Rachel Alexandra is retired from racing
Perhaps it was the weight of expectation; perhaps she had given her all. But, just 24 hours after clocking the best time in a workout at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track, Rachel Alexandra was officially retired from racing.
Jess Jackson, her majority owner, said in a press release: "As you know, despite top training and a patient campaign, Rachel Alexandra did not return to her 2009 form.
"I believe it’s time to retire our champion and reward her with a less stressful life. We are delighted that she will retire healthy and happy to our beautiful farm in Kentucky."
Jackson said that Rachel Alexandra would be covered by to his dual Horse of the Year, Curlin, next year. Clearly the progeny from that union will never see a sales ring but the value of such a colt or filly on the open market would probably put any sales record under threat.
Rachel Alexandra retires with a racing record of 13 wins from 19 starts which, it has to be said, is like the curate’s egg – good in places. In fairness the good was very good and the rest only fell short when judged by the standards that the filly had set last year when she won the Horse of the Year title. Whether Rachel Alexandra was the right selection, over the Breeders’ Cup winner Zenayatta, was a hotly contested debate. They had not raced against each other as they became the two queens of American racing, with supporters on both sides believing that their horse had the right to the throne.
It was hoped that the question of supremacy would be resolved on the track one day. The retirement of Zenyatta at the end of last year appeared to have ended that opportunity but her return to the track, when she has extended her unbeaten career streak to 18, had rekindled that hope, a hope that lingered despite the inability – and not for the want of trying by several racecourse executives – to match the two in a race this season.
Zenyatta is scheduled to run in the Grade One Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday, a race which comes just a few hours after the Grade One Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park. That was supposed to be the final prep for Rachel Alexandra before the Breeders’ Cup.
However, even if Rachel Alexandra had made it to Churchill Downs in November, there had already been a growing belief that Jackson and the filly’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, were leaning towards the nine-furlong Ladies Classic rather than going for broke and take on Zenyatta and the colts in the $5million Classic itself.
The signs that Rachel Alexandra’s stellar achievements as a three-year-old had drawn deeply on her well of reserves had been apparent from the beginning of this season. Perhaps it was hardly surprising.
Unbeaten in her first three starts of 2009, Rachel Alexandra was considered a certainty for the Grade One Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. However, that could not prepare anyone for the magnitude of her talent as she won by a jaw-dropping 20¼ lengths. It was at that point that Jackson and partner Harold McCormick bought Rachel Alexandra in a private deal from owner/breeder Dolphus Morrison, his partner Mike Lauffer, and trainer Hal Wiggins.
The money was well spent because 15 days later Rachel Alexandra proved herself against the colts when she beat Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner, by a length in the Preakness Stakes. From there Rachel Alexandra took racing by storm as she won the Grade One Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park by 19¼ lengths, beating the previous record of 13 lengths held by Ruffian, and then the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
Her final act of the year was a dramatic one as she became the first filly to defeat older colts and geldings in the Grade One Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. The sight of her holding off Macho Again by a head will remain seared into the memory of all who saw it. But it may also have been seared within her memory as well.
This year – beaten in three of her five starts – Rachel Alexandra never showed the authority that had been hers seemingly as of right, as when she was beaten by Persistently in the Grade One Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga last month. Asmussen kept talking about how it was taking time for the filly to return to her best.
Time just ran out but Jackson preferred to look at the days in the sun rather than the cloudy ending. "Rachel Alexandra’s 2009 campaign was one for the ages - one that racing fans will remember throughout time," he said.
"Rachel Alexandra owes us nothing. As a three-year-old, she set standards and records that no filly before her ever achieved. And I suspect it will be quite a while before a three-year-old filly ever equals or surpasses her achievements. Although her fans were thrilled by a series of spectacular victories, I believe they, as we, were simply awed time and again by her sheer beauty, courage and athleticism."
Asmussen, who also trained Curlin, said: "I have been blessed to have been part of history. We are all very fortunate that Rachel carried the banner following Curlin’s amazing success story. The fans adored her, we all did. She had the most fluid and beautiful stride of any horse I have ever seen. It’s been quite a ride."
Whatever the defeats Rachel Alexandra goes into retirement as a champion; we should expect nothing less.
Why? Because she gave her all.
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