A farewell to Rachel Alexandra the Great

The following was the hardest racing-related article I've ever had to write. Thank you, Rachel, for the ride of a lifetime...


The first time I ever saw Rachel Alexandra was on April 30, 2009 at Churchill Downs. It was Thursday morning, the day before the Kentucky Oaks. It took less than 30 seconds for her to convince me I was looking at a creature unlike anything I'd ever seen with my own two eyes.

I'd been waiting with my husband and Steve, a new friend we met at the morning works, on the landing at the winner's circle. I was giddy with anticipation in the hopes of getting my first glimpse of Zenyatta, and Steve, a Churchill regular and great racing fan, kept telling us, "I can't wait until you see Rachel." And that morning, the big track screen in the infield announced her arrival for one last jog before the Oaks, and we drew in our breath as she came circling around that hallowed bend toward us. Words fail me when I try to accurately describe that moment, so I can only throw out similes and metaphors in the hopes of relating what it was really like to be there on that morning and see her.


Please click here to read the rest of my article.

What's the difference between sportsmanlike behavior and being a plain ol' asshole?

So, I'm watching the Black-Eyed Susan coverage on HRTV right now. Generally, HRTV has some of the best coverage on horse racing, but once in a while, one of the hosts says a real dumbass comment.

Today, the perpetrators were the Race Day America duo of Carolyn Conley and Kurt Hoover. They were talking about the controversy of Mark Allen and Ahmed Zayat entering horses to keep Rachel Alexandra out of the Preakness, and how critics called them "unsportsman-like." I happen to be on the side of the critics on this one, which is obvious from my previous entries.

Direct quote from the mouth of Kurt Hoover: "I see absolutely nothing wrong with what those guys were thinking of doing. It's within the rules. As I understand it, the goal in this game as an owner is to win races, especially Grade I races... if you can exclude a contender by playing within the rules, I'm all for it. This talk of 'sportsmanship,' and 'doing things for the good of the game,' I just don't buy it. You wanna have a nice social gathering, go play tennis in a country club or go play chess in a library... I see nothing wrong with it, I think it was a good move, er strategy, I would've done the same thing myself; you're not going to be friends with everybody, so what? You're trying to win..."
And Carolyn Conley says, "I agree with you 100%."

It's this mentality that is ruining the sport of horse racing. When the sport can barely afford to offer purses for races, is finding its biggest stages neglected to ruin and demolished, and finding public interest turning away, the industry can hardly afford to make enemies within itself. Looking at the big picture, looking out for the good of the sport, is what horse racing NEEDS to survive. Sure, you can be a selfish jerk and try to deny the best three-year-old in the country the ability to prove herself by entering a horse not worthy of licking her horseshoes, but what good does it do anybody than the connections of that horse? If you look out for no one but yourself, you will see the world fall around you. There won't be a racetrack for them to run their horse over someday, and no one will care to watch your horse run when it does find a race. Without fans, without public interest, the sport will fade into oblivion.

If Rachel Alexandra brings just one more fan into the fold, plants the love of horse racing into one child, it's all worth it. No, you may not find the result padding the lining of your pocket in the meantime, but at least you'll have a stable for your horse on the backstretch, and the grandstands will still be there. Love must be circular. Our horse connections love horses, but they need the attention from the outside world to make the racing world go 'round. If all the non-fans see is greed and death on the track, what will they want to give back to the sport? Nothing.

Horse racing is more than just a mere game, dear Mr. Hoover and Ms. Conley. Horse racing is a tradition, it is as much a living, growing thing as a newborn that needs nurturing; and it is a way of life. Neglect it and it shall whither and die, producing nothing but an empty shell that once held promise.

I think T.S. Eliot said it best in his poem, "The Hollow Men:"

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Last post of the day, I promise!

Jess Jackson continues to make my week. The co-owner of Rachel Alexandra announced today that he hopes to continue racing the champion filly into her four-year-old year.

He also had to this to say in regards to his decision to buy her and race her against the boys: “I think the fans deserve to see the best horses compete, regardless of sex.... This is not about male and female. This about the best athletes able to go two turns … We hope this will help the fans enjoy a great sport. She is a perfect athlete. I hope this helps revive horse racing in United States...”

“She is well-defined against fillies,” he said. “What we wanted to do was define her against colts. I don’t think she has really been tested in any race she has run. Now she is going to be tested.”

In regards to people saying he's being "unsportsman-like" in entering a non-Triple Crown nominated horse in the Preakness, possibly upseting Mine That Bird's chance for the Triple Crown, Jess Jackson replied, "the goal is to run the best horses against each other."

Besides, Jackson said, if Rachel Alexandra finished “a respectable” second to Mine That Bird in the Preakness, “I would enjoy it as a spectator.”

What a classy guy. You can say what you want about him using his money to get his way, but he puts the sport and the horse foremost, unlike so many people. He truly loves horse racing and is doing his part to bring the sport to level the fans want to see, and for that, he should be respected.

He also sent Marylou Whitney a bouquet of a dozen roses in gratitude for her gesture of withdrawing if it meant Rachel wouldn't make the Preakness field (Luv Gov did make it in, since there were only 13 entrants).

Quotes and information taken from this article in bloodhorse.com

Preakness Post Positions

The post positions and morning-line odds for the Preakness Stakes this Saturday

1. Big Drama 10-1
2. Mine That Bird 6-1
3. Musket Man 8-1
4. Luv Gov 50-1
5. Friesan Fire 6-1
6. Terrain 30-1
7. Papa Clem 12-1
8. General Quarters 20-1
9. Pioneerof the Nile 5-1
10. Flying Private 50-1
11. Take the Points 30-1
12. Tone it Down 50-1
13. Rachel Alexandra 8-5*

*Favorite

Now I just have to keep repeating to myself "don't be superstitious, don't be superstitious," and ignore the fact that I Want Revenge also drew post 13 before he was scratched for the Derby.

Actually, I think the 13 hole is good for Rachel, in that she won't be pinched by any of the boys and will be able to accelerate without traffic problems in the start.

I hope Jess Jackson has a 'round-the-clock security guard glued to that filly until this race is over.

"For the sake of the sport, we will withdraw."

Marylou Whitney is my new hero.

It seems each day in the Rachel Alexandra-Preakness saga, there is a new whirlwind of developments. Today marked the day that Mark Allen, the co-owner of Derby winner Mine That Bird, tried to cook up a scheme to keep out Rachel Alexandra, the dominant Oaks winner, out of the Preakness.

It breaks down like this [in my own summarized words]: Mark Allen called up Ahmed Zayat, the owner of Pioneerof the Nile, and said, "Hey, I'm entering a horse in the Preakness in addition to Mine That Bird in order to keep out the filly, Rachel Alexandra. That filly is going to steal my jockey, and show up my Derby winner. We're the real stars in this race, we can't let her in. Will you also enter a second horse?"

Zayat thinks to himself, "The new owners of Rachel Alexandra are being disrespectful of America's greatest race for making history by putting the Derby-winning jockey on their filly in the Preakness. That filly shouldn't be in the Preakness, anyway, because fillies are weak and two weeks is too quick of a turn around. Besides, I want my horse to win, and he stands less of a chance if he has to meet that monster in a race. It's not fair for a newcomer like Rachel Alexandra to spoil my fun, so I'm going to enter another of my horses in the race so she won't be able to enter."

Then he changed his mind and said this (directly quoted from Bloodhorse.com): “Nevertheless, after talking to the president of the Maryland Jockey Club I have decided I don’t want to be viewed as not being a sportsman, so I am happy not to block her for the good of the game. Please understand this is not about me; this is about the industry, and although what is right is not very clear to me I am happy to reconsider my decision for the fans.”

Riiiight. Looks like you said enough to make yourself a villain, Mr. Zayat. (See the complete, long-winded quote in the full Bloodhorse.com article.)

Meanwhile, Marylou Whitney had a horse named Luv Gov she wanted to enter in the Preakness, oblivious to this Allen-Zayat scandal. The trainer for the horse, D. Wayne Lucas, called up the Maryland Jockey Club to enter the horse and found out that Luv Gov would be #13, and Rachel Alexandra would be #14 as the entrees stand. Only 14 horses are allowed to enter in the Preakness field, and Rachel Alexandra will need to be supplemented for $100,000 to enter the race and is not Triple Crown nominated. Triple Crown nominated horses have preference in the field and could kick her out of contention if the field was filled up to capacity.

Here is the direct quote of what her husband and racing manager, John Hendrickson, said upon discovering their position for Luv Gov in the Preakness: "If we are the deciding factor, we will not enter. [Rachel Alexandra] is good for the sport. For the sake of the sport, we will withdraw."

That right there brought tears to my eyes. THANK YOU, Marylou Whitney and everyone who holds the same standards as you in this game. How unsportsman-like for the owners of the top two finishers in the Kentucky Derby to want to keep out this amazing filly from the second jewel of the Triple Crown. It's a race, not a sure bet. Obviously, Rachel has them shaking in their boots if they were seriously considering entering dud horses in order to exclude this champion from taking part in the greatest tournament of sports. Ms. Whitney has a true contender with a legitimate chance of winning the race, yet she is sacrificing her horse's chance because she wants to see what's BEST for the sport. I applaud this First Lady of Racing. We shall see what hand karma deals, my friends.

Sunday night, Mark Allen decided not to enter his 0-for-9 maiden horse Indy Express in the Preakness after it was clear the bulk of the racing world was aghast at his sinister plan.

So now, we have seen the underbelly of the underdogs.

Honorary Jess Jackson Day

I hearby dub this day honorary Jess Jackson Day, in honor of the man who kept jockey Calvin Borel in the irons of Kentucky Oaks winner, Rachel Alexandra, for the Preakness Stakes. All the nation's citizens will be treated to a free glass of wine, a parade with horses adorned in yellow and red flowers, and a float of Curlin made out of Werther's Originals.

How sweet life is. Thanks, Mr. Jackson, for making things right.

From Bloodhorse.com:

Borel commits to 'Rachel;' filly in Preakness

The Daily Racing From reports that Borel's decision to ride Rachel Alexandra, and not Mine That Bird, in the Preakness marks the first time in history a jockey has opted not to ride the horse he won the Derby on in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

If this doesn't spell Alexandra as being a superior horse, I don't know what does.

Here is a list of reactions from Preakness contender trainers about the possibility of Rachel Alexandra facing their colts (from drf.com):

"I think she's in a different world than the rest. She is something spectacular." - Gary Stute, trainer of Papa Clem.

"I would rather she didn't show," said David Fawkes, who trains Big Drama. "With her running style, that may hurt our chances."

"Any man would be a fool to welcome that filly. She's tough. As much as I don't want her to go, she'd be taking my rider." - Chip Woolley, trainer of Derby winner Mine That Bird.

The girl has the colts, and their trainers, shaking in their boots. Let's just hope she wakes up as fit as a fiddle and in perfect health on Preakness Day... and that less than 14 horses want in the gates once they see her trademark blaze heading to Maryland.

Borel will ride Alexandra, not Derby winner, in Preakness if filly enters

The news feed is buzzing like a nest full of hornets right now. Soon after Jess Jackson was announced to have bought Rachel Alexandra, confirmation came that the filly had been moved to trainer Steve Asmussen's barn at 5:15am ET this morning.

In an interview with Blood-Horse, Hal Wiggins, her former trainer, had positive things to say about the deal and was graceful after having his champion filly ripped out of his hands overnight:

“My wife was hurt (when she heard that Rachel was sold), because she knew it
was hurting me,” said Wiggins. “I talked to her this morning, and I told her the
sun was going to rise just like it does every morning. Time does a whole lot no
matter what it is, and we have a lot to be thankful for, so we keep thinking
about that.
“When you walk by and see that empty stall, you can’t help but
think what was in there. It’s tough—it’s hard, but that’s just part of the game,
and we have to realize that, but we did have some great times with her, so we’re
appreciative of that.”

Wiggins expected, after the quick purchase of Rachel after her stunning Oaks victory, that Jackson would supplement the filly into the Grade I Preakness Stakes on May 16th.

My head is spinning like a top right now. I'm feeling sorry for Hal Wiggins and Rachel's previous connections, but am happy, on the other hand, that she will finally be given her shot to take on the boys. She deserves no less. The article also says IEAH had tried to buy her in the fall, but backed out because at that time, she had a bone chip in one of her ankles. I hope that doesn't mean she's prone to chips and injuries, but as I haven't heard anything else about her health conditions, she sounds pretty sound.

If Rachel does enter the Preakness, Mike Smith will likely board Mine That Bird. I know how racing fans will likely react to this news, but what about the public who is rooting for the underdog? Will the non-racing public root for a champion filly who's at the top of her game, or a longshot horse who will likely not be able to win a race like the Derby again without Borel in the stirrups?

For the sake of horse racing, let's hope the non-fans are titilated by this instead of being turned-off. Rachel has the opportunity to make the people put Eight Belles's tragic death behind us, and the industry could really use a boost like that right now.

Intermission

Right, I know, this isn't Part II of my Kentucky Derby overview. Please excuse the time lapse-- it'll be up for tomorrow. I couldn't not comment on these several bits of news that cropped up over the past two days.

1. I Want Revenge's injury is more serious than previously thought. Hearing this news made me almost ill. Thank God his connections did the right thing and kept him from running in the Kentucky Derby. I would rather the horse be safe and sidelined for several months than meet a tragic end on the path to glory.

I am worried, however, that he will be retired even if his therapy leaves him completely capable of having a comeback. If he does recover completely, and will be able to race at the caliber that he had prior to the injury, I hope his people consider racing him as a 4-year-old. We need more older horses to root for, and I Want Revenge is a horse with a heart worth following. By the comments David Lanzman, breeder and co-owner of the colt, made in this Daily Racing Form article, it seems the chances of him racing at 4 would be great if he should fully recover.

2. Desert Party injured himself in the Kentucky Derby. A bone chip in his left front ankle will be surgically removed, and the horse will be sidelined and Godolphin hopes to return him to racing in the second half of the year and continue racing him in 2010.

Maybe this is a clue to why Desert Party faded in the few final furlongs of the Kentucky Derby? I had him highly-rated after re-watching the 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby. Desert Party is a fine colt and hopefully is able to come back and prove his talent in America, his birthplace.

3. Rachel Alexandra has been sold to Jess Jackson (Stonestreet Stables) and some other dude (Harold T. McCormick, whoever that is). Not only has the ownership transferred hands, but the Daily Racing Form says the trainer will, as well-- to Steve Asmussen.

Now, I've been as bitter as anybody about Alexandra's current trainer's (Hal Wiggins) adament stance on fillies racing against colts: keep 'em separate; I think she deserves better competition, and she will find it racing against the boys. I'm sure this is what Jess Jackson, the sportsman is also thinking, because he created a stance a year ago when he decided to bring Curlin back as a 4-year-old to help improve the complexion of the sport. I don't think, however, that means he should mess with a good thing.

Hal Wiggins has trained Rachel Alexandra into her winning ways, and whatever he's done, it's working. I don't know one thing about training differences, but I'm superstitious, I guess you could say. I don't think it's good karma to rip a filly out of winning connections when she's just raced the best race of her life, and place her into a new environment, under new hands, with different people caring for her. Even though they have their differences, couldn't Jackson and Wiggins reach some sort of agreement?

Whatever the case, Wiggins had her targeted toward the Grade I Acorn on the Belmont undercard for her next start. This disappointed me, since I believe she could've blown away the competition in the Kentucky Derby. Will Jess Jackson pave a new road for Alexandra, toward the Preakness and the Belmont? Could it be move over boys, the princess is coming to town? I, for one, hope so.

How amazing it would be for the sport to have a "super filly" (as Durkin dubbed her) take the Preakness and Belmont? Obviously, she will have plenty of competition, but it would once and for all silence the critics who made the ridiculous accusation that Eight Belles never should've raced in the Kentucky Derby.

Rachel Alexandra racing against the boys? I'm so there!

4. Musket Man is confirmed for the Preakness, with Eibar Coa sticking to the irons. Musket Man will not go on to the Belmont, says his trainer, Derek Ryan; he will target toward the Haskell after the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

I think this is a pretty good decision. A lot of horses are opting for the Belmont instead of the Preakness, surprisingly. Musket Man doesn't have the breeding for the Belmont, though he's been pretty much making up his own blueprint as far as distance goes. He'll have a nice, long rest after the Preakness and be fresh for the late summer meet.



5. Don't forget to pick up the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, where Mine That Bird becomes the first horse since Smarty Jones to grace the cover!