Filly Rachel Alexandra Headlines 2009 Preakness
Jockey Mike Smith Gets Ride on Dumped Derby Winner Mine That Bird
May 13, 2009
Last Sunday played all day in Thoroughbred racing like the week's best soap opera, and it was all about an undefeated black-splotch-faced filly, Rachel Alexandra.
The filly was sold, then announced as a Preakness Stakes entrant.
Jockey Calvin Borel dumped his Kentucky Derby-winning colt cold to stay with Lady Rachel.
Cool, longshot-winning jockey (2005 Derby on Giacomo) Mike Smith grabbed up the mount on deserted Mine That Bird.
A few outspoken trainers and owners declared openly that they would do whatever they could to bump the filly from the Preakness field.
Race officials were consulted. There was little outside the basic rules they could do to change anything, they informed complainants.
Filly fever grew public, making Rachel an 8-5 contender favorite before her entry status was settled.
Today, it became official. The filly's in. She drew Preakness Gate 13. She made the field when a fourteenth entrant was not announced.
As a non-nominee to the Triple Crown races, Rachel Alexandra could not make the Preakness limited field of fourteen if all spots were filled by Derby placers one through five, and/or by all other eligible graded stakes earner nominees.
Rachel Owners Pay $100,000 Supplemental Fee
Snapped up by new owners Jess Jackson (Stonestreet Stables) and Harold T. McCormick after her lightning 20-1/4 length win in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, Rachel Alexandra was announced as a $100,000 supplemented Preakness entry a few days hence from her sale. (Previous owners of the filly bomber had staunchly kept her away from colt competition.)
Trainer Larry Jones expressed relief that the issue was decided in the filly's favor. He will run Friesan Fire, one of the Derby favorites, in the Preakness. Last year, he conditioned filly Eight Belles, who collapsed galloping out from her second place Derby finish.
Current Preakness Stakes Line-up
- Post Position No. 1 --- Big Drama, trained by David Fawkes, ridden by John Velazquez
- No. 2 --- Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird -- "Chip" Woolley Jr. -- Mike Smith
- No. 3 --- Musket Man -- Derek Ryan -- Eibar Coa
- No. 4 --- Luv Gov -- D. Wayne Lukas -- Jamie Theriot
- No. 5 --- Friesan Fire -- Larry Jones -- Gabriel Saez
- No. 6 --- Terrain -- Al Stall Jr. -- Jeremy Rose
- No. 7 --- Papa Clem -- Gary Stute -- Rafael Bejarano
- No. 8 --- General Quarters -- Tom McCarthy -- Julien Leparoux
- No. 9 --- Pioneerof The Nile -- Bob Baffert -- Garrett Gomez
- No.10 --- Flying Private -- D. Wayne Lukas -- Alan Garcia
- No.11 --- Take the Points -- Todd Pletcher -- Edgar Prado
- No.12 --- Tone It Down -- William Komlo -- Kent Desormeaux
- No.13 --- Rachel Alexandra -- Steve Asmussen -- Calvin Borel
Rachel Alexandra's Path to the Preakness
Trainers and owners will likely never exactly agree on a filly's place among colts. While greats Ruffian and Eight Belles had to be destroyed after breaking down in races with the opposite sex, Rags to Riches sustained fractures after her monumental struggle against Curlin in the 2007 Belmont Stakes, and she raced no more.
Some insist these high profile losses are proof that fillies should stay within their own Triple Crown series. Let the boys battle among themselves. Others believe if a filly is worthy, she deserves the chance to try to best the boys.
