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.The Preakness Winner Rachel Alexandra To Make 2010 Debut In The New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds
Posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
The 2009 Horse of the Year and Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra will face four rivals when she makes her first start in six months in Saturday’s $200,000 New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds.
Four-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra drew the No. 2 post position Monday and regular jockey Calvin Borel will be aboard. Rachel Alexandra will be facing Fighter Wing, Zardana, Unforgotten and Clear Sailing.
The New Orleans Ladies Stakes field with jockeys and weight in post position order:
- Fighter Wing under jockey Corey Lanerie carries 117 lbs.
- Rachel Alexandra under jockey Calvin Borel, 123 lbs.
- Zardana under jockey David Flores, 121 lbs.
- Unforgotten under jockey Miguel Mena, 117 lbs.
- Clear Sailing under jockey Shane Sellers, 117 lbs.
Rachel Alexandra completed an 8-0 campaign last year with a victory against older males in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 5. Rachel Alexandra also won the Preakness and the Haskell Invitational against 3-year-old males.
Against 3-year-old fillies, Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks, the female counterpart of the Kentucky Derby, by 20 lengths and the Mother Goose Stakes by 19 lengths.
In the 1 1/16-mile New Orleans Ladies Stakes, Rachel Alexandra, trained by Steve Asmussen, faces a field of 4-year-old fillies and mares. Her most formidable foe could be Zardana, a 6-year-old mare bred in Brazil who won the 2009 Bayakoa Handicap.
Zardana is trained by John Shirreffs, who also trains unbeaten Zenyatta, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner preparing to face Rachel Alexandra in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park on April 8. Zenyatta makes her first start of the year in Saturday’s Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita.
Fighter Wing, who drew the rail, set the pace in the Pelleteri Stakes last month at the Fair Grounds before finishing second to Clear Sailing.
Unforgotten has earned more than $500,000 with several stakes wins.
Rachel Alexandra breezed 4 furlongs in 49 seconds Monday in her final work before the race.
Race horse trainer Steve Asmussen said Rachel “went beautiful … did very well, looked good.” The workout was Rachel’s seventh this year.
Scheduled as the 10th race, Fair Grounds’ New Orleans Ladies Stakes post time is 5:15 pm.
Tags: Clear Sailing, Fighter Wing, Rachel Alexandra, Unforgotten, Zardana
"The Preakness Winner Rachel Alexandra To Make 2010 Debut In The New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds" was posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 9:47 am and is filed under Fair Grounds, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, 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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