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Rachel holds off Mine That Bird to make Preakness history
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Rachel Alexandra (inside) denied Mine That Bird in the Preakness
(Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
The legend of RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) continued to grow on Saturday as the
fantastic filly held off the game late rally of Mine That Bird (Birdstone) by a
length to become just the fifth filly, and the first since Nellie Morse in 1924, to take the
Preakness S. (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Breaking from the far outside post 13, the bay lass moved up and toward the
inside to set a
contested pace through fractions of :23, :46 3/5, 1:11 and 1:35 4/5 with Big
Drama (Montbrook) pressing her all the way along the rail. At the same time,
Mine That Bird was running in the same spot from which he won the Kentucky Derby
(G1) two weeks ago -- last.
Jockey Calvin Borel was in the saddle for that win, but took off the
Derby winner to keep the mount on Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness.
Mike Smith, who piloted Prairie Bayou to victory in the 1993 Preakness,
picked up the call on Mine That Bird and began guiding the gelding
through traffic nearing the final turn.
With a confident Borel
in the saddle, Rachel Alexandra drew off from her male rivals in the
stretch before finding Mine That Bird closing strongly down the lane. She
responded to the challenge, continuing on to finish up 1 3/16 miles in 1:55 on the fast dirt to earn
the winner's share of the $1.1 million purse.
Rachel Alexandra became racing's newest millionaire, having now
banked $1,618,354 in lifetime earnings.
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"She struggled a lot (with the track). She's so used to that track at
Churchill. She just skips along. She was struggling at the end. It's such a
narrow track, she was pricking her ears. I had to get into her a little bit,"
Borel said of his ride. "The first quarter was good, then, we picked it up. The
more I asked her the more she struggled. She'd never been hit before. I knew
(Mine that Bird) was coming. It's going to take a racehorse to beat her. She's
the greatest racehorse I've been on in my life. She did not handle the track 110
percent."
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Rachel Alexandra is just the fifth filly in history to win the Preakness
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) |
Sent off the 9-5 favorite, Rachel Alexandra paid $5.60, $4.60 and $3.60 while
keying the $39.20 exacta, $216.20 trifecta and $5,807.60 superfecta (13-2-3-10).
Mine That Bird vindicated his 6 3/4-length score at 50-1 odds in the Derby by taking down second
in the Preakness. This time around, the bay sophomore was the 6-1 third choice
and secured the runner-up spot by a half-length, returning $6.60 and $4.80.
"I'm thrilled to death with the race my little horse ran," trainer
Chip Woolley said of Mine That Bird's effort. "Everything was going
according to Hoyle, until the turn when he was fanned a little wide. I
thought we had a chance at the eighth-pole. But you have to give that
filly credit. She's a great one. The Belmont is next for us."
"He's a tough little dude," Smith said. "He worked his way through
there and kept on trying. If we could have gone another sixteenth of a
mile, I think he would have tackled her. On the backstretch, I tried to
duck back in, but there was a lot of traffic. I had to do what I had to
do. Honestly, he's one of the best I've been on. He's very balanced.
"(Rachel Alexandra) beat the greatest colts in the country today,"
Smith went on to acknowledge. "You have to take your hat off to her. I
thought she'd come back to me, but she kept on going." |
Musket Man
(Yonaguska) filled the same spot he found himself in at the Derby wire -- third
-- and gave back $5 as the 11-1 sixth pick.
"I saw (Rachel Alexandra) breezing at Churchill before the Oaks and I knew
she was a super star," Derek Ryan, trainer of Musket Man said. "My horse ran
well, but we got beat by a great one. She's a filly for the ages."
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Rachel Alexandra solidified her place in the history books
(Patrick Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
Flying Private (Fusaichi Pegasus) followed in fourth by another 2 1/2 lengths,
while
Big Drama, Papa Clem (Smart Strike), Terrain (Sky Mesa), Luv Gov (Ten Most
Wanted), General Quarters (Sky Mesa), Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy), Pioneerof the
Nile (Empire Maker), Tone It Down (Medaglia d'Oro) and Take the Points (Even the
Score) completed the order under the line.
Two weeks ago, one day before the Kentucky Derby, Rachel Alexandra
schooled a field of seven fillies in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), drawing off
to post a record 20 1/4-length margin. That race marked her fifth
straight victory, and that streak now stands at six straight with this
score. Those other wins are comprised of the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2),
Fantasy S. (G2) and Martha Washington S. this season and the Golden Rod
S. (G2) as a juvenile. She also placed second in the Pocahontas S. (G3)
and Debutante S. (G3) as a two-year-old, with an allowance victory
sandwiched in between those two races.
Following her win in the Oaks, Rachel Alexandra was purchased by Jess
Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick from the partnership
of Michael Lauffer and breeder Dolphus Morrison, and subsequently
switched from the tutelage of trainer Hal Wiggins to the barn of Steve
Asmussen. Future plans for the filly also changed, as her previous
connections had announced after the Oaks that Rachel Alexandra would
point for the Acorn S. (G1) on the Belmont S. (G1) undercard on June 6. |
Now with the Preakness improving her record to 11-8-2-0, the
massively-talented miss might find herself running in the main event at Belmont
Park, and could even bring the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion" home for her sire,
who finished second in the 2002 running.
The Kentucky-bred Rachel Alexandra is the first foal out of the
stakes-winning and Grade 2-placed Lotta Kim (Roar), who has also produced an
unraced juvenile colt by Empire Maker named Empire Ruler. Lotta Kim is a
half-sister to 2001 Pocahontas S. winner Lotta Rhythm (Rhythm), who was third in
that same year's Golden Rod, as well as last year's Tejano Run S. victor
High Blues (High Yield). Also included in the female family is 1991 Miss
Preakness S. heroine Missy's Music (Travelling Music) and Grade 3 winner Devil
Diamond (Devil's Bag).
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