Originally published March 13, 2010 at 6:57 PM | Page modified March 13, 2010 at 7:59 PM
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Rachel Alexandra loses; Zenyatta moves to 15-0 | Horse racing
Preparing for a showdown with the undefeated mare Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra was beaten by Zardana at the Fair Grounds on Saturday in the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies Stakes.
NEW ORLEANS — This was supposed to be an exhibition for Rachel Alexandra, reigning Horse of the Year.
Preparing for a showdown with the undefeated mare Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra was beaten by Zardana at the Fair Grounds on Saturday in the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies Stakes.
A half-hour later at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., Zenyatta won her 15th race in the $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational.
The 6-year-old was last into the stretch but passed her seven rivals like a sports car on a crowded autobahn for a 1 ¼-length victory.
Rachel Alexandra, the 1-20 favorite, was beaten by Zenyatta's stablemate, who came from trainer John Shirreffs' barn in California.
At the top of the stretch, Zardana blew by Rachel Alexandra to win by three-quarters of a length.
"She was beat when the other horse went by her," Rachel Alexandra jockey Calvin Borel said. "She needed the race, that's all."
After six months away, Rachel Alexandra was found wanting. Trainer Steve Asmussen took the blame. He indicated that the odds of his filly meeting Zenyatta in the $5 million Apple Blossom Handicap on April 9 at Oaklawn Park had diminished.
"I'm definitely going to be cautious," he said.
Shirreffs thought Zardana, a 6-year-old, might catch Rachel Alexandra, a 4-year-old, below her peak.
Zardana covered 1-1/16 miles in 1 minute 43.55 seconds, and paid $21 to win.
In the Santa Margarita, Mike Smith let Zenyatta ($2.60) lope in last for most of the 1-1/8-mile race.
When he finally asked Zenyatta, a big girl, to run, she was stopped once, twice and looked beat.
"Before her, I never thought any horse of this size can do what she can do," Smith said
Note
• Lookin at Lucky recovered from being jostled in the backstretch and rallied to win the Grade II Rebel Stakes by a head in a Kentucky Derby prep at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Lookin at Lucky paid $4.20 to win in the 1-1/16-mile race.
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