The Ladies Classic We Never Saw

Wouldn't it have been so wonderful if the $5,000,000 Apple Blossom Invitational actually panned out? It would have been, without a doubt, a race for the ages. However as of yesterday the race of the ages was scrapped, when Jess Jackson, owner of Rachel Alexandra, announced that his champion filly would not be ready in time for the Apple Blossom. Of course, for many this is a big let down, almost every single racing fan wanted to see the match up happen. That is why I decided to let my mind wander back to what could have been, what could've happened last year, had the Breeders Cup returned to dirt and both distaffers clashed in the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic.

As I sit inside, sipping my hot chocolate and watching the snow swirl around furiously outside my window, I wonder what could've been if such horses like Icon Project and Swift Temper had not been injured before the Cup. How would the picture change if the race was held on dirt? would the speedy Flashing shown or would Music Note given Zenyatta her stiffest challenge yet? So after sitting in my computer chair, listening to the wind howling in the background, I decided to give us all something interesting to think about.

I'm going to take a page out of my good friend, Brian Zipse's book, author of Zipse At The Track, and give you all a dream field of some of racing's most elite fillies. This race will not take into account any injuries that occurred before the Ladies Classic, and since we are playing make believe, the race will take place at Belmont Park, on a conventional dirt track. It will be a dream race, the race we should've seen line up in the gates of last years Ladies Classic. Oh, and a little spin, I'm going to throw in, this lovely field will include the super filly from Venezuela, Bambera!

Entries for the Dream Distaff

1.) Sara Louise and Edgar Prado
2.) Rachel Alexandra and Calvin Borel
3.) Icon Project and Julien Leparoux
4.) Bambera and John Velazquez
5.) Justwhistledixie and Alan Garcia
6.) Zenyatta and Mike Smith
7.) Music Note and Rajiv Maragh
8.) Swift Temper and Kent Desormeaux
9.) Life is Sweet and Garret Gomez
10.) Flashing and Richard Migliore
11.) Seventh Street and Ramon Dominguez
12.) Stardom Bound and Rafael Bejarano
13.) Careless Jewel and Robert Landry

Yes, I know synthetic and dirt form don't always translate, but for this, we are making all horses in the best form of their lives and all horses that are know as synthetic specialists will transfer their synthetic for to the dirt. If you want to see the outcome, the race will take place on February 13. All horses will carry 126lbs and so far the forecast is showing a clear, sunny day with temps in the low sixties.