Dream showdown not devoid of obstacles

The light at the end of the tunnel is a potential meeting between Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and champion Zenyatta in the $5 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on April 9. To ensure the field includes more than just those two, all starters are guaranteed a rich payday, including $100,000 apiece to the sixth- through 10th-place finishers.

A lot of folks will be holding their breath over the next seven weeks. Many things could happen to derail this dream race.

First, both horses will make their season debut on March 13. Rachel Alexandra will run in the New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds and Zenyatta in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita.

Both will be 1-5 favorites, but what if one loses? Even Secretariat lost to a horse named Onion in the 1973 Whitney.

Training schedules and health must be perfect for 49 days. If one of the two horses coughs, the race is in jeopardy.

I asked John Avello of Wynn Las Vegas to suggest a morning line for the Apple Blossom. In a six-horse field, Avello made Rachel Alexandra a 4-5 favorite, Zenyatta 6-5 and the rest between 12-1 to 50-1. Wynn also is offering a head-to-head bet between Rachel Alexandra (minus-130) and Zenyatta (plus-110).

Calling this one of the greatest races of all time is a bit over the top. I would say it’s on par with a Belmont Stakes in which the Triple Crown is on the line. It will be historic.

Here are two more questions to ponder:

Is one prep race enough for the two to reach their physical peak? For example, you will not see a single Kentucky Derby starter with only one spring prep. And, was the time difference between March 13 to April 3 or April 9 that big a deal or simply a negotiating ploy?

Still, it’s a miracle that negotiations got this far. Thank Charles Cella of Oaklawn Park for putting his $5 million where his mouth is. Cella massaged the details and got a deal done with owners Jess Jackson and Jerry Moss.

■ ORLEANS — A reminder: A 2011 Horseplayer World Series qualifier will be held Sunday at The Orleans. The entry fee is $100.

■ SOUTH POINT — The carryover for the Thursday South Point Six contest has grown to more than $6,000. The entry fee is $20.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.