This week began the 30-day countdown to the running of the Apple Blossom Invitational, a $5 Million race for fillies and mares carrying 123 pounds at Oaklawn Racecourse in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Friday, April 9. The distance will be 1 1/8 miles.
Enjoy this little promo about the race, which some are calling a "match" race between the undefeated queen of the west, 2009 Breeders Cup Classic winner Zenyatta, and 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, winner at multiple tracks on multiple surfaces in all sorts of weather.
Zenyatta is a year older, bigger, and more powerful, coming from behind; Rachel is more traveled and likes to run on the lead. But up to ten horses will be running in the race, and anything can happen.
Zenyatta is a year older, bigger, and more powerful, coming from behind; Rachel is more traveled and likes to run on the lead. But up to ten horses will be running in the race, and anything can happen.
First, though, they have to get through today, when each horse has a prep race. Rachel will run in New Orleans at the Fair Grounds where she has been enjoying the winter, while Zenyatta runs at Santa Anita near her home base at Hollywood Park in California. Both races apparently will be televised on HRTV, for those lucky enough to have access to that service. The rest of us can watch it steamed live on www.ntra.com.
The races will go to post within 30 minutes of each other, between 6 and 7 p.m. EST.
Here's the promo for the Apple Blossom:
You can read much more about the big race and follow it at
www.appleblossominvitational.com.
You can read much more about the big race and follow it at
www.appleblossominvitational.com.
Let's hope they both put in characteristic performances in their races this afternoon and then head to Arkansas ready to run. Will it really happen? I don't know, but the buildup and the excitement will be great for all of horseracing and all of horse sports. We can use it right now.
The Hoof Blog will have lots more information about the mares and about the race and, of course, about their hooves, in the weeks to come.
© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask.
Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).
To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.
Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).
To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.
Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
