'Rachel Alexandra': back to work in 2010

[Glimmerglass]

Folks can be smitten all they want over Stardom Bound, but I think ‘Rachel’ has more of a can-do and ‘watch me go’ type of style. She was the 1-5 favorite, coming into the $400,000 (Grade 2) Fair Grounds Oaks today with Calvin Borel up and damn she was never asked one iota of go and still won by daylight on the slop!

In fact when the replay is available watch Calvin giving the #1 finger for about the last 1/16th of the mile in a true walk home.

This not unlike her last effort either. In her last race, Rachel Alexandra came off a 2 1/2-month layoff to set a stakes record in the Martha Washington, covering the mile in 1:36.40. She won by eight lengths that day and Calvin did the same thing - he stood up with about a sixteenth to go and yet she still broke the stakes record.

The 3-yr old filly is impressive … and she knows it

[Glimmerglass]

BloodHorse 3-14-09 “Off Track Doesn’t Slow Rachel Alexander”

The sharp filly took over on the first turn and simply ran away from the field, winninng the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies while geared down by jockey Calvin Borel by 1 3/4 lengths in an outstanding time of 1:43.55 on a sealed track.

Winner of the Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs as a juvenile, Rachel Alexander improved her career mark to 5-2-0 in eight starts and more than doubled her earnings to $471,440 with the winner’s share of $240,000.

The questions of maybe trying the Kentucky Derby will get louder or at least the Preakness Stakes … she is not yet nominated to the TC but they passed thus far only because they thought it would be distracting.

[LaurieB]

LOL, I thought Calvin was waving to the crowd for the last furlong. He certainly didn’t have to do any riding.

Really impressive performance for Rachel Alexandra.

[TBJumper514]

Very impressive race! Nice filly!

[TouchstoneAcres]

I watched this and her last race–both very impressive. Stardom Boubnd’s last one wasn’t so great–so far I really like Rache A the most this year.

[VirginiaBred]

I agree with the opinion that Rachel Alexandra is the better filly.

[Glimmerglass]

AP Photo of Calvin Borel before the finish line

Her owners are reaffirming their stance of “no” for the Triple Crown:

co-owner and breeder Dolphus Morrison doused the growing public sentiment that the filly should be a late nominee to the Triple Crown races.

“No, no, no, no,” he said, even as he called the performance “awesome.”

“We have too good a filly to risk her future in a 20-horse field of brutal, man, macho colts,” said Morrison, who sold half-interest in the filly last fall to Mike Lauffer of Paintsville, Ky. “It’s not where she needs to be. If we could win the Kentucky Oaks, it would be a wonderful thing.”

From the Times-Picayune

Borel next looked over at the Fair Grounds crowd, raising his forefinger in the universal sign for No. 1. Although Rachel Alexandra was never in danger of losing, Flying Spur took advantage of Borel wrapping up on his mount to cut the margin to 1 3/4 lengths at the wire of the Grade II stakes

“It was like a walk in the park,” Borel said. “Right now, I don’t think there’s nothing in the country to mess with her.”

Of his finger-waving, he said, “I wanted to let 'em know she’s for real.”

Trainer Hal Wiggins responded with a laugh.

“He can tell them that after the race,” Wiggins said. “They’ve got eyes for themselves. They can see what kind she is by the way she finishes.”

The victory came on the 50th wedding anniversary for Dolphus and Ellen Morrison, who bred and co-own the filly with Mike Lauffer.

“It’s special,” Ellen Morrison said of the big win on a big day. “She’s a beautifully filly. We’re awfully proud of her. We love her name, because she’s named for our oldest granddaughter, Rachel Alexandra Doisy.”

[Glimmerglass]

The video replay from youtube.com: March 14, 2009 $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks - Race 6

[Frog]

Wow!

Nice little gallop for the filly! Just watched the race for the first time, thanks Glimmer. I don’t think the 20-horse Derby field would be a problem, she’d be in front the whole way anyway if she doesn’t draw the far outside and breaks fast enough.

[Filly85]

I love Rachel Alexandra!

However, she and Stardom Bound aren’t the only two talented fillies;).

There are two more that I really like…Heartless Vixen and Don’t Forget Gil.

Don’t Forget Gil just shattered the stakes record at Tampa Bay yesterday. She ran faster than the boys did in the Tampa Bay Derby. She looks like a real runner, although, that Tampa surface is weird. Some horses love it and others don’t like it so much. I am super excited about how the Kafwains are performing this year!!! He has some real runners!

I doubt Heartless Vixen will go to the KY Oaks, as she is really pushing it schedule wise. I would expect that she will make some major noise later on though. She has only won an allowance race and a maiden, but boy did she do it the right kind of way. She may be just a miler or sprinter being that she is a Lion Heart, but she looked very nice at 7 furlongs. Very nice.

Stardom Bound may be tailing off. I have heard that she is not very sound. Judging by her last start, it looked like the rumors may be true. She is super classy though, but I will be looking elsewhere in the KY Oaks.

[witherbee]

Nice filly and fun race to watch. Calvin Borel showboated a bit and I’m glad to see that the owner had a sense of humor about it, but was not encouraging that. I agree - teh filly doesn’t NEED anyone to tell them that she is number one. Makes me nervous to see a jockey looking back that much and then showboating - that’s how you lose a race sometimes and he should really know better. Anyway, all’s well that ends well. I’m glad the filly will not run in the Derby - I like to see the girls run with the girls at that age.

[Glimmerglass]

Up next for her is likely the Fantasy Stakes (Grade 2) at Oaklawn on April 5th, then the Kentucky Oaks:

The talented bay filly improved her record to five wins from eight starts and doubled her bankroll with her Fair Grounds Oaks win to $471,440. Jockey Calvin Borel made sure Rachel Alexandra got all the credit she deserved coming down the lane at Fair Grounds, easing her up at the sixteenth pole and letting her gallop home.

“I got some calls about Calvin this morning; we told him next time to celebrate after they have crossed the wire,” Wiggins laughed. “She ran so well, and came out of the race in good shape. She will walk five or six days, and then she will head back to the track, and will probably work one more time before her next race.”

“The owners are leaning heavily to the Fantasy Stakes right now,” he added. “The (April 11) Arkansas Derby (G2) is still being considered, but right now it looks like she will go to the Fantasy. It will give her four weeks between the Fantasy and the Oaks rather than three weeks, and we think she needs enough time in between races.”

[slvrblltday]

I love this filly too. FF to the top of the Derby lists, yet RA went the same distance at the same track on the same day as him, only .09 seconds slower - and wasn’t even being ridden out whereas FF was, if not actually being driven. I wholeheartedly believe that RA would have beaten FF on Saturday.

I can respect her owner not wanting her to toil with 20 others in the Derby though. But not anymore than I would anyone making that decision, colt or filly. (While I’m against most of the proposed tinkering with the classics, I do think they should reduce the limit on the field size.)

[Calico]

She is special. Her Martha Washington was faster and more brilliant than Old Fashioned’s Southwest, at the same distance, on the same track, in the same conditions, and within 24 hours of one another.

[Glimmerglass]

Regarding Rachel Alexandra’s impending next start (April 5 - Sunday) in the $250k Fantasy Stakes (G2), won last year by Eight Belles: From Monday

]The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies will be her final prep for the Kentucky Oaks. Calvin Borel has the mount in the Fantasy, which could also draw Afleet Deceit, Bon Jovi Girl, Just Jenda, and More of the Best.

Rachel Alexandra was to work an easy half-mile here Tuesday, said her trainer, Hal Wiggins.

[Glimmerglass]

Some raves: Apr 1, 2009 “Rachel Alexandra pretty to watch”

Who says blondes have more fun?

Rachel Alexandra, a dark bay - or brunette - had a blast Wednesday morning at Oaklawn in her final prep for Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Fantasy. Looking every bit the part of one of the nation’s top 3-year-old fillies, she took to the track at 7:15 a.m. on a 45 degree morning and breezed a half-mile in an effortless 47.60 seconds.

The work was the quickest of 17 at the distance, but it gets even better. Clockers caught Rachel Alexandra galloping out five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, and six furlongs in 1:12.60. And through it all, Calvin Borel, her regular rider, was simply a passenger on the long-striding filly, who is set to run here Sunday.

“The gallop-out times were a little surprising,” said Hal Wiggins, who trains Rachel Alexandra for L and M Partners. “It was a little bit more than what I wanted, but like Calvin said, she just did it so easy and all, and he felt that it was okay. So, that’s good enough for me.”

Borel has teamed with Rachel Alexandra in each of her last three starts, which have resulted in easy wins in the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs in November, the $50,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn in February, and the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks in her last start March 14.

“It’s four weeks before the Oaks, and that meant a lot to us, and she’s doing so well, and we’re sitting right here,” Wiggins said. “We just lead her out of her stall and go to the paddock. And all that played a part in it. If this was three weeks before the Oaks, we probably wouldn’t do it.”

[Mara]

I love this filly, especially as I am a big fan of Medaglia D’Oro.

I keep worrying that IEAH will get their hands on her and send her to Dutrow. . .

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Mara;3998145]
I keep worrying that IEAH will get their hands on her and send her to Dutrow. . .[/QUOTE]

No chance her owners would sell - she’s named after their granddaughter and you don’t do that just to cash out … They’ve been in the game a while, know what is up and know what’s best for her. The fact they’d be “tickled pink” winning the Oaks over even a possible chance to cpature the Derby speaks volumes. Newer owners tend to get blinders on and make that their sole focus in life

Rachel Alexandra goes off with just 4 competitors today (Apr 5th) in the $250k Fantasy Stakes (Grade 2) at Oaklawn. The races (on HRTV) goes off at 5:11 om local time.

[Glimmerglass]

Calvin didn’t even give her a tap! He just kept looking for someone, anyone to try and make a challenge … no one had the ability. She won by around 10-lengths despite geared down.

[dcm]

Wow, that filly’s got a giant stride! She totally outclassed the other horses in that race. She just galloped across the line, and broke the record.

I’d rather she not run in the Derby, and keep doing what she’s doing. What are the races for the filly triple crown?