Rachel Alexandra wins at Monmouth Park
Rachel Alexandra completed the formality of claiming her 13th victory in 18 starts in the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.
The doubts that had been expressed after Rachel Alexandra had been beaten in her first two starts of the season had been forgotten when she won the Grade Two Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs by 10½ lengths last month and Rachel Alexandra, who was given a round of applause as she entered the parade ring, was being backed as if defeat was out of the question, with one bet of $500,000.
Calvin Borel had Rachel Alexandra just wide of the leader, Queen Martha, on the run to the first turn. Down the back stretch Borel was in the perfect position, waiting for the moment to attack. Rachel Alexandra led into the stretch and came away easily enough in what amounted to a $240,000 paid gallop after the racecourse executive had boosted the prize money for the race from $250,000 to $400,000 to tempt connections to run the filly.
Steve Asmussen, her trainer, said: “We’re very pleased with her; how she ran today and how good she acted. Awfully warm and she kept her composure - she was very relaxed off the other mare.
“The first thing Calvin said when he came back was he loved how she came home today. And I think that’ll be the key to her future success.”
Asmussen and Jess Jackson, who owns Rachel Alexandra in partnership with Harold McCormick, have yet to spell out their plans for the rest of the season. While Zenyatta, her great rival who she has yet to meet on the racecourse, is set to defend her title in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November, Rachel Alexandra has not been committed to that race and could still be switched to the Ladies’ Classic at the same meeting.
Looking to the future Asmusen said: “It’s been discussed a lot. But the filly came into the barn [last year] four days off a 20-length win in the Oaks to 10 days later the Preakness. And that level of pressure an expectation hasn’t been met yet this year.
“But as you can see this filly’s carrying good flesh, she’s doing really well and I think we have a lot of mare going in towards the end of the year.”
The prestigious Saratoga meeting staged the first of its marquee races when Devil May Care won the Grade One Coaching Club American Oaks, run over nine furlongs.
Devil May Care had hardened as market leader after Connie And Michael was scratched, but Todd Pletcher’s filly never looked in any danger of defeat. John Velazquez had her off the early pace and then came three wide off the turn and took up the running from two furlongs out, with Biofuel coming in for second.
Devil May Care had flopped in 10th when Pletcher pitched her in against the colts in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May, but she bounced back to win the Grade One Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont last month.
This victory puts her as the best three-year-old filly in America and could make her a player if connections decide to mix it with the likes of Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta.
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