Jess Jackson continues to make my week. The co-owner of Rachel Alexandra announced today that he hopes to continue racing the champion filly into her four-year-old year.
He also had to this to say in regards to his decision to buy her and race her against the boys: “I think the fans deserve to see the best horses compete, regardless of sex.... This is not about male and female. This about the best athletes able to go two turns … We hope this will help the fans enjoy a great sport. She is a perfect athlete. I hope this helps revive horse racing in United States...”
“She is well-defined against fillies,” he said. “What we wanted to do was define her against colts. I don’t think she has really been tested in any race she has run. Now she is going to be tested.”
In regards to people saying he's being "unsportsman-like" in entering a non-Triple Crown nominated horse in the Preakness, possibly upseting Mine That Bird's chance for the Triple Crown, Jess Jackson replied, "the goal is to run the best horses against each other."
Besides, Jackson said, if Rachel Alexandra finished “a respectable” second to Mine That Bird in the Preakness, “I would enjoy it as a spectator.”
What a classy guy. You can say what you want about him using his money to get his way, but he puts the sport and the horse foremost, unlike so many people. He truly loves horse racing and is doing his part to bring the sport to level the fans want to see, and for that, he should be respected.
He also sent Marylou Whitney a bouquet of a dozen roses in gratitude for her gesture of withdrawing if it meant Rachel wouldn't make the Preakness field (Luv Gov did make it in, since there were only 13 entrants).
Quotes and information taken from this article in bloodhorse.com
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