Rachel Alexandra Wins Preakness Stakes on May 16
Filly Has a Perfect Trip to Hold Off Derby Winner Mine That Bird
May 16, 2009
Both they and third-place Musket Man left the big guns behind. While the track was still rated as fast, a downpour that began during the post parade made the track closer to good by the time the Preakness was over. Highly touted Friesan Fire and Pioneerof The Nile finished eleventh and twelfth respectively, well behind the top three. Papa Clem hung on gamely for fourth.
While the filly had the perfect trip, Mine That Bird did not. As planned, he was kept at the back of the pack by rider Mike Smith. When he started his run, he quickly passed horses, but was forced to go wide on the turn when a wall of tiring runners refused to let him through.
By the time Bird got clear, there wasn’t time to catch a struggling Rachel. He passed a game Musket Man and was flying at the end, but the filly held on to win by a narrowing three-quarters of a length. His wide trip meant he ran further than anyone else in the race to earn second spot and prove that he is a deserving Derby winner.
“No one would leave the rail for me,” said a mud-covered Smith. “He’s such a brave little horse.”
Preakness History Made
Several records were set in this 134th running of the Preakness. Calvin Borel was the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby and choose a different mount for the Preakness. He is also the first jockey to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown on two different horses.
It has been 10 years since a filly ran in the Preakness, the last being Excellent Meeting, who was pulled up back in 1999. Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to win the Preakness since Nellie Morse in 1924. She was also the first Kentucky Oaks winner to run in the Preakness and the first Preakness winner to come out of post 13. Her time was 1:55 flat for the mile and three-sixteenths.
Lukas Calls Rachel Alexander “An Extraordinary Filly”
Before the race, Borel said Rachel would win. “She’s by far the best horse I’ve ever been on,” said the man who rode Street Sense to a Derby victory two years ago.
“She’s an extraordinary filly,” said Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who won the Derby with the filly Winning Colors.
Breeder and former co-owner Adolphus Morrison would not have entered Rachel in the Preakness. “Fillies should run with fillies and stallions with stallions,” he said before the race. But new owner Jess Jackson, who bought the Oaks winner 10 days earlier, disagreed.
“Champions should run with champions,” said Jackson. “The fact that she’s a filly is irrelevant.”
Trainer Bob Baffert said the filly deserved a chance, but felt his horse, Pioneerof The Nile, would run well. “This is the revenge race,” Baffert said. “The cream always rises to the top, and today we’ll find out who the cream is.”
Everyone found out that the cream of this three-year-old crop is Rachel Alexandra, with Mine That Bird right on her heels.
Preakness Afterthoughts
- Winning trainer Steve Asmussen repeatedly gave credit to former trainer Hal Wiggins, who turned her over to the Asmussen barn in perfect shape. The filly changed trainers when she was sold after the Oaks.
- Big Drama, in post one, reared in the gate, unseating his rider, He was backed out, checked by the track vet, and reloaded. He broke alertly and ran well to place fifth. Mine That Bird in post two ignored all the commotion beside him.
- At 15.1 hands, Mine That Bird is five inches shorter and weighs about 100 pounds less than the Preakness winner, who is as big as most colts. As a filly, Rachel was carrying 121 pounds, while the little gelding carried 126.
(Full race coverage and photos of Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird are available at The Blood-Horse)
