Rachel Alexandra Digression

Continue next posts with following the lead thing around the race track and a few other points related to on-track performance.

Here, some thoughts on these RA vids. My awareness involved watching the RA races which, with exception of some really nice 2 yr. old efforts I underestimated at the time. Watching again there's really some exceptional wow stuff in those RA races. And so the Q, how did this 16 hand filly get this good?

My personal reaction at the time to the RA races was tempered by a combo of my disdain for conventional training--Hal Wiggins--buying success in athletics particularly when source of money is pushing wine--Jess Jackson--and my personal distaste for running fillies against colts--see 8Belles.

All that aside there's some really interesting stuff here in terms of performance. Rachel summarized here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Alexandra

and take note of where this filly was broken--because that is an impressive job--and of the statement by breeder Morrison what he looks for in his matings--a horse that can breathe according to Morrison, which is what I've been saying--its breathing ability that separates them. U can really tell this when ur on board as a rider.

Will digress here for a couple of posts--what do we see in Rachel Alexandra that's transferrable to our own horses in terms of performance?

Training:
Thurs 10/27: 4 times up and down the hill trot-gallop. Mr. Nob reports he felt the wind on that last heat which means it was approaching :14 rate of speed, but just for a hundred yards or so. It was clumsy as unknown to the horse what we were trying to do. A breeze tomorrow perhaps?
Fri. 10/28: 2 times trot gallop up and down hill. Thought getting on was--first breeze coming. Nob confident from nice two week set of rides. Then, horse severely spooks over some fly masks laying the ground leaving the barn area and a light spook down in the trees where the deer live and the heats begin. Given this horse's history that one spook is always followed by another by this time our good rider was getting spooked. This is other than Rachel A jumping around playing with her bit, but an athletic unpredictable keg of dynamite outweighing Rachel by 200 lbs. Nob decision, on spur of moment, other than a good idea to run initial breeze in near dark past rustling deer in the trees in spook ball mode. Aborted. Live to see another day.