Photo by Jeff Brammer Raggedy Andy, left, won the 2009 West Virginia Onion Juice Breeders’ Classic on Oct. 17 at Charles Town Races & Slots.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. (Nov. 18) — Five weeks after scoring an impressive victory in the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, Russell Road returns to the races on Saturday night in the $50,000 A Huevo Stakes at Charles Town Races & Slots.

The A Huevo, named after the 2004 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic winner, will be contested at Charles Town’s three-turn distance of 1 1/8 miles. 

Russell Road, a perfect 7-for-7 in West Virginia-bred stakes company during his career, will face a deep field including 2009 West Virginia Onion Juice Breeders’ Classic winner Raggedy Andy.

The $150,000 Onion Juice, run at 7 furlongs, was Raggedy Andy’s first stakes win and first stakes effort since an eighth-place finish in last year’s A Huevo. Rodney Soodeen has the mount on Raggedy Andy. 

Russell Road will be ridden by Travis Dunkelberger who, last week, tied an American record by winning nine consecutive races over a five day span.  

Also entered to challenge Russell Road are Peaceful Bliss and Dancin Banker, who finished second and third behind the 3-year-old son of Wheaton in the Oct. 17 Breeders’ Classic.

The A Huevo will be run as the 9th race at Charles Town on Saturday with a post time of 10:52 p.m. Post time for the first race is 7:15 p.m. — Charles Town Races & Slots

Nov. 21 — Race 9 — Post Time 10:52 p.m.

The A Huevo Stakes (W.Va. accredited; $50,000, 3&up, 1 1/8 miles)

Post Position. Horse, Weight, Jockey

1.  El Numero Uno, 122, Wesley Ho

2.  Pagan Cat, 120, Gerald Almodovar

3.  I Got’m, 120, Xavier Perez

4.  Raggedy Andy, 122, Rodney Soodeen

5.  Russell Road, 120, Travis Dunkelberger

6.  Dancin Banker,122, Anthony Mawing

7.  Peaceful Bliss,122, Erick Ramirez

8.  Heart O Plenty, 122, Mathew McGowan

	Photo by Jeff Brammer Travis Dunkelberger rides Russell Road to victory Oct. 17 in the West Virginia Breeders' Classic at Charles Town Races & Slots.

CHARLES TOWN. W.Va. (Nov. 17) — With his win aboard Citigambler in Saturday’s 3rd race, Travis Dunkelberger equaled the North American record for consecutive wins by a jockey with nine.

The record was established by Albert Adams in 1930 and equaled in 1993 by Anthony Black.

Dunkelberger’s effort to hold the record outright fell short in Race 7 when his mount, Warm Springs Girl, finished second as the odds-on favorite.

Prior to Sunday’s 7th race, the Charles Town-based Dunkelberger had reeled off nine consecutive wins at both Charles Town and Laurel (Maryland) with his last defeat coming in Laurel’s 5th race on Nov. 11.

Having missed a substantial part of 2009 due to injury, Dunkelberger had only recently made his return to action.

His biggest win after returning from injury was aboard Russell Road in the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic. — Charles Town Races & Slots

Travis Dunkelberger — Nine Consecutive Winning Mounts

Date                   Track            Race            Horse              Odds

Nov. 11              Laurel           Race 6    Trophy Collector       3.50

Nov. 11         Charles Town       Race 1      Imanheiress          0.60*

Nov. 11         Charles Town       Race 7     Covert Action         1.90*

Nov. 11         Charles Town       Race 10     Mr. Synfuel           0.60

Nov. 12              Laurel           Race 6    Dixieland Melody      1.50*

Nov. 13         Charles Town       Race 4         Lolibop              2.60

Nov. 14              Laurel           Race 8       Love’s Blush         2.70

Nov. 15         Charles Town       Race 1      Never Mined          1.10*

Nov. 15         Charles Town       Race 3       Citigambler          0.30*

* Denotes race time favorite

	Photo by Associated Press Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 lengths, was the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness and defeated the males three separate occasions.

One week removed from Zenyatta’s thrilling come-from-behind victory in the Breeders Cup Classic, an unbiased and emotion-free review of her 2009 body of work suggests her chances for Horse of the Year were better a year ago.

Zenyatta, a 5-year-old mare undefeated in 14 career starts and the first female to win the $5 million Classic, unfortunately, never raced against the likely winner of 2009 Horse of the Year honors, Rachel Alexandra.

In the race to the Eclipse Awards — horse racing’s Oscars — with the results to be announced in January, Zenyatta likely loses.

By how much, only time will tell.

Rachel Alexandra, the 3-year-old filly who went 8-for-8 this year at seven different race tracks, has a leg up in the competition.

She won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 lengths, was the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness and defeated the males three separate occasions.

“Rachel Alexandra spent the year taking on the toughest challenges for 3-year-old fillies,” renowned longtime handicapper Andy Beyer told The USA Today. “It’s just hard to know how to weigh synthetic performances. American champions have historically been determined by dirt races.”

Meanwhile, Zenyatta won all five of her starts this year, always in California on the synthetic surfaces she favors. 

Last week’s race at Santa Anita was contested on an artificial surface, but more importantly was Zenyatta’s first against males, many of whom Rachel Alexandra had already beaten.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta didn’t meet in the Breeders Cup Classic because Rachel’s owner, Jess Jackson, dislikes Santa Anita’s synthetic surface.

Earlier this year, the industry tried in vain on a few occasions to bring the two horses together by offering to increase the purse for a race featuring both runners.

The offers were denied, but both camps earned praise for running their horses against the boys, helping attract large crowds and public interest beyond racing fans.

A year ago, Jackson sent his charge and reigning Horse of the Year Curlin to Santa Anita to run in the Classic, but his disappointing fourth-place finish only reinforced Jackson’s reservations about artificial racing surfaces.

It was then, after Zenyatta won the Ladies Classic to cap a perfect 7-for-7 campaign in 2008 that she stood a better chance to win Horse of the Year by unseating Curlin following his second loss of the year.

But Curlin received enough votes to defend his title, arguably justified by his five victories in other big races, including the $6 million Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

Zenyatta was second in the voting for Horse of the Year, though she earned last year’s Eclipse Award for champion older female and almost certainly will repeat in 2009.

However, this year’s top honors, along with that of champion 3-year-old filly, likely belongs to Rachel Alexandra.

Both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week. Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies by a record 20 1/4 lengths the day before the Derby, while Zenyatta was scratched because of a muddy track.

“The thing everybody keeps forgetting, (Rachel Alexandra) beat the fillies with authority,” said Chip Woolley Jr., trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. “She didn’t win by a neck or a length or two lengths. She beat ’em by 20 and in a big gallop. When you look at that and you put everything together, I think she’s a very deserving champion.”

This week, The New York Times set up an online fan poll asking the public who deserves to win Horse of the Year. As of Saturday afternoon, Rachel Alexandra received 69 percent of the more than 2,500 votes.

Nevertheless, nothing should be taken away from Zenyatta’s brilliant performance last week during the Classic.

Her connections could easily have opted to enter her again in the Ladies Classic, and following a likely victory see her retain her status as champion older female. But they chose instead to place her in one the better Classic fields, one that included global winners of multiple stakes races.

Nearly 60,000 people lined the excited stands at Santa Anita as Zenyatta took to her normal post parade, almost dance-like, strutting routine and she delivered with her late winning drive after spotting the leaders 13 lengths in the early going.

And something can be said for the fact Zenyatta ran during the Breeders Cup championships and Rachel Alexandra didn’t.

“Zenyatta made the Breeders Cup,” Bob Baffert, trainer of Richard’s Kid, who finished sixth in the Classic, told the Daily Racing Form. “And the way she won! I’ve never seen a crowd so captivated. It felt like a horse winning the third leg of the Triple Crown.”

Some people have suggested the idea of them sharing Horse of the Year honors as co-champions. But with the system of voting used to determine the champion that seems unlikely.

Four groups vote on the Eclipse Awards — the National Turf Writers Association, Daily Racing Form, racing secretaries from the nation’s racetracks and Equibase chart callers — and the likelihood of both horses receiving equal numbers of votes is small.

“So, let the debate continue and let every vote be counted,” Alex Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association wrote Friday on his blog. “And to the horse receiving more votes will go the Eclipse Award as the 2009 Horse of the Year.”

	Photo by Jeff Brammer Restricted to Maryland-bred fillies and mares, the program favorite is multiple stakes winner Sweet Goodbye.

LAUREL, Md. (Nov. 12) — From Aberdeen Proving Grounds to Marine Corps Base Quantico, from the Naval Academy to Andrews Air Force Base, if even a small number of the many active and retired service personal in the Baltimore-Washington region make their way to Military Appreciation Day at Laurel Park, the day should be a rousing success. 

The Maryland Jockey Club is generating support for the Combat Soldiers Recovery Fund. Nine races capped by the $50,000 All Brandy Stakes await racing fans, with free admission and a complimentary American flag pin for all active and retired military and a guest, plus 25 percent food and beverage discount.

A Joint Services Branch Color Guard from nearby Fort Meade and a Mounted Unit from the National Guard will present the colors after fourth race, while a Naval Academy soloist performs “America the Beautiful."

Following the sixth race, a Rody Race will be contested with representatives from the different branches of service.

The All Brandy will go 9 furlongs on the main track and the race drew nine starters, including six stakes winners. 

The race was originally scheduled for the grass, but earlier this week Laurel Park racing officials shut down the turf course for the year after more than six inches of rain drenched the central Maryland track since mid-October.

Restricted to Maryland-bred fillies and mares, the program favorite is multiple stakes winner Sweet Goodbye (3-1). The daughter of Louis Quatorze is seven-for-10 lifetime, including four stakes for earnings of $252,072. J.D. Acosta retains the mount. Trainer Chris Grove believes his star filly has yet to hit her peak.

“She is just learning how to relax and be a race horse,” Grove said. “If she develops the ability to rate effectively, she’ll reach her potential and get to the next level. Right now she has earned $250,000 just by raw talent by going to the lead. As we move forward this could be really exciting.”

Grove, who is best known for conditioning female stars Silmaril and Lexi Star, indicated Sweet Goodbye’s next start will be the $50,000 What A Summer Stakes at Laurel on Jan. 9, 2010 then the $150,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (Grade 2) on Feb. 13, 2010.

The other stakes winners in the field are Five Diamonds (9-2), Ask the Moon (6-1), Amie’s Legend (6-1), defending champion Sales Tax (8-1) and Eye (20-1).

However Maryland Jockey Club handicapper Frank Carulli has tabbed 3-year-old Love’s Blush the 7-2 second choice. The late-running daughter of Not For Love finished third in the Maryland Million Oaks and a fast closing second in the Twixt Stakes behind Five Diamonds on the De Francis Dash undercard, in her last two starts. Travis Dunkelberger tries again for Rodney Jenkins.

“The race came up much tougher than I thought when it came off the grass,” Grove said. “Rodney’s horse has some talent, Ask the Moon is a nice filly and Five Diamonds is peaking so there is some talent in here. But my filly’s best race would make her tough to beat, however if she stubs her toe there’s plenty of horses there that certainly can beat her.”

Ziggly (10-1) and Heavenly Moon (15-1) complete the field.

Jenkins saddles six winners in 24-hour period

From 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon to 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon, trainer Rodney Jenkins visited the winners’ circle six times, including four at Laurel Park. 

The 65-year-old conditioner scored with Trophy Collector and Popeye’s Lady Wednesday at Laurel then won at Charles Town with Imanheiress and Covert Action. On this afternoon’s nine-race card, Classic Art and Dixieland Melody emerged victorious for the barn. — Maryland Jockey Club

	Photo by Associated Press Mike Smith let Zenyatta lope along near the back — her usual running style in the early going.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 7) — What a gal!

Zenyatta overcame early trouble to beat the boys in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, running her record to 14-0 in the most impressive effort of her career.

The 5-year-old mare rallied from last after a poor start and fought off Gio Ponti in the stretch to win by a length at Santa Anita, beating a loaded field of 11 males and becoming the first female to win the Classic in its 26-year history.

“There are tears coming to my eyes. I can’t believe it,” said trainer John Shirreffs, who eschewed a box seat to watch his star horse from the rail near the finish line.

Quality Road was scratched at the starting gate after he acted up and scraped his hind leg, delaying the start by several minutes. Zenyatta initially turned sideways when it was time to enter the gate, and all the commotion may have explained her poor start.

She broke on the wrong foot and dropped well behind the field, and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith let Zenyatta lope along near the back — her usual running style in the early going.

“At the half-mile pole, I thought, ’Oh God, they’re stacked up. There’s no way I’m going to get around all these horses,”’ Smith said.

Rounding the final turn, Zenyatta still had a lot of ground to make up on the leaders and her chances appeared bleak.

“If she wins this, she’ll be a super horse,” announcer Trevor Denman shouted in his call.

Zenyatta then made a bold inside move midway through the far turn, and Smith angled her to the far outside as the crowd of 58,845 fans erupted.

Showing the grit of an undefeated champion, Zenyatta closed relentlessly and denied Gio Ponti the upset. Smith pumped his left arm as Zenyatta galloped past the grandstand for possibly the last time in her sterling career.

Owners Jerry and Ann Moss said Zenyatta, named after the 1980 album “Zenyatta Mondata” by The Police, likely will go to the breeding shed next year.

“I think she deserves to go out now with her record intact,” Jerry Moss said.

Zenyatta ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.62 and paid $7.60, $5.60 and $3.80 as the 5-2 favorite.

“She’s sent from heaven,” said Smith, who lovingly patted Zenyatta’s mane on the way to the gate. “She’s incredible. I still didn’t hit all gears.”

Gio Ponti returned $9.20 and $6.60, while Britain-bred Twice Over paid $7 to show.

“The horse ran a great race, but he couldn’t beat the winner,” said Christophe Clement, who trains Gio Ponti. “She’s a freak. What can I say?”

More than $1 million was bet to win on both Zenyatta and 3-1 second choice Rip Van Winkle, an Irish import who finished 10th.

Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird was fourth and Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird ninth, extending his losing streak to five straight since his 50-1 upset on the first Saturday in May.

Zenyatta was the star of the show, prancing as she paraded past the grandstand on her way to the gate. Fans held up pink signs reading “Girl power! Go Zenyatta” and roared when the hometown hero came through the tunnel and stepped onto the synthetic track.

“The way the crowd took to her was just amazing,” Shirreffs said. “They cheered for her, they clapped for her, they love her. What a wonderful relationship.”

The Mosses decided to enter Zenyatta in the Classic instead of trying to defend her title in the $2 million Ladies’ Classic on Friday.

“We thought that she deserved this chance,” Jerry Moss said.

Her presence gave a big boost to the signature event of the two-day world championships, which was missing the year’s other star female, Rachel Alexandra.

The 3-year-old filly went 8 for 8 this year, including three wins against the boys, one coming in the Preakness Stakes. But Rachel Alexandra’s owner, Jess Jackson, shut her down for the season rather than run her on the synthetic surface, which he dislikes.

Debate had raged in the week leading up to the Classic about whether Zenyatta could handle an international field of males and possibly snatch away Horse of the Year honors from Rachel Alexandra. The argument only intensifies after her explosive performance.

“If they don’t reward her with Horse of the Year, it would be a travesty, or at least co-Horses of the Year,” said Bob Baffert, who trained sixth-place finisher Richard’s Kid. “It was the only time in horse racing that I didn’t mind getting beat in a big race. Zenyatta made the Breeders’ Cup, and the way she won! I’ve never seen a crowd so captivated.”

Smith endorsed Zenyatta for the top honor, last won by a female in 2002 with Azeri, who also was ridden by Smith.

“She’s horse of the decade by far,” he said. “She should go down as one of the greatest horses of all time.”

Colonel John was fifth, followed by Richard’s Kid, Awesome Gem, Regal Ransom, Mine That Bird, Rip Van Winkle, Einstein and Girolamo.

American horses earned eight victories over the two-day championships, with Europe-based horses winning six, one better than last year’s total.

Irish import Goldikova successfully defended her title in the $2 million Mile against 10 male rivals. Another Irish horse, Conduit, repeated in the $3 million Turf, and Pounced won the $1 million Juvenile Turf.

Three geldings won races — California Flag in the $1 million Turf Sprint; Dancing in Silks in the $2 million Sprint; and Furthest Land in the $1 million Dirt Mile.

Vale of York, part of Godolphin Racing’s European division, won the $2 million Juvenile. — The Associated Press

	Photo by Associated Press Garrett Gomez guided Life Is Sweet from last to first during their stretch run on the far outside at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. — Life Is Sweet led a parade of longshots to the winner’s circle at the Breeders’ Cup on Friday, with the stablemate of Zenyatta scoring a 2 1/2-length victory in the $2 million Ladies’ Classic.

Garrett Gomez guided Life Is Sweet from last to first during their stretch run on the far outside at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old filly shares the barn of defending champion Zenyatta, who skipped the race to run in Saturday’s $5 million Classic for the first time against the boys. She will put her 13-0 winning streak on the line in the 1 1/4-mile race, the richest in North America.

Both horses are trained by John Shirreffs for different owners.

Life Is Sweet ran 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.58 and paid $18.20, $8 and $5 at 8-1 odds. She was the fourth longshot to win in the six Breeders’ Cup races.

Mushka returned $12.80 and $6.40, while Music Note was another length back in third and paid $3.20 to show. Careless Jewel, the 9-5 wagering favorite, romped to the early lead before fading to last in the field of eight.

American horses won four of the day’s six races, with jockey Julien Leparoux riding two winners.

It was the second consecutive Breeders’ Cup to be run on Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface, which kept stellar filly Rachel Alexandra away. She was 8 for 8 this year, including three wins over male horses, one of them in the Preakness. But her owner Jess Jackson doesn’t like synthetics, so he shut down the Horse of the Year favorite.

Man of Iron opened the card with a thrilling nose victory over 9-year-old gelding Cloudy’s Knight in the $500,000 Marathon, the day’s only race featuring males.

Man of Iron covered 1 3/4 miles in 2:54.11 under John Murtagh, giving Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien his fourth career Breeders’ Cup victory. The 3-year-old paid $14.80 to win in his U.S. debut after running exclusively in Europe.

Rosemary Homeister Jr. barely missed becoming the second woman to ride a Breeders’ Cup winner, losing the photo finish by a bob of her gelding’s head.

Midday gave Europe its other victory, winning the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf by a length and snapping an 0-for-6 streak in the Breeders’ Cup by veteran European trainer Henry Cecil.

Ridden by Thomas Queally, Midday ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.14 and paid $6.60 to win.

She Be Wild charged along the rail to win the $2 million Juvenile Fillies by three-quarters of a length under Leparoux. She ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:43.80 and paid $16.80 to win, and improved to 4 for 5 on synthetic surfaces.

It was trainer Wayne Catalano’s second career Breeders’ Cup victory.

The $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf was won by Tapitsfly, who held off Rose Catherine by a half-length. With Robby Albarado aboard, Tapitsfly ran one mile in 1:34.25 and paid $21.60 to win.

Informed Decision won the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint by 1 1/4 lengths over defending champion Ventura, giving Leparoux his second win of the day. The 4-year-old gray filly covered 7 furlongs in 1:21.66 and paid $8.80 to win.

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard scored his first Breeders’ Cup victory on the day, to go with a second by Cloudy’s Knight and a third by Forever Together in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Ventura was sent off as the 4-5 wagering favorite. She is trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, who has run his stable by phone most of the year as he battles an undisclosed illness. His other horses, Proviso in the Ladies’ Classic and Visit in the Filly & Mare Turf, both finished fourth. — The Associated Press