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Rachel Alexandra foals a colt by Curlin
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| Rachel Alexandra became a mother on Sunday when giving birth to a
bay colt by Curlin
(EquiSport Photos) |
Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, produced her first foal on
Sunday, a colt by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.
The 125-pound colt, a bay, was foaled at 2:40 pm (EST) at Stonestreet Farm
near Lexington, Kentucky. Stonestreet, the nom de course of the late Jess
Jackson and his widow Barbara Banke, campaigned the foal's superstar parents.
The colt took his first steps an hour and an half later. Emblazoned with a
white star, the alert colt bears a striking resemblance to his mother. Click
here to see the first
photo posted on the Stonestreet Twitter page, and
here for another.
Rachel Alexandra and her colt are doing well, according to Stonestreet Farm
manager Gary Megibben.
"Rachel is a natural mother, and took to the colt immediately," Megibben
said.
Banke was told of the breaking news while preparing to cheer on her San
Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game at Candlestick Park.
"I am thrilled with the good news of Rachel's safe delivery and health of the
handsome colt that resembles her," Banke said. "For me and my children,
this colt represents Jess' dream -- to raise and race the best.
"Co-owner Hal McCormick and I look forward to watching him develop and are
excited to see him carry the Stonestreet silks as his Mom and Dad did before
him."
Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, both Preakness winners, met in the breeding shed
at Lane's End near Versailles, Kentucky, on February 21, 2011. When she was
first pronounced in foal, her expected foaling date was February 1, 2012.
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Rachel Alexandra, who became the first three-year-old filly to earn Horse of
the Year honors since World War II-era Hall of Famers Twilight Tear (1944) and
Busher (1945), retired following her four-year-old campaign with $3,506,730 in
earnings from her 19-13-5-0 mark.
By virtue of her match with Curlin, Rachel Alexandra has a further historical
parallel with Twilight Tear, who began her broodmare career by visiting fellow Calumet Farm superstar Whirlaway.
Though Curlin didn't sweep the Triple Crown like Whirlaway, he nevertheless
has this in common with the Hall of Famer: both set earnings records in the
course of their careers. Whirlaway held the distinction of being the first to
bankroll $500,000, ultimately retiring with a world-record $561,161 to his
credit. Curlin currently ranks as North America's all-time leading earner,
brandishing $10,501,800 in his account.
The Curlin-Rachel Alexandra foal sports 3 x 5 inbreeding to Mr. Prospector,
as well as 5 x 5 inbreeding to Sir Ivor and a triple dose of Northern Dancer (5
x 5 x 5).
Rachel Alexandra will be bred to Bernardini in 2012. That Darley stallion
covered Rachel's archrival for the Horse of the Year title, Zenyatta, last year.
After losing the hotly contested vote in 2009, Zenyatta went on to become Horse
of the Year for 2010, and is due to deliver her first foal this spring as well.
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