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PREAKNESS WRAP-UP MAY 19, 2009 by James Scully RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) did it. The super filly didn't break well, was too eager early in the race and understandably got a little tired late. But there was no beating her in Saturday's Preakness (G1). The focus now shifts to the Belmont S. (G1) three weeks later, and a lot of people are already saying that she shouldn't run back in the final leg of the Triple Crown. I think if she rebounds well off the Preakness, Rachel Alexandra should definitely be in the starting gate. It's a no-brainer. I still get the feeling that Rachel Alexandra isn't getting her just due. Despite winning the Kentucky Oaks (G1) by 20 1/4 lengths and earning a 111 BRIS Speed rating, many people didn't believe that she should line up two weeks later at Pimlico. Those same critics will now be saying that "she doesn't need to prove anything in the Belmont" or "why take the chance of ruining her." I'll tell you why: Rachel Alexandra is at her best right now and it's time to strike while the proverbial iron is hot. Like trainer Steve Asmussen said, "I think if they're doing well, you ought to run." Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness by only a length, registering a 106 Speed figure, but I think she can win the 1 1/2-mile Belmont by many more lengths. And then she'll get plenty of time to regroup for a major prize like the Travers S. (G1) at end of summer. The pace was too fast on Saturday. After breaking awkwardly, Calvin Borel hustled Rachel Alexandra to the front from her extreme outside post position and dueled with Big Drama (Montbrook) instead of rating comfortably just off the pacesetter. They were winging it on the front end through splits of :23, :46 3/5 and 1:11. Unlike most tracks, Pimlico's timer starts when the gates open; there's no run-up to the starting point like at Churchill Downs or Belmont Park. Rachel Alexandra won because she's much better than her three-year-old male rivals, and runner-up MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) never got close to drawing even with her in the gallop out. The Chip Woolley-trained gelding proved that his Kentucky Derby (G1) victory was no fluke, establishing himself as the clear front runner for champion three-year-old male honors, but I didn't think that Mine That Bird was ever a serious threat to the filly. She would have dug in and continued to repel his late charge even if they had gone another five-sixteenths of a mile. Circumstances will be different at Belmont, and that will be to her advantage. The fractions will be slower and Rachel Alexandra doesn't have to be on the lead -- she can sit and pounce like she did in the Oaks. She's going to be the best horse in the field regardless. Even though she won the Preakness, I heard comments afterward that Rachel Alexandra was lucky that horses like I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even), Quality Road (Elusive Quality), Dunkirk (Unbridled's Song) and Charitable Man (Lemon Drop Kid) weren't present, implying that she's beating a bad bunch of three-year-olds and isn't necessarily as terrific as she's being portrayed. These folks can't wait to play against her if she runs in the "Test of the Champion." Some people don't like her co-owner and find it impossible to root for or praise the filly. One way to render these sentiments meaningless is for her to win the Belmont; she will continue to eliminate any doubts. Unless her Speed ratings and my eyes are deceiving me, she's capable of humbling any three-year-old male rival at any route distance. As Borel suggested, she's arguably the top Thoroughbred in all of training. "I'd love to race in New York," Jess Jackson said after the Preakness. "The Belmont is always a consideration for a champion." Rachel Alexandra is the best thing going in Thoroughbred racing. No filly in my lifetime has won both the Preakness and Belmont -- it would be quite the historical accomplishment. Jackson won't be scared to run her if she's right, and I'm looking forward to seeing her go for it.
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