RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro), who became the first three-year-old filly
“As you know, despite top training and a patient campaign, Rachel Alexandra
“Rachel Alexandra owes us nothing. As a three-year-old, she set standards and
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In a highly contentious contest, the debate of which stirred passions among
racing fans like few others in recent times, Rachel Alexandra defeated champion
older female Zenyatta (Street Cry [Ire]) by a vote of 130-99 for Horse of the
Year honors. Though Zenyatta had kept her undefeated streak alive when becoming
the first filly or mare ever to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), it was
Rachel Alexandra’s accomplishments during an undefeated eight-race campaign, the
breadth of which had never been achieved by an American-based three-year-old
filly in modern times, that swayed a majority of Eclipse Award voters in her
direction.
Initially campaigned by breeder Dolphus Morrison and Mike Lauffer, and
trained by Hal Wiggins, Rachel Alexandra was unplaced for the first and only
time in her debut at Churchill Downs in May 2008. A maiden winner in her next
start, she next ran a close second in the Debutante S. (G3). Following a brief
hiatus, Rachel scored an allowance win over Keeneland’s Polytrack, finished
second to Sara Louise (A.P. Indy) in the Pocahontas S. (G3), then avenged that
defeat when taking the Golden Rod S. (G2) by 4 3/4 lengths. Rachel was ridden
for the first time in the Golden Rod by Calvin Borel, who would guide the filly
for the remainder of her career.
Rachel Alexandra’s historic Horse of the Year campaign kicked off in February
when she romped to an eight-length score in the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn
Park, in the process giving notice of what was to come. A sloppy track greeted
Rachel Alexandra next out in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), but neither she nor
Borel were fazed by the conditions. Governing throughout that test, the filly
was throttled down long before the wire and still had 1 3/4 lengths to spare
over her nearest rival. She next took a trip back to Oaklawn to add an
eight-length victory in the Fantasy S. (G2) to her line.
Rachel Alexandra was sent off the 1-5 favorite in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and
The margin of victory established a new Oaks record. The largest
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Wiggins was already making plans the day after the Oaks for Rachel Alexandra
to make her next appearance in the Acorn S. (G1) at Belmont Park, but less than
a week later the filly was privately purchased by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet
Stables and Harold McCormick. The announcement came on the Wednesday following
the Kentucky Oaks, but the terms of the deal were not disclosed. Transferred to
trainer Steve Asmussen, Rachel Alexandra was soon bound for Pimlico and a shot
against males in the Preakness S. (G1).
The legend of Rachel Alexandra grew by leaps and bounds on Preakness day, as
the fantastic filly held off the game, late rally of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner
Mine That Bird (Birdstone) by a length to become just the fifth filly, and the
first since Nellie Morse in 1924, to take the historic second jewel of the
Triple Crown.
Everyone was now taking notice of “Alexandra the Great,” including Vogue
magazine. A trip to the Preakness inspired Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna
Wintour to set up a photo shoot by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Klein,
and his images of the Oaks and Preakness winner were published in its August
2009 issue.
Rachel Alexandra returned to business as usual a month later in the Mother
Goose S. (G1), demolishing two rivals in winning by 19 1/4 lengths, a record
margin for the race accomplished in stakes record time of 1:46 1/5 for nine
furlongs.
Her connections apparently recognized the futility of trying to assemble a
field of fillies to face their icon and instead gave her another shot at the
boys, this time in the Haskell Invitational (G1). Rachel Alexandra joined
champion Serena’s Song (1995) as the only fillies to win that prestigious event
when defeating Belmont S. (G1) victor and eventual three-year-old colt champion
Summer Bird (Birdstone) by six lengths.
Having proven the best of her age regardless of sex, Rachel Alexandra was now
being considered a Horse of the Year candidate. While she had a number of
options for her next start, Saratoga’s Woodward S. (G1) made the most sense on a
number of levels. Twilight Tear (1944) and Busher (1945), the last
three-year-old fillies to be named Horse of the Year, had both seen their status
for the honor elevated when they defeated older males in a stakes going a route
of ground on dirt. And since their time only Misty Morn (1955) and Surfside
(2000), among champion three-year-old fillies, had achieved a similar feat.
Rachel Alexandra entered the Woodward attempting to become the first female
of any age to win the prestigious 1 1/8-mile event in its 56-year history. She
got the job done, but it was far from an easy win. She was forced into setting
punishing fractions and, while she looked home free albeit by a small margin
just inside the sixteenth pole, the leg-weary vixen had to dig deep as Macho
Again made one last lunge under right-handed urging. Rachel Alexandra would not
be denied, though, prevailing by a head.
The next logical step for Rachel Alexandra would have been the Breeders’ Cup,
either the Classic (G1) or Ladies’ Classic (G1), but Jackson was never shy about
airing his opinions, and the winemaker had made his disdain of all-weather
surfaces well known. Since the Breeders’ Cup was being held for a second
consecutive year on the synthetic Pro-Ride at Santa Anita, Jackson stated
unequivocally that his star filly would not compete. Not long after that,
Jackson announced that Rachel Alexandra would be getting the rest of the year
off before reappearing in 2010 for a four-year-old campaign.
The drumbeat for a showdown between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta became
deafeningly loud over the winter, and it took the generosity of Oaklawn owner
Charles Cella to nearly make it happen. With a little give and take from both
camps, Cella modified the conditions of the Apple Blossom (G1), turning it from
a handicap to an invitational stakes, pushing the date back six days, increasing
its distance to 1 1/8 miles, and boosting the purse to a cool $5 million.
Having ended her campaign in early September and losing precious training
time during the wet winter in New Orleans, Rachel Alexandra was evidently not in
peak form when making her debut in the March 13 New Orleans Ladies S. at Fair
Grounds. Sent off the 1-20 favorite, Rachel failed to kick on through the
stretch and was chased down by Zardana (Brz) (Crimson Tide), a pupil of
Zenyatta’s trainer John Shirreffs. Not long after that defeat by a margin of
three-quarters of a length, Jackson announced Rachel would forfeit the
Apple Blossom, a race Zenyatta wound up winning easily over several overmatched
rivals.
Rachel suffered another upset loss on Kentucky Oaks Day before a crowd of
more than 100,000. Sent off at 1-5 in the April 30 La Troienne S. (G2), she was
ultimately headed at the wire by Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled’s Song). At this
point, many observers began to question whether this was the same filly that had
dazzled racing fans throughout the country the year before. Any hopes at
repeating as Horse of the Year began to fade, too, as Zenyatta kept winning out
in California and Rachel found herself pursuing less ambitious spots.
The first of these, the June 12 Fleur de Lis H. (G2), wound up being a
laugher for Rachel Alexandra as she coasted home by 10 1/2 lengths in a
nine-furlong time that went faster than the Stephen Foster H. (G1), won by Blame
(Arch), on the same program. Unfortunately, Rachel’s connections chose not to
move on to more prestigious, time-honored events, and instead arranged for a
purse boost and date change of the Lady’s Secret S. at Monmouth Park. She
registered a three-length win in that $400,000 event on July 24, but the thought
of her defeating inferior foes by a mere three lengths left a sour aftertaste
among those accustomed to seeing her in races with more cachet.
Rachel Alexandra made what would be her final start in the August 29 Personal
Ensign S. (G1) at Saratoga. It was her first attempt at 1 1/4 miles, a test
perhaps of whether she would evolve into a Breeders’ Cup Classic candidate, but
any desires for that goal were dashed when she got noticeably leg-weary in the
final furlong and lost by a length to the unheralded longshot Persistently
(Smoke Glacken).
Since her loss in the Personal Ensign, Rachel Alexandra had been working at
weekly intervals, presumably in preparation for an upcoming race like Saturday’s
Beldame S. (G1). Her retirement has ended such possibilities, and she goes home
with a career mark of 19-13-5-0, $3,506,730. Jackson intends on breeding her
next year to Curlin, who he campaigned to two Horse of the Year titles in 2007
and 2008.
The first foal out of the stakes-winning and Grade 2-placed Lotta Kim (Roar),
Rachel Alexandra is a half-sister to an unraced sophomore colt named Empire
Ruler (Empire Maker). Lotta Kim is herself a half-sister to 2001 Pocahontas S.
winner Lotta Rhythm (Rhythm), who was third in that same year’s Golden Rod, as
well as 2008 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).