The New York Racing Association is not in its best moment mainly due to financial problems. The three racetracks run by the Association, Aqueduct, Saratoga and Belmont, have been fighting to balance the books for months because of the dramatic profit decrease, which ended with a state loan.

However, the announcement that all horses running at an NYRA track would have to remain in a security barn for six hours prior to any race was a setback for the Association. Many trainers are against the rule, which will be applied as of the Saratoga summer meeting on 23rd July, claiming that the security barn would cause their racing horses to feel stressed.

What really is good news is that one of the NYRA racetracks could be the scenario for the first clash between Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. Although Zenyatta is expected to run in the Grade One Clement Hirsch Handicap, trainer Shirreffs is said to have doubts about the race due to the quality of the course surface. On the other hand, Jess Jackson, who owns Rachel Alexandra, is not expected to take her to California to race with Zenyatta because he is against synthetic surfaces.

This means Zenyatta will have to travel out of California and the new ruling means Shirreffs could consider the NYRA race courses. His options could be the Personal Ensign Stakes on August 29th or maybe the Woodward Stakes on September 4th, both at Saratoga. Zenyatta going east would mean defying the Rachel Alexandra team to meet her, which is good news for the NYRA.