Rachel Alexandra arrives at Belmont for Mother Goose

Last updated: 6/23/09 6:59 PM

Rachel Alexandra received a bath after
arriving on the Belmont backstretch
(NYRA Photos)

Following an uneventful flight from Louisville, Kentucky, Preakness S. (G1)
winner RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) arrived safely at Belmont Park late
Tuesday afternoon for her next start, Saturday’s $300,000 Mother Goose S. (G1).

Accompanied by assistant trainer Scott Blasi, exercise rider Dominic Terry,
the Stonestreet Stables security team, and four other Thoroughbreds, Rachel
Alexandra departed Churchill Downs at noon (EDT) for the 90-minute flight to
Farmingdale, New York, and arrived at trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn on the
Belmont Park backstretch by van at about 4:30 p.m.

After a few turns around the shedrow to stretch her legs, and a bath, the
filly was bedded down in stall No. 5 — the same stall previously occupied by
two-time Horse of the Year Curlin — at 5:30 p.m.

“Four-and-a-half hours, barn to barn, that’s pretty good,” Blasi said. “She’s
a pretty good traveler, though — she’s shipped to Oaklawn Park, and the Fair
Grounds, and of course to Baltimore.”

Rachel Alexandra, whose six-race winning streak includes her historic victory
over the boys in the Preakness, will get her first tour of the Belmont Park oval
Wednesday morning, and will likely school in the paddock Thursday afternoon
between races.

The Mother Goose, which will be run for the 53rd time, is expected to attract
a compact field including Florida Oaks (G3) winner DON’T FORGET GIL (Kafwain),
Nassau County S. (G3) winner FLASHING (A.P. Indy), and MALIBU PRAYER (Malibu
Moon), who has won her last two starts by a combined margin of 20 1/4 lengths.