Rachel Alexandra prepares for Saturday's seasonal debut

  Picture: Fair Grounds/Lou Hodges Jnr  

Zenyatta and Rachel primed for return

Preview: USA, Saturday

Fair Grounds: New Orleans Ladies 1m½f, dirt, 4yo+ fillies and mares (11.15pm GMT)

Santa Anita: Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (Grade 1) 1m1f, AW, 4yo+ filles and mares (11.36pm GMT)

THE phoney war between American racing's two superstar females reaches a crucial stage on Saturday.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta make their seasonal debut - at separate tracks, barely 20 minutes but a couple of thousand miles away apart.

The US racing community ison tenterhooks this weekend hoping nothing goes awry three weeks before the  highly anticipated $5 million showdown between the two superstars in the Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas on Friday April 9.

Rachel Alexandra, voted American horse of the year for 2009 at the expense of her arch-rival, is first off the blocks in a $200,000 event specially carded for her at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Zenyatta's trainer John Shirreffs saddlesher main opponent among just four rivals in Grade 2 winner Zardana - and soon afterwards at home in California, his spectacular Breeders' Cup Classic winner bids to extend her unbeaten record to 15 in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational at Santa Anita.

Although Rachel Alexandra faces a small field of overmatched rivals in the New Orleans Ladies, trainer Steve Asmussen has warned that she will need the run after a six-month layoff following the last of her eight wins as a three-year-old in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, one of three times she beat the colts last season.

Rachel Alexandra: teams up again with Calvin Borel

  Picture: Matt Wooley  

The daughter of Medaglia D'Oro, who will be ridden by regular rider Calvin Borel, has reportedly been a little held up by the wet winter in New Orleans.

"We need this to be a stepping-stone and a prep," Asmussensaid, speaking to the Daily Racing Form. "We want a good, physical exertion. There's going to be a lot in Calvin's hands."

Rachel Alexandra will break from gate two, outside likely pacemaker Fighter Wing - while the presenceof the speedy Shirreffs-trained Zardana adds intrigue. She could easily be sent to dog Rachel Alexandra, who likes to race forwardly.

Locally-based Glenn Delahoussaye, trainer of Clear Sailing, is hoping to catch America's sweetheart before she is ready to bring her A-game.

"The question we all have is, 'How good is she right now?'" he said.

On paper, Zenyatta faces a much more testing assignment first time out at Santa Anita, where she must give away between 12lb and 19lb to some talented fillies, including Grade 2 winners.

Zenyatta will carry 9st 1lb in this $250,000 event on the Pro-Ride. On the plus side, jockey Mike Smith reckons she may be even better than last year following her ‘unretirement' - and workwatchers have been more than impressed with her recent efforts.

Nevertheless, Smith is concerned about the weight concession.

"It is quite a bit of weightto start out the year with," he said.
"But fortunate for us, she's a big mare and she carries the weight very well. So, hopefully, it won't bother her too much and I think she's going to run big first time back.

"I mean she's really ready. She's ready for something right now and she's certainly training like it anyway."

Zenyatta's rivals include former British-trained Gripsholm Castle, now with former handler Henry Cecil's nephew Ben in California. Mind you, he seems to be running up the white flag before they start.

"Obviously, anything can happen in these races, but that's really what everyone else is in there for, to get a Grade 1 placing," he said. "There can't be anyone going in there thinking they can beat Zenyatta."

Of the others, both Pretty Unusual and Striking Dancer are recent Grade 2 winners.

Blue Square have priced up the Apple Blossom, making Rachel Alexandra their 8-11 favourite to beat Zenyatta (evens).

Nicholas Godfrey reports live from the USA on Saturday night - find out how the superstars got on, only on racingpost.com