Starlet Series: Rachel Alexandra

Starlet Series
Number 4: Rachel Alexandra

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the third of an occasional series on the careers of the six best female thoroughbred horses I have observed racing in the years 1959 to the present. I have chosen these females based on their performances in their respective races. This is my assessment alone and will undoubtedly differ with others’ opinions. This issue discusses the career of fourth ranked Rachel Alexandra.

(bloodhorse.com)

Although the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro campaigned three years, unlike my previous two starlets (Azeri and Beholder), Rachel Alexandra only had one year when she was absolutely brilliant. In her juvenile season (2008), Rachel Alexandra took most of the year to establish herself and did not compete in the champion deciding Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was initially owned by L and M Partners (Michael Lauffer and Dolphus Morrison, with the latter her breeder). Rachel Alexandra’s trainer during the first half of her career was the veteran Hal Wiggins. The attractive bay began racing in May at Churchill Downs, breaking her maiden in her second start, a 5 furlong race. After finishing second in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs in June, “Rachel” was given time off to prepare for a fall campaign. Returning in October, she won an allowance race at Keeneland Racecourse and finished second in the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. Rachel Alexandra concluded her juvenile season with an eye-opening 4¾ length victory in late November at Churchill Downs in the Golden Rod Stakes under new jockey Calvin Borel. This impressive victory signaled she was a filly to watch in 2009, particularly concerning the Kentucky Oaks. 

Rachel Alexandra made her sophomore debut at Oaklawn Park in the Martha Washington Stakes and romped by 8 lengths. Shipping to New Orleans for the Fair Grounds Oaks, she took the lead from the start, and Calvin Borel throttled her down in the stretch for an eased up 1¾ length victory. Back at Oaklawn for the Fantasy Stakes, Rachel Alexandra could not have won more easily with Borel spending more time in the stretch looking backward (for non-existent threats) than forward as she won by 8¼ lengths.

In her races, Rachel’s final times were competitive to the best her sophomore male counterparts accomplished, so there was speculation that the best three year-old heading to Kentucky in May was going to run in the Kentucky Oaks not the Kentucky Derby. During Derby Week, Rachel Alexandra was seen in the morning gliding around the Churchill Downs racetrack effortlessly as observers bemoaned the fact that she was not going to be entered in the Derby. Nevertheless, her owners and trainer were steadfast that they did not like the idea of females running against males.

In the Oaks, Rachel was the 3-10 favorite, but the way she ran made that price seem generous. Settled by Calvin Borel right behind early leader Gabby’s Golden Girl, Rachel, all on her own, cruised to the front around the far turn. Having a clear lead by the time she straightened out for the stretch, Borel never seemed to ask her to run as she, with consummate ease, put space between herself and the rest of the field. At the finish, Rachel Alexandra was a staggering 20¼ lengths (an Oaks record) ahead of Stone Legacy who had 4¼ lengths in front of Flying Spur. Her final time was nearly a stakes record and everything about her performance was spectacular. In the winner’s circle, Michael Lauffer, Dolphus Morrison, and trainer Hal Wiggins celebrated their horse of a lifetime and again expressed no reservations about not running Rachel in the Derby. Their restraint was anachronistic and refreshing in this time and age, but upcoming events would soon overtake this conservative philosophy of racing.

The major news during the two week interval between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes did not involve the upstart Derby winner, Mine That Bird but was focused on the Kentucky Oaks victress, Rachel Alexandra. She was sold to Stonestreet Stables (Jess Jackson, owner) and Harold T. McCormick leaving the barn of trainer Hal Wiggins and turned over to Steve Asmussen. In taking control of the filly’s racing career, principal owner Jackson boldly announced, she would run in the Preakness for an unprecedented meeting between Derby and Oaks winners. To further underline Rachel’s eminence, Calvin Borel chose her as his Preakness mount over Mine That Bird who he had ridden to victory in the Kentucky Derby.

A field of thirteen went postward in the Preakness with Rachel Alexandra the clear betting choice over Mine That Bird (with Mike Smith aboard). From her no. 13 post, Borel broke Rachel alertly, and she went head-and-head for the lead with Big Drama with Friesan Fire close back in third position. Meanwhile, Mine That Bird, as in the Derby, was lopping along in last place. Nearing the far turn, Rachel Alexandra, with her ears pricked, dispatched her pursuers and gained a daylight lead by the time she straightened out for the stretch run. At the same time, Mike Smith had Mine That Bird in full flight passing horses readily, but unlike the Kentucky Derby when he came up the inside, Mine That Bird was fanned very wide on the tighter Pimlico turns. In mid-stretch, Rachel had opened up a 4 length lead, and her victory seemed secure. Mine That Bird, though, provided some drama by closing dramatically so that at the finish the margin had diminished to a length. Musket Man, replicating his Derby placing, was third only a ½ length further back.

The final time was average, but the achievement by Rachel Alexandra was at the highest level. For the record, her Preakness victory was the second time it was won by a filly with Nellie Morse in 1924 being the first. It demonstrated that Jess Jackson’s aggressive approach to campaigning horses can produce startling achievements. Calvin Borel, emotional in the winner’s circle, claimed that Rachel Alexandra was the best horse he had ever ridden. Despite these superlative declarations, it must be stated that Mine That Bird ran a strong race, and if he would have not lost so much ground around the stretch turn, he might have caught the filly.

After some deliberation, Rachel Alexandra’s new team decided to bypass the Belmont Stakes and point her for the Mother Goose Stakes later in June. The reason given was she had done a lot lately and needed more time between races. I think her connections feared that the 1½ mile distance of the Belmont was beyond her capabilities. In her absence, Mine That Bird (with Calvin Borel back aboard) was the strong favorite in the field, but he finished third to the somewhat overlooked (at nearly 12-1) Summer Bird, who although finishing a well beaten sixth in the Kentucky Derby, had shown steady improvement in his four race career.

In the 9 furlong Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park, Rachel faced only two others. In her first start since the Preakness, Rachel showed she was in a different league than her sophomore filly peers rolling to a 19¼ length victory in stakes record time. By the end of June, it was clear that the two best racehorses in America were females: the unbeaten five year-old Zenyatta and three year-old Rachel Alexandra. Not only did they tower over their contemporaries, but they both drew favorable comparisons with the great females of the past. A meeting between the two was highly anticipated at the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park, but problematic in that Rachel’s principal owner Jess Jackson, fresh off his champion Curlin’s defeat in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface, vowed he would never run his filly on such a track.

In August at Monmouth Park, Rachel ventured back into competition with males in the 9 furlong Haskell Invitational Stakes. Facing Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and the speedy Munnings, Rachel Alexandra was the overwhelming favorite in the seven horse field. Rating just off Munnings’ quick pace over the sloppy Monmouth oval, Rachel Alexandra raced side by side with Summer Bird. Borel moved his filly to challenge for the lead around the stretch turn, and she readily drew clear once in the straight. Kept under a drive, Rachel was 6 lengths in front at the finish as Summer Bird wrested second from Munnings by a length. Underlining Rachel’s superiority, Summer Bird came back after the Haskell to win both the Travers Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup on route to being named Three Year-Old Male Champion. 

                                        

The Woodward Stakes at 9 furlongs attracted Rachel Alexandra despite the fact she would be facing older male horses (albeit, getting 8 lb. from her seven opponents). Taking the lead down the backstretch after dueling with the 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da’ Tara, she faced a two pronged challenge in the stretch from Bullsbay and Macho Again. Responding under Calvin Borel’s insistent whipping, Rachel just held off Macho Again’s final surge for a head victory to the elation of the Saratoga crowd with Bullsbay another 1½ lengths back in third place. As a result of this unprecedented victory by a filly (a sophomore at that) in the Woodward, Jess Jackson declared that Rachel Alexandra had staked her claim for Horse of the Year and would not race again in 2009.

In year end honors, Rachel Alexandra won the Eclipse Award for Three-Year Old Female Horse. Zenyatta, still undefeated and winner of the Breeders’ Classic against males, was Champion Older Female Horse. In a much discussed and debated decision, Horse of the Year went to Rachel Alexandra over Zenyatta, a result I cannot agree with. (Zenyatta’s fabled career will be the subject of a future Starlet Series.) The positive outcome to this was that Zenyatta’s owners, Ann and Jerry Moss, reconsidered their decision to retire her at the end of 2009, mainly because they wanted her to face Rachel Alexandra on the racetrack.  

The big excitement at the beginning of 2010 was an anticipated race between Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. These two mighty females were both undefeated in 2009, and there was much speculation as to who was superior. The venue for this meeting would not be in California in that Rachel’s connections would not race her on a synthetic surface. Oaklawn Park proposed the Apple Blossom Invitational Stakes in mid-April with an augmented purse of $5 million if both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra raced. The track also extended the distance to 9 furlongs from its usual 8½ furlongs. Both starlets had raced successfully at Oaklawn, and, after some negotiation, both camps appeared positive about facing each other.

Both Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra appeared in “prep” races on March 13. Rachel ran in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes, a race created for her at the Fair Grounds racetrack. She was shockingly defeated by a horse whose first name started with the letter “Z” trained by Zenyatta’s conditioner, John Shirreffs.  Zardana was a moderately successful six year-old mare that in her career had won stakes races in both her native Brazil and the U. S. In the Ladies Stakes, Rachel Alexandra, at odds 1-9 cruised to the lead around the final turn, but she could not fight off the challenge of Zardana in the stretch, losing by ¾ of a length. At Santa Anita, Zenyatta, was trying to extend her unbeaten streak to 15 in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap. Carrying 127 lb., she delighted her legion of fans with Zenyatta’s now characteristic dance before a race and thrilled them with another seemingly effortless victory after appearing trapped between horses in the stretch.

In the aftermath of these races, Rachel Alexandra’s connections announced she was not fit enough to run in the Apple Blossom, so Oaklawn officials reduced the purse to its usual $500,000 and celebrated the return of Zenyatta who had won the race in 2008. Facing four hopelessly over matched rivals, the super mare again idled in last place until the final turn and then swept, without much urging, to the lead at the top of the stretch, cantering home by 4¼ lengths.

After her surprise defeat in New Orleans, Rachel Alexandra ran next on Kentucky Oaks Day in the La Troienne Stakes. Again she was heavily favored and again she was beaten; this time by a head to Unrivaled Belle. Seemingly “righting the ship”, Rachel Alexandra stayed at Churchill Downs and ran away with the Fleur de Lis Handicap winning by 10½ lengths. With this victory, reminiscent of her victories last year in the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose Stakes, Rachel appeared back on track for the long anticipated rendezvous with Zenyatta, perhaps in the Breeders’ Cup Classic which this year would be held at Churchill Downs. 

Rachel next ran in the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park winning the 9 furlong race by 3 lengths without showing her trademark brilliance. Her next race was the demanding 1¼ mile Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga in which she was facing a formidable opponent in Life At Ten. The five year-old daughter of Malibu Moon was undefeated in her four 2010 starts. An added complication was that the Todd Pletcher trainee was a front runner with more early speed than any rival Rachel Alexandra had faced this year.

Sure enough, as the field left the starting gate for the Personal Ensign, Rachel Alexandra was hounded on the lead by Life At Ten. The two separated themselves by some 15 lengths down the backstretch from the other three contestants. Around the far turn, Rachel was winning the race inside the race, but a 21-1 longshot in Persistently had launched a rally that made her reach contention at the top of the stretch. Rachel Alexandra had at one point a 3½ length lead, but through the drive she was worn down and passed by Persistently just before the finish, going down by a length. The winner, carrying 6 lb. less than Rachel, was winning her first stakes race. Exhausted from her efforts forcing the pace, Life At Ten finished third, some 10¼ lengths behind Rachel Alexandra.

Zenyatta, now 19 for 19, was headed for Churchill Downs to try a repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There would be no match against Rachel Alexandra, for in late September, Jess Jackson announced suddenly that Rachel Alexandra would be retired, not due to an injury, but because she had not been able to replicate her 2009 form. She left racing with a career record of 13 victories and 5 seconds in 19 starts.

As a broodmare, Rachel Alexandra has had success with limited opportunity. Her first foal, Jess’s Dream, sired by champion and fellow Preakness victor Curlin won his initial start as a three year-old in 2015, but due to injuries he never raced again. Her second, Rachel’s Valentina, by another Preakness winner and champion, Bernardini, was a major juvenile filly in 2015 winning the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga and finishing second to champion Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Unfortunately, Rachel Alexandra suffered internal injuries in delivering Rachel’s Valentina in 2013 and, to this date, has not been bred again.