his game for the Belmont Stakes. He went nuts. At Saratoga, you have the detention barn, plus tight turns that would compromise Zenyatta given her running style of coming wide from behind."
Upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, Giacomo finished seventh in the Belmont, beaten 18 lenghts.
Jackson has made it clear he won't expose Rachel to "plastic" in the Breeders' Cup, which is the primary goal for 11-0 Zenyatta, who is based in California with trainer John Shirreffs.
“As owners, we plan for the Breeders’ Cup,”Moss told the Website. “That is where championships are supposed to be resolved. My brain is fighting my heart on this, because I’d like to give Zenyatta every chance to remove any doubts about her place in history, and Rachel Alexandra would be a challenge. She’s an amazing talent. We’d like to meet her, but we don’t want to swerve out of our program, because we still have the Breeders’ Cup foremost in our sights.
“So while we remain open, right now we’re planning to go about our business, which is to go to Del Mar for the Clement Hirsch. We may run against the boys at some point, and we’re open to meeting Rachel Alexandra perhaps after the Breeders’ Cup.”
