Race Horsing: Rachel Alexandra - the legendary Thoroughbred filly (Part 1)
Rachel is one of the most talented fillies in particular and race horse in general that American Thoroughbred horse racing has seen till date. Rachel managed to catch the attention of many fans and trainers and thus won the Horse of the Year Award in 2009,
out voting Zenyatta, the reigning queen of thoroughbred racing since 2008.
Rachel was foaled on 29th January, 2006. This horse came to the fore after she became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes on 16th May, 2009 - after a gap of 85 years, when Nellie Morse last won the title back in 1924. Rachel
has won numerous races against some of the best colts, mares and fillies in the country.
When it comes to race tracks, Rachel has displayed immense versatility as she has won races on 8 different tracks. All the stake races have been won by Rachel with large margins. She has a long series of successive wins including many Grade I stakes races.
Rachel Alexandra is a bay race horse with a unique upside-down-exclamation-point-shaped white blaze on her nose. Her height is considered to be taller than the average height of fillies - approximately 16 hands. She enjoys running as a front runner, which
is also considered to be her typical style of running. However, she has also been spotted running off of the pace, for instance in the Mother Goose Stakes.
Dolphus Morrison was originally the owner and breeder of Rachel, who had named the filly after his granddaughter. Rachel was then sold to Michael Lauffer before she became a popular and successful filly. Initially, she was trained by Hal Wiggins (Morrison’s
customary trainer). Wiggins continued to train Rachel until the Kentucky Oaks in 2009. Rachel gave a lifetime performance at the Kentucky Oaks in 2009, after which she was sold for more than $10 million. Thus, her new owners were Stonestreet Stables and Harold
T. McCormick. Controlling interests of the legendary filly were held by billionaire Jess Jackson and Kendall Jackson. She was still ridden by Calvin Borel and then trained by Steve Asmussen under her new owners.
Most of the honours and awards were won by the 4-year-old filly in 2009. The most notable of these awards included the Horse of the Year 2009 award. Rachel won this award with 130 votes while her competitor and runner up Zenyatta got 99 votes. This was the
first instance in the history of American Horse Racing that two female horses were battling to clinch the award.
On 18th January 2010, Rachel was presented the Eclipse Award for the Champion Three Year Old Filly. The voting was unanimous and all the 232 ballots voted in Rachel Alexandra’s favour. Eclipse Award is considered to be the most exalted award in
horse racing. Rachel Alexandra became the first 3-year-old filly to receive the Eclipse Horse of the Year award in 19 years since the Eclipse Award began in 1971. When distinguished racehorses including Azeri (2002), Lady’s Secret (1986) and All Along (1983)
achieved this honour, they all were 4 year olds.
Her retirement was announced by her owner Jess Jackson on the 28th of September 2010. It was also declared that Rachel Alexandra will be bred to Curlin who won the 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year Awards. Rachel retired this year because she could
not to maintain her outstanding performances that she offered to her fans in 2009. However, her contributions to the sport will always be remembered and thus it was announced by The Fair Grounds Race Course on the very next day of her retirement (29th
September) that the Silverbulletday Stakes will now be known as the Rachel Alexandra Stakes.
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