Jackson: We're trying to define Rachel's greatness

Jess Jackson, co-owner of the fabulous filly Rachel Alexandra, was asked on a conference call this week if he takes into account the potential impact on history when he decides where she is going to run next. Predictably, when you have a horse like her, it's not your typical routine of trainer and owner sitting down and deciding where and when to race next.

"As we did with Curlin, it's always in my mind, but it's only one factor in a matrix of factors," Jackson said. "But certainly it could be a counter weight against just running safe races and not taking on new challenges. We try to give her hurdles, and each time she passes one we're delighted and we take her to the next. It's a process of defining her greatness."

If there's one knock against Zenyatta's connections, it's that they haven't traveled outside the box, haven't taken any chances this year like Rachel Alexandra's camp. It's looking more like they'd rather protect Zenyatta's unbeaten record than win Horse of the Year.

"Both camps have to do the best thing for their horse," Jackson said when asked if a potential matchup between the two superstars was a possibility after the Breeders' Cup. "I don't know what Zenyatta's long-term objectives are, but she's undefeated and that's a very rare occurrence in horse racing. She's a champion, she is a great horse. So is Rachel. I know there is a lot of glamour in the media and among the fans (for a matchup), but each camp has to take care of their horse and do the best thing for their own purposes."

Of Zenyatta, Jackson said: "The Breeders' Cup is coming up, I think that's their culmination, their target, and I wish her well in that. Rachel won't be going there. We have the Breeders' Cup to look forward to in 2010 (at Churchill Downs). So if Zenyatta were to win the Breeders' Cup, I would applaud her campaign enthusiastically as all the fans probably will."

As for Rachel's future after Saturday's Woodward, when she can become the first female to win the stake since its inception in 1954, Jackson left it pretty much up in the air.

"If Zenyatta were to come to the Beldame, that would certainly direct us toward that," he said. "If the (Jockey Club) Gold Cup is open and she's fit to compete there and the Beldame isn't as attractive, I would certainly consider that. I think the Clark (Handicap) is a little too late. I want to give her four or five months rest. She's certainly entitled to it. I want her healthy and well for the 2010 campaign."

Say what you want about Jackson, he knows the sport needs more stars and less great horses retiring early.

"The fans need stars. Our industry needs stars. We need to race horses a longer period of time," he said.

And he doesn't care that already some skeptics are discounting Rachel's challenge of trying to beat older males by saying the Woodward has come up soft.

"I'm not discounting in any way Macho Again, or any of the horses in this race," Jackson said. "They are the best of what's in that age group and we felt that it would help define Rachel if she could take on older horses."

Well, actually the best of the age group will be at Del Mar on Sunday running in the $1 million Pacific Classic, horses the likes of Rail Trip, Einstein, Colonel John and Parading. But that race is being run over Del Mar's Polytrack surface, and we all know how Jackson feels about "plastic" tracks.