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THOROUGHBRED BEAT MAY 20, 2009 by James Scully Rachel Watch -- Will she or won't she run? Belmont Park officials are definitely hoping the filly shows up because RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) guarantees tremendous excitement in the 141st running of the Belmont S. (G1). Handle and attendance will prosper, and Rachel Alexandra will attract worldwide attention from people who ordinarily have no interest in watching the Belmont without a Triple Crown at stake. Rachel Alexandra represents Girl Power, and she's the bully in the 2009 Battle of the Sexes. This rubs a lot of traditionalists the wrong way, but I think it's great for Thoroughbred racing. How many women will watch on June 6 just to see whether she can keep beating up on the boys? Fillies like her are rare indeed. I want to see Rachel Alexandra run if she's ready and don't buy any concerns that the 1 1/2-mile Belmont will ruin her. She hasn't been overraced this year and could get hurt at any time whether she runs in the Belmont or not. She will only augment her reputation as a super filly if wins the Belmont and returns later this year in superb form. I also don't agree with the assessment that there's nothing for her to prove: does anybody believe that another filly will ever sweep the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Preakness and Belmont? She's on the same plane right now with Rags to Riches, who won the Oaks and one leg of the Triple Crown (Belmont) in 2007, but Rachel Alexandra will stand alone in the history books if she records the trifecta. Madeo? – American jockeys are defined by how many Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup races they win. Mike Smith is winless in the Belmont S. (G1) and will never be measured by how victories he compiles in the Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1), so there's no rhyme nor reason to the Hall of Famer's decision to depart Kentucky Derby (G1) hero and Preakness (G1) runner-up MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) in favor of Madeo (Mizzen Mast). He can't expect us to believe that Madeo's owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss, will harbor a grudge if he asks off for a legitimate chance to win one of the nation's greatest races, can he? Mr. and Mrs. Moss understand the importance of the Triple Crown, but Smith apparently doesn't. The fact that Madeo isn't one of the nation's top turf horses makes his decision to bail even more unbelievable. Madeo dropped four straight graded stakes, including an eighth in the 10-furlong Hollywood Derby (G1), before breaking through with a narrow victory over Storm Military (Arg) (Bernstein) and US Ranger (Danzig) in the 1 1/16-mile Inglewood H. (G3) last out. That field was arguably weak, and the four-year-old colt is now being asked to step up to Grade 1 company. But the class hike isn't the only impediment he faces in the Whittingham; Madeo is a Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) candidate and probably wants no part of the 1 1/4-mile distance. Mine That Bird is more likely to win the Belmont than Madeo is to win the Whittingham. And there's no comparing the two races. The Belmont is a classic. But the Whittingham, though a nice race to win, does not carry as much prestige. Smith can paint it any way he wishes, but the decision is baffling to me. Future Hall of Famer – Calvin Borel won his first Breeders' Cup race with Street Sense in the 2006 Juvenile (G1), and the same horse enabled him to win the Kentucky Derby and Travers S. (G1) the following year. The 42-year-old Cajun is back in the spotlight in 2009, winning the Derby by virtue of a spectacular ride aboard Mine That Bird, and the Preakness and Kentucky Oaks with his expert handling of Rachel Alexandra. He's on the verge of becoming the second all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs, trailing only the legendary Pat Day, and his stock couldn't be any higher than it is presently. Trainers with Kentucky Derby hopefuls should be looking for the future Hall of Famer next winter. Jockeys are always a key element in the 20-horse race, and Borel will provide an edge under the Twin Spires.
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