UPI Thoroughbred Racing Roundup

They both won easily during the weekend and a showdown between super fillies Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta will be one of the highlights of the racing season -- if it ever takes place.

Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness Stakes, won Saturday's $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park. Zenyatta remained undefeated with a convincing victory in the $250,000 Vanity Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

A meeting between the two has been high on the racing agenda since Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by nearly 20 lengths and the anticipation intensified after she defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in the Preakness.

But Rachel Alexandra's owner, Jess Jackson, made it clear last Wednesday his filly will not race on an artificial surface, ruling out a bid in November's Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita, a race Zenyatta won last year over the same surface.

Regardless of plans for Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta could opt to run against males in the $5 million Classic, rather than try for a repeat in the filly-mare event.

But Saturday, Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss told Sirius XM Radio's "Down the Stretch" there is "a good chance" a race can be found elsewhere in which the superstars could compete. He said a key consideration is giving Zenyatta a chance to win Horse of the Year honors -- a title she lost last year to Curlin.

"If the two horses are ready and at the top of their form, I would very much like to see a race between the two of them," Moss said.

Graded stakes for significant purses where the two might meet include the July 19 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park, the Aug. 2 Go for Wand at Saratoga and the Aug. 29 Personal Ensign, also at the Spa, or the Ruffian Handicap in September at Belmont.

The weekend results make it clear the two stars have no other worthy rivals.

Rachel Alexandra, facing only two rivals, surged to the lead at the quarter pole in the Mother Goose and reprised her Kentucky Oaks performance, this time winning by 19 1/4 lengths. Malibu Prayer and Flashing were second and third. The Medaglia d'Oro filly, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Calvin Borel, bettered two stakes records. The time of 1:46.33 erased the mark set by Lakeway in 1994 and the margin of victory bettered the record of 13 1/2 lengths set by Ruffian in 1975.

"Believe me, she's not normal," Borel said. "I'm telling you, she's unbelievable. I nudged (her) on the turn for home around the quarter pole but that was it. To make sure she'd get something out of it and do something for me. She is, I don't know, like a Secretariat or a Seattle Slew. I've never been on one like that in my life."

Out west, Zenyatta put in her typical performance despite carrying 129 pounds, rallying from fifth to win easily, by 2 1/2 lengths over pace-setter Briecat. Dawn After Dawn was third.

Zenyatta covered the 9 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:48.15 under Mike Smith.

"She's a big, strong horse and obviously we weren't afraid of the extra three pounds," said winning trainer John Sherriffs. Zenyatta won the Milady in her last start under 126 pounds.

"She's a champion and that's what champions do," Sherriffs added. "You can't run from it. Embrace it."

Smith watched Rachel Alexandra's victory on a trackside TV before going to the paddock to take a leg up on Zenyatta. "I thought she ran dynamite," he said of Rachel Alexandra. "Maybe down the road we can have a little race together. It would be nice and it would be great for racing, I believe."

Other races that could affect the Ladies' Classic Division:

-- Euphony stalked the pace in Saturday's $125,000 Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows, got by the leaders entering the stretch and won by 1 length over pace-setter Bear Now. Day of Victory finished third. Euphony, a 4-year-old daughter of Forest Wildcat, ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.71.

-- Dance For Us rallied from last of eight to win Sunday's $250,000 (Canadian) Bison City Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine. The bay daughter of Monashee Mountain came wide in the stretch to take aim at the leaders, got the lead at the sixteenth pole and held on to win by a nose over Flashy Got Even. High Mist was the early leader and finished third. The odds-on favorite, Retraceable, was never in the mix and finished sixth. Dance For Us ran the 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:44.59 for jockey Chantal Sutherland.

Other races with potential impact on the $25.5 million Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita:

$5 million Classic

Seven-year-old Jonesboro continued his winning ways with a pace-stalking victory in Saturday's $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap, drawing off at the end to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Shadowdancing. The favorite, My Pal Charlie, was third. Jonesboro, a Kentucky-bred son of Sefapianio, finished the 9 furlongs on a fast track in 1:48.01 under Clifton Berry. In the past two months, Jonesboro also won the Texas Mile and finished second to It's a Bird in the Lone Star Park Handicap. "Maybe he has gotten better as he's gotten older," winning trainer Randy Morse told the Des Moines Register. "If he has, I like it. He ran a great race. It's a pleasure to have a horse like this … But if you look at his races, he had a lot of seconds and thirds to some awfully good horses throughout his career. He's been a little bit unlucky." Jonesboro has won 14 of 40 career starts and earned nearly $1.4 million.

$3 million Emirates Airline Turf

Fame and Glory got to the leaders with a furlong to run in Sunday's Irish Derby at the Curragh and went on to win by 5 lengths over stablemate Golden Sword. Mourayan was third. The race lost an element Saturday when Sea the Stars was withdrawn because of the yielding ground. Fame and Glory, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Johnny Murtagh, ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.87. Winning trainer John Oxx said Fame and Glory now will tackle the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown July 5, where he is expected to meet Breeders' Cup Turf champion Conduit.

In France, Spanish Moon rallied from mid-pack to win Sunday's Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud by 1 1/2 lengths from the filly Alpine Rose. Shining Moon, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred son of El Prado, ran the 1 1/2 miles on ground rated "soft" in 2:27.4. Spanish Moon reportedly is targeting the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

$2 million Turf Mile

Rahy's Attorney led from gate to wire in Saturday's $300,000 (Canadian) King Edward Handicap at Woodbine, winning by 1 length over Sterwins. The favorite, Baletti, checked in third. Rahy's Attorney, a 5-year-old, Ontario-bred gelding by Crown Attorney, ran the 9 furlongs on firm turf in course-record time of 1:44.73 with Slade Callaghan up for trainer Ian Black. "He always tries," Callaghan said. "I told Ian after that last race that they would have to run a track record again to beat him. It just so happens that he got the track record this time. At the top of the lane, he dug in. He saw the horses on the outside and he gave me everything he had. He's just a fantastic horse."

$2 million Bessemer Trust Juvenile Fillies

Decelerator was just the opposite in Saturday's $100,000 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs. After stalking the pace, the Dehere filly engaged Wild Forest Cat at the top of the stretch and battled to a game victory, a neck in front under the wire. Kinsolving was third. The stewards looked at some bumping in the stretch and let the result stand. Decelerator, with Julien Leparoux up for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, ran the 6 furlongs in 1:11.28 on a fast track. "She's a gutsy filly," Lukas said. "You know, she hadn't run since May and I didn't do a lot with her, as you could see by the works. If she was short, she'd be short. I wanted to save a little something for that little place in northern New York (Saratoga). We'll come back in about 30 days and go in the Schuylerville," he said, referring to the July 29 Spa fixture for juvenile fillies.

Midst dueled for the early lead in Sunday's $150,000 (Canadian) My Dear Stakes at Woodbine, opened up a lead heading into the stretch and held off Franny Freud to win by 1 length. Elated Moon was third. Midst, a Florida-bred daughter of Closing Argument, ran the 5 furlongs on the all-weather track in 56.73 seconds under jockey Patrick Husbands.

$2 million Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf

Composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Dar Re Mi won Saturday's Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland, earning a berth in the Breeders' Cup. The 4-year-old Singspiel filly set a slow pace over yielding turf, then held on to win by a head over Beach Bunny. The 1 1/4 miles took 2:14.04. Look Here, also being pointed to the Breeders' Cup, finished third with a late run.

Black Mamba came from last of four to win Sunday's $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park, finishing a head better than Charming Legacy. The pace-setter, You Lift Me Up, finished third. Black Mamba, a 6-year-old, New Zealand-bred mare by Black Minnaloushe, ran the 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 1:59.72. Garrett Gomez rode for trainer John Sadler. "Her style is to close and she doesn't really have a dimension when she can lay up close," Sadler said. "Less horses didn't help us." He said the mare's next target is the Beverly D. at Arlington Park on the Aug. 8 International Festival of Racing card.

Mary's Follies used a late rail move to upset Saturday's $150,000 Boiling Springs Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park. The More Than Ready filly got home 1/2 length ahead of Kiawah Kat, with Obsequious third. With Stewart Elliott in the irons, Mary's Follies covered the 1 1/16 miles over "good" turf in 1:41.2 in her first race on the grass. "This really opens up a whole new door for this horse," said winning trainer John Forbes. "We'll have to sit down and map out a plan with her. She certainly seemed to like the turf today and right now I can't say whether she'll stay on turf or not." She now has won half her six lifetime starts and has a two-race winning streak.

$2 million Sentient Sprint

Kodiak Kowboy reasserted his leadership in the Sprint division with a 4-lengths victory in Saturday's $200,000 Donald LeVine Memorial Handicap at Philadelphia Park. With Gabriel Saez in the irons, the 4-year-old Posse colt sat off the early pace, then took charge in the stretch and won easily as the heavy favorite. Cassoulet was a delicious second and Cherokee Country third. Kodiak Kowboy got the 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.38. Trainer Larry Jones said his horse will head for Saratoga, with the Forego as his main target there.

Ez Dreamer led all the way to a huge upset in Saturday's $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows. Sent off at odds of 24-1, the 4-year-old, Arizona-bred In Excess colt sailed home 3 3/4 lengths ahead of his closest rival, Sok Sok. Semaphore Man was third and the favorite, Bold Start, finished next-last of six. Ez Dreamer, with Glenn Corbett up, ran the 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:08.26.

$2 million Sentient Filly & Mare Sprint

Porte Bonheur swung four-wide at the quarter pole in Sunday's $150,000 First Flight Handicap at Belmont Park and was just up in time to win by a nose over Spritely. Turn Away was third. Porte Bonheur, a 4-year-old, Kentucky-bred Hennessey filly, ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.45 with Ramon Dominguez up.