Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Horse Racing Results: Rachel Alexandra Wins Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park
Posted on Saturday, June 27th, 2009
A couple of late scratches made the $270,000 Mother Goose Stakes a 3-horse race and the Preakness winner filly Rachel Alexandra might as well have been running alone as she romped to a 19-length victory in a stakes record 1:46.33 at Belmont Park June 27.
“Believe me, she’s not normal,” jockey Calvin Borel said. “She’s unbelievable.”
Filly Rachel Alexandra hardly looked like she broke a sweat, strutting through the winner’s circle just as she had the paddock. The first filly to win the Preakness since 1924 was the overwhelming 1-9 favorite in the Mother Goose Stakes, and did absolutely nothing to dispute it, paying $2.10 to win.
She’s captured 7 straight races dating to last year, including her rousing victory against Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird at Pimlico. Malibu Prayer finished second and Flashing was third, although there was no place or show wagering due to the short field.
“I felt she could win by 10 lengths,” said co-owner Jess Jackson, who purchased the filly after her 20-length win in the Kentucky Oaks. “She’s something special, one for the ages. I just hope we have more horses to fill the fields and make it more exciting.”
Florida Oaks winner Don’t Forget Gil was scratched Saturday morning because of a temperature, and Hopeful Image was held out because of a case of colic, leaving just three in the starting gate.
“We did everything we could to keep her in the race,” said Hopeful Image race horse trainer Gerald Procino. “She’ll be fine, but the veterinarian advised that we scratch.”
It probably wouldn’t have made any difference.
Filly Rachel Alexandra looked calm and regal as she pranced toward the track, jockey Calvin Borel giving her 2 pats on the neck. Rachel Alexandra broke cleanly from the third post and remained about 4 lengths off the pace along the backstretch at Big Sandy, where it sure didn’t look like she was running for the first time.
Chewing up the deep racing surface, filly Rachel Alexandra split her only challengers around the final bend and surged down the front straightaway. Jockey Calvin Borel never needed to urge her, settling back as one of the most dominant fillies to come along in years proved her brilliance once more.
“You don’t know where the bottom is yet. He didn’t ask her to run,” co-owner Jess Jackson said. “He was just sitting there. I’m amazed at her beauty combined with her speed.”
“I was very relaxed where she was, just that beautiful stride. She looked great,” race horse trainer Steve Asmussen said. “She deserves all the attention and affection.”
Jess Jackson hasn’t said where he’ll run filly Rachel Alexandra next, but it appears she came out of the race in perfect health. He’s mentioned as candidates the Delaware Handicap on July 19, the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 and the Travers on Aug. 29–all races against the boys.
Rachel Alexandra also could run against fillies in the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 25 at Belmont Park.
Regardless of where she goes, fans are already clamoring for a matchup against champion mare Zenyatta, the best in the West who claimed her 11th straight victory just minutes after the Mother Goose in the $300,00 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.
Jess Jackson has said Rachel Alexandra won’t run in the Breeders’ Cup on Santa Anita’s synthetic track this fall, and Zenyatta has campaigned almost exclusively over those surfaces in California. One of their connections would have to budge for the matchup to happen.
“That’d be delightful, the two best fillies in a decade or so,” Jess Jackson said, “but I’d like it to be a full field so they really have a challenge.”
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Tags: Don't Forget Gil, Flashing, Hopeful Image, Malibu Prayer, Rachel Alexandra
"Horse Racing Results: Rachel Alexandra Wins Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park" was posted on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 10:27 pm and is filed under Belmont Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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