America's most famous filly fizzled out and now the most anticipated race of the year is no sure thing.
Rachel Alexandra lost her first start of 2010, beaten by Zenyatta's stablemate, Zardana, in Saturday's $200,000 New Orleans Ladies.
What was widely seen as a tune-up for Rachel Alexandra before her showdown with unbeaten mare Zenyatta at the $5 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn on April 9, turned into a huge upset.
Zardana shocked the packed grandstand at the Fair Grounds Race Course, edging past the 2009 Horse of the Year halfway down the final stretch and holding on to win by 3-4 of a length.
``She was strong early and got tired,'' Rachel Alexandra trainer Steve Asmussen said. ``I'm just disappointed she didn't win today. It was a lack of fitness and it's our job to have her there and I didn't do it.''
It turned out to be a great day for John Shirreffs, who trains both Zardana and Zenyatta - and watched the latter justify her pre-Apple Blossom hype by winning the Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita to improve her lifetime record to 15-0.
Now, after tourism officials in Hot Springs, Ark., had announced the printing of 50,000 trading cards of both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, it appears that Zardana could wind up being Zenyatta's biggest rival instead. Asmussen declined to guarantee Rachel Alexandra's appearance at Oaklawn next month.
``If I thought she'd get beat, I wouldn't have run her today, so I'm definitely going to be cautious,'' Asmussen said.
The $5 million purse for the Apple Blossom is only guaranteed if both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta race.
Shortly before Saturday's race, Asmussen walked Rachel Alexandra around the paddock himself, soaking in the adulation of the cheering crowd that was packing the perimeter and lining surrounding staircases to get photos of the star horse.
After going 8-0 as a 3-year-old, Rachel Alexandra was racing for the first time in more than six months but was an overwhelming 1-9 favorite, while Zardana, ridden by David Flores, went off at 9 1/2-1.
Ridden by Calvin Borel, who also rode her to a win over males at last year's Preakness Stakes, Rachel Alexandra broke comfortably from the No. 2 post position and quickly settled into second just outside of Fighter Wing. Borel seemed to have Rachel Alexandra calmly following Fighter Wing until easily pulling into first and moving to the rail in the middle of the final turn.
``I wanted to let her run her race early but they wanted me to wait,'' Borel said. ``I'd have got by (Fighter Wing) any time and my filly could have gone on, but they wanted me to wait until the 16th pole.''
It's not clear if the strategy Borel preferred would have made a difference.
Zardana had the No. 3 post and quickly settled into third. She remained within four lengths of the leaders throughout and then rocketed down the final stretch.
``We had a picture-perfect trip,'' Flores said. ``The strategy was simply to get her to relax and John (Shirreffs) said she would get the job done. I got after her pretty hard coming home but she is a real warrior.''
The two leading horses ran side-by-side for much of the final stretch, with Zardana slightly ahead and holding on for her eighth career win in 19 starts.
Zardana posted a winning time of 1:43.55 on the 1 1-16-mile dry and fast dirt track on a cool, breezy day in New Orleans. Unforgotten was third in the five-horse field, 11 1-2 lengths behind Rachel Alexandra.
Zardana paid $21, $3.20 and $2.60. Rachel Alexandra paid $2.10 and $2.10 and Unforgotten paid $3.20.
