Rachel Alexandra

What a lovely filly - look at the size of her compared to the others!! Mind you, I know nothing about their form - was it a good renewal or not - they were very strung out behind.
 
Gareth wrote:

God I hope they send her to the Belmont...
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Apparently not, Gareth. Her owner/breeder has said that, although he may well send her against the colts later on, he believes the Triple Crown races are for making future stallions.
 
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Yeah, looks like she'll run in the big fillies race on Belmont day next.

Just short of 105,000 turned up for the race yesterday. Not bad!
 
Would say a fair few turned up to see Zenyatta (who incidentally was scratched) though Gareth. One Caroline lost her unbeaten record in the race Z was supposed to race in and Justwhistledixie was the only credible opposition to Rachel Alexandra following the decision by Stardom Bound's connections not to run.
 
As others have said, I don't know anything of the form of the horses that finished behind her but you can only beat the opposition on that turn up on the day. That was some performance.
 
Nefertiti said:
Gareth wrote:



Apparently not, Gareth. Her owner/breeder has said that, although he may well send her against the colts later on, he believes the Triple Crown races are for making future stallions.
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Ironic as the winner of the Kentucky Derby is a gelding....:cool:
 
That is certainly worth an ironic chuckle at the very least, Songsheet. Doubt that Mine That Bird will be winning the Belmont though, but after the KD, who knows? Tear up the form book.
 
Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra sold

BY JON LEES8.07AM 7 MAY 2009

RACHEL ALEXANDRA, the brilliant runaway winner of the Kentucky Oaks, has been sold to a partnership involving Curlin's owner Jess Jackson's and could now be transferred to the barn of trainerSteve Asmussen.

Her trainer Hal Wiggins, who had nominated the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6 as her next start, said he "wouldn't be surprised" if her new owners now paid the $100,000 to supplement her into the Preakness Stakes.

"They signed the papers this afternoon, and the money will be transferred tomorrow," Wiggins told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday. "As soon as the money clears, they'll come pick her up. It's hard, you have mixed emotions about it. We're really going to hate losing her."

Rachel Alexandra, who was bred by owner Dolphus Morrison, captured the Kentucky Oaks by a record 20 1/4 lengths to stretch her unbeaten run to ten.

Jackson, whose Stonestreet Stable have bought the filly with Harold McCormick, said:

"Rachel Alexandra is one of the best horses in racing today. She is fast, strong and durable - the traits we should all be breeding into all future generations of race horses. Her beauty and athleticism will thrill thousands of fans."

He said the filly would be bred to Curlin upon her retirement.
Rachel Alexandra's Oaks triumph was thefirst Grade I victory for both Wiggins and Morrison.

Wiggins said: "It probably wasn't an easy decision for (Morrison), but I think the amount of money sometimes you can't turn down. I can't blame him, I really can't. Sometimes these horses go years and years and don't make a lot of money, but when you have a chance to hit a home run, you take it.

"We hate it, but we all feel blessed to have had her through the Oaks, and we will always have those memories with our family and friends. Whenever you lose a filly like that from your barn, it's a tremendous loss. But you pick up and go on, and I hope to see her in the winner's circle many times."
 
Between $3m and $4m she sold for (part sales) - seems rather cheap considering what she's done and has the potential to do.
 
Certainly does. Great news though; sporting connections who will hopefully let her take on the colts in at least one of the Preakness and Belmont.
 
Interesting take from DRF editor Steve Crist:

DRF reported a few minutes ago that Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stable is attempting to purchase Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra, possibly with an eye to supplementing her to the Preakness. According to the initial report, if the deal goes through, she would be turned over to Jackson's trainer, Steve Asmussen.

Quick take: Rachel Alexandra's running in the Preakness against Mine That Bird would of course create huge interest in the race, but running her back in two weeks, and taking her away from the trainer (Hal Wiggins) who has developed her so magnificently, make it a less than entirely appealing move. Wiggins and the filly's current owners had planned to bring her back against fillies in the Acorn June 6.

Another alternative, if the sale goes through, might be to skip the Preakness and then run her in the Belmont Stakes the same day. Rags to Riches won the Oaks and the Belmont in consecutive starts two years ago, nosing out the Jackson-owned Curlin in the latter race.

If she runs in the Preakness, jockey Calvin Borel would face a probably unprecedented choice between a Derby and Oaks winner. If she went straight to the Belmont, and Borel won the Preakness on Mine That Bird -- would he pass up a chance to win the Triple Crown to stick with a filly he has called "most probably, bar none, the best horse I have ever been on"?
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Rachel is now running in the Preakness for her new owner and new trainer, and she is the favourite ahead of Mine that Bird and Pioneerof The Nile. Somehow I think this is too early and not the right race for her to go against the colts. Fancy POTN here to reverse Derby form.
 
And Borel rides her - first time ever a jockey has gotten off a Derby winner in the Preakness!
 
I thought she was sold for $10 million? Not too sure if the Sheiks put in an offer at all, but they did buy Derby also ran West Side Bernie with a view to him being a Carnival horse next year.

She was unbelievable in the Kentucky Oaks and is a deserving favourite for the Preakness (provided she gets in which isnt said and done yet!). Nothing from the Derby will beat her and the only colt I'd fear for her is Hull.
 
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