Filly Rachel Alexandra Wins Preakness Stakes
Borel And Oaks Victor Outlast Derby Champion Mine That Bird
May 16, 2009
Big Drama returned to the Thoroughbred race track on May 16 to set the pace in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes. He lasted for fifth place. His name, however, and his co-leading filly counterpart stayed up front.
Borel Wins First Two Triple Crown Races
Rachel Alexandra and jockey Calvin Borel held off Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird to win million dollar Black-Eyed Susans at Pimlico Race Course two weeks after Borel had ridden 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird to the Derby title.
Borel is the first jockey ever to take himself off a Derby victor to ride another horse in the Preakness. That also makes him the only rider ever to win the first two races of the Triple Crown on two different horses.
Rachel Alexandra is the first filly to win the Preakness since Nellie Morse found the wire first in 1924.
Jockey Borel Was Certain of His Filly
Borel made the choice to ask to ride the Preakness-supplemented filly with whom he'd already won five straight races after she had been purchased by Jess Jackson and Harold T. McCormick. The purchase occurred a week after Rachel Alexandra had won the Kentucky Oaks with Borel in the saddle the day before the Derby.
New majority owner Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen agreed on hiring Borel.
Drama enough? There's more.
Borel all but guaranteed Rachel Alexandra's Preakness win in pre-race interviews after he took time to coach fellow rider Mike Smith on how to hold Mine That Bird back early and strike late.
In a final, dramatic development, better judgment prevailed when a conspiracy on May 10 to balloon the nominated entry list and keep Rachel Alexandra from getting a Preakness gate was scrapped. Mine That Bird co-owner Mark Allen conceived the plan, but he said he decided it was not an honorable pursuit.
Preakness 2009 Facts
- Attendance --- 77,850
- 2008 --- 112,222
- Purse --- $1.1 million
- Distance --- 1-3/16 miles (dirt)
- Total Handle --- $86,684,407
- 2008 --- $73,457,510
Borel Went to Lead With Filly
Borel ignored concerns about breaking from Gate 13. No horse ever had won the Preakness from that post position.
The jockey who reads horses like a book guided the filly easily out of the last starting block and steered her to a favorable lead position in the middle of the track, outside Big Drama.
Rachel Alexandra reached the wire in 1:55.08 on a fast track lightly dampened by a race-time shower.
Mine That Bird Makes Big Bid
Smith, meanwhile, couldn't get Mine That Bird to a blocked rail, but the little son of Birdstone proved the size of his heart again with another sterling come from behind effort. He clipped off horses one by one, weaving and wheeling toward the tough-hanging filly.
Lady Rachel wouldn't cave in under the pressure of the Derby champ's drive. She responded to Borel's urging and left Mine That Bird a short length behind. Musket Man went a game third, another half length back.
New drama arises. Will the big filly and the little 'Bird who have given Thoroughbred racing a shot of adrenalin meet in the Belmont Stakes?
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