Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Rachel Alexandra saga

The Kentucky Oaks, run the day before the Derby, is often overshadowed by the glamour of that race and the hopes of a Triple Crown winner in the making. This year, however, despite the enjoyable underdog story of Derby winner Mine That Bird, the filly Rachel Alexandra still came out looking like the better horse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNkBuJtds58

Granted, with the scratch of Justwhistledixie and the absence of Stardom Bound, the Oaks field was on the light side. The way Rachel won though is what made her look every inch the superstar. Her jockey Calvin Borel never touched her with the whip or shook the reins at her to ask her to run; she just went on by the field at cruising speed and still came within a fifth of a second of the stakes record while winning by the biggest margin in Oaks history. Had Calvin cranked her up and really asked for speed, one can only imagine what she would have done. Just for starters, I'd think the stakes record would have fallen by a full second.

Rachel's undeniable brilliance makes her an easy horse to cheer for, but until yesterday, her connections were also a large part of her story. Her trainer, the likable Hal Wiggins, has been in the racing game for 40 years and has waited all his life for a horse like Rachel. The Oaks was his first Grade 1 win.

Her jockey Calvin Borel won many fans with his infectious high spirits after winning the Derby in 2007 with Street Sense, and he did so again with his excitement and praise of Rachel after the Oaks. “She is the best horse I’ve ever been on, and I don’t know how good she is,” said Borel, who won the Kentucky Derby on Street Sense. “Street Sense was a good horse; he had a good turn of foot. But until I really have to ask her, I don’t know how good she is. She’s incredible.”

Rachel has never been beaten with Calvin in the saddle.

Even before the Oaks, many pundits and fans thought the filly would have had the Derby all her own way had she been entered, and naturally after the race, those thoughts were even more prevalent. When asked, Wiggins said, "We're not going to look back. We're going to enjoy this. We're not going to have any regrets."

Her owner went one step further and expressed the belief that fillies should run against fillies and leave the boys to themselves (which I feel is rather sexist, but I'm not sure the horses care one way or the other).

All that changed Wednesday, only days after the Oaks, when it was announced that Jess Jackson of Stonestreet Stables had purchased Rachel Alexandra for a rumored $10 million. The filly now resides in Steve Asmussen's barn. Hal Wiggins has put on a brave face for the press, but I can only imagine how devastated he must be. To have a filly like that in his barn with such a bright future, and then overnight, nothing.

IEAH receives a fair amount of fan ire for buying champions instead of making them, but at least when they purchased I Want Revenge earlier this spring, they kept him with the trainer who knew him inside out. Why mess with a good thing after all? The same thing applies here. Asmussen has had and still has good horses in his barn. He had Curlin for 2 years for pity's sake (another horse yanked away from the original trainer). Does he really need Rachel on his resume more than Hal Wiggins? I think not. Especially given Asmussen's history of suspensions for doping his horses...

Though it has yet to be confirmed, rumors are flying that Rachel will be entered in the Preakness and possibly the Belmont. While it is exciting to think of her facing the boys, it puts Calvin Borel in one hell of a predicament. Does he ride Mine That Bird, the horse he won the Derby on, or does he throw away the chance at a Triple Crown and ride the filly, the best horse he said he's ever ridden?