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Rachel Alexandra suffers first defeat

NEW ORLEANS - Rachel Alexandra suffered her first defeat on Saturday, losing to Zardana in what was to have been a tuneup for the 2009 Horse of the Year before an April showdown with unbeaten Zenyatta.

Zardana, a stablemate of Zenyatta, won by three-quarters of a length over Rachel Alexandra in the 200,000-dollar New Orleans Ladies event. It was the first race in more than six months for Rachel Alexandra, a 1-9 favorite.

“She was strong early and got tired,” said Rachel Alexandra trainer Steve Asmussen. “I’m just disappointed she didn’t win. It was a lack of fitness and it’s our job to have her there and I didn’t do it.”

Now Rachel Alexandra might not stage a matchup of last year’s impressive distaff darlings at the Apple Blossom on April 9 as planned, Asmussen refusing to guarantee his horse would race at Oaklawn.

“If I thought she would get beat, I wouldn’t have run her today,” Asmussen said. “So I’m definitely going to be cautious.”

Zardana, a 9-1 outsider riddem by jockey David Flores, stole a bit of the glory on Saturday and might be the big rival to Zenyatta next month in Arkansas.

Rachel Alexandra, 8-0 last year as a three-year-old, was ridden by Calvin Borel, the same jockey astride her for a victory in last year’s Preakness.

Zardana roared to the lead from third coming out of the final turn to win the 1 1/6^th-mile race in 1:43.55. It was her eighth career triumph in 19 starts.

Rachel Alexandra, whose No. 2 post position was just inside Zardana, took the lead in the middle of the last turn but Zardana moved ahead moments later and the two raced side-by-side down the final stretch to the finish.

“I wanted to let her run her race early but they wanted me to wait,” Borel said.