If you follow horse racing, of any breed, you are likely familiar with thoroughbred sensations Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta – two of the best female horses ever to look through a bridle.

In 2009, these two athletes posted truly extraordinary campaigns, with both mares defeating their male counterparts in incredible fashion. Three-year-old Rachel became the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness Stakes, and the first three-year-old filly ever to win the Grade 1 Haskell against older males. And Zenyatta, a five-year-old, won the toughest race in the world, the Breeders Cup Classic, in astounding last-to-first fashion – the first female ever to win the event.

In an unprecedented show of respect, both horses received serious consideration by the Associated Press writers in their voting of America’s Female Athlete of the Year. Zenyatta finished second in the balloting behind winner, tennis sensation Serena Williams, while Rachel Alexandra finished seventh. The final tally had racehorses picking up a remarkable 18% of the overall vote.

Now in 2010, it finally appears that a matchup is actually looming. Is it possible that horse racing will get things right and figure out a way to get these two horses to race against each other?

With Zenyatta holding off her retirement and Charles Cella, the owner of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, willing to put the fans first, the race appears on the horizon – set to take place on April 9.

Cella, to his credit, changed the distance of the Apple Blossom to suit the fillies, changed the date to suit the trainers and multiplied the purse 10-fold from $500,000 to $5 million to suit just about everyone. He did it all in order to get the event scheduled. Now it appears the event will proceed.

While it’s tough to predict whether a race of this magnitude will have any meaningful effect on the future of horse racing, it sure is nice to see it marching forward.

But what’s especially meaningful is that after watching more than a year of missed opportunities from Churchill Downs Incorporated, Magna Entertainment, the New York Racing Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and every other big player in thoroughbred racing, it took Charles Cella, a 73-year-old track owner, to accomplish what everyone wanted to see.

For Cella, it was about the customers and about horse racing – not profit margins or politics. He did what it took to get the job done, made the right phone calls, and if all goes according to plan, accomplished the seemingly impossible – bringing together the race of the century.

So, the next time harness racing misses the opportunity to have Muscle Hill face Lucky Jim or Somebeachsome-where get his revenge on Art Official, remember it’s certainly not because of bad luck or any of the bad excuses that are often cited.

It’s because of just two reasons. Firstly, because Charles Cella likes thoroughbreds, and secondly, because nobody out there took charge and decided they were going to make it happen.

Darryl Kaplan
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