Rachel gets in final work for weekend stakes

Rachel Alexandra enjoyed a cool spring morning under the Twin Spires (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

Reigning Horse of the Year RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro)

completed her serious preparation for a planned return to competition on

Saturday with a half-mile work on a cool morning at Churchill Downs on

Monday.

Now all that is left to be determined is which race she will be

running in.

Stonestreet Stable and Harold McCormick's four-year-old filly covered

the distance over a fast track in :49 2/5 under restraint from jockey

Shaun Bridgmohan.

Rachel Alexandra, who is trained by Steve Asmussen, worked in

fractional times of :12 3/5 and :25 and she galloped out five furlongs

in 1:02 4/5.

"The weather's great this morning -- it's a nice cool morning,"

Asmussen said. "Everything seemed very comfortable."

Stonestreet Stable's Jess Jackson and Asmussen have yet to make a

formal announcement on Rachel Alexandra's next race. There are four

options, including two at her home track in Saturday's $600,000-added

Stephen Foster H. (G1) and $200,000 Fleur de Lis H. (G2). She would face

males in the former, while the Fleur de Lis is restricted to fillies and

mares. Her other options are the Ogden Phipps H. (G1) for older fillies

and mares at Belmont Park and the Obeah S. (G3) at Delaware Park, which

are also scheduled for Saturday.