Rachel Alexandra ready to run in Mother Goose

By DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—Jess Jackson wasn’t sure how much Rachel Alexandra’s stirring victory against the boys in the Preakness took out of her, so he wound up keeping the superstar filly out of the Belmont Stakes.

Three weeks later, Jackson will finally see whether the 3-year-old that captured America’s imagination has recovered from the pounding surface of Pimlico.

Rachel Alexandra will face a short field in Saturday’s $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies around one sweeping turn at Belmont Park.

“She gave a brilliant race the last time, but the turf was giving away at the Preakness and we thought she needed a good rest,” Jackson said earlier this week. “The Mother Goose was always a prospect, and it’s a nice place to have her return to New York.”
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The last time she ran against her own gender, Rachel Alexandra romped to a 20-length win in the Kentucky Oaks. Her sheer dominance has scared off most of her rivals, leaving only Florida Oaks winner Don’t Forget Gil, Hopeful Image, Flashing and Malibu Prayer to test her.

While the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was made the early 1-5 favorite, the field isn’t without credentials. Flashing, the winner of the Grade 3 Nassau County, belongs to the highly talented Godolphin Stable and has her own three-race win streak, while Todd Pletcher-trained Malibu Prayer has won two straight by a combined 20 lengths.

“The main focus is to get a good race in her,” jockey Calvin Borel said, calling Rachel Alexandra “the best horse I’ve ever been on in my life.”

Borel said her final work Monday at Churchill Downs went flawlessly. Rachel Alexandra went four furlongs in 49.80 seconds over a fast main track under exercise rider Dominic Terry, then galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.40.

“Her work was unbelievable, she’s doing so good,” Borel said. “She’s very versatile. I’m just going to go ride my filly with the confidence I have in her.”

Rachel Alexandra, who’s riding a six-race winning streak dating to last year, shipped to Belmont on Wednesday and spent Thursday schooling in the paddock with groom Javier Espinoza and assistant trainer Scott Blasi.

She’s never raced over the deep, sandy surface at Belmont, but Jackson and Borel said they don’t expect the strapping filly to have problems with it.

“Belmont is a great track, one of the best tracks in North America, right there with Santa Anita in its former days,” said Jackson, whose two-time Horse of the Year Curlin won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont last September.

“Belmont, properly prepared for the race, will not bother her at all. Nice wide turn, nice long stretch—that type of track is made for her.”

Borel doesn’t typically ride at Belmont, but he said that even if his inexperience on Long Island was a factor, Rachel Alexandra’s pure ability would more than compensate.

“It’s just a sandy track. It won’t hurt Rachel,” he said. “I think Rachel would run on broken glass because that’s the kind of horse she is.”

Glass, perhaps, but not the new synthetic surfaces at many tracks.

Jackson revealed this week that Rachel Alexandra almost certainly won’t run in the Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s world championships, on Nov. 6-7 because he’s not fond of the Pro-ride synthetic track at Santa Anita.

That means if Rachel Alexandra comes out of the Mother Goose healthy, she could be pointed toward the Delaware Handicap on July 19, the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 and the Travers on Aug. 29—all races against the boys. She also could run against fillies again in the Coaching Club American Oaks on July 25 at Belmont.

“I can’t predict her health all the way through the year, but if she stays healthy we’ll try to pick a spot where we’ll compete against the boys,” Jackson said. “And if she’s really healthy, we’ll even consider a 4-year-old campaign.”

Black Mamba Coiled for Beverly Hills Repeat

By Jack Shinar

Black Mamba, a New Zealand-bred mare who scored her first American stakes victory in last year's Beverly Hills Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park, is back to defend her title June 28 in the $150,000 grass event.

Trained by John Sadler for Doubledown Stables, Black Mamba ended a streak of seven consecutive in-the-money stakes performances without a victory when she captured the 10-furlong Beverly Hills in come-from-behind style by 1 1/4 lengths. She would go on to take the John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT) at Del Mar in her next race. But the often trouble-prone 6-year-old bay is winless in five starts since.

Garrett Gomez, who was aboard for both of those wins, has the call this time around, replacing Joel Rosario.

Black Mamba will carry top weight of 120 pounds while breaking from post 3. She is part of a six-horse field in this year's Beverly Hills. The group includes two fillies -- Hot n' Dusty and You Lift Me Up -- who are cross-entered in the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) a day earlier on Hollywood's Cushion Track surface.

Sadler was optimistic that Black Mamba would rebound from her fourth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Gamely (gr. IT) May 30. She rallied five wide from next-to-last on the final turn to be beaten by 1 1/2 lengths by the victorious Magical Fantasy.

“The last time was a little shorter for her,” said Sadler. “Now she is back at her preferred distance. I think she’ll be tough.”

Black Mamba seeks to become the fifth mare to repeat in the Beverly Hills in its 44-year history. The others are La Zanzara in 1974-75, Swingtime in 1977-78, Flawlessly in 1992-93, and Astra in 2001-02.

Though she has won just four times in a 25-race career, the daughter of Black Minnaloushe has seven runner-up and three third-place finishes while earning $718,851. Black Mamba worked seven furlongs in a bullet 1:26 2/5 on June 21.

Toque de Queda, who finished right behind Black Mamba in both the Gamely and the Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) this spring, looks to put it together in her fifth start for trainer Bobby Frankel.

Owned by Johanna Louise Glen-Teven, the 5-year-old British-bred daughter of Dansili transferred from France last summer and debuted with a third-place finish in the Beverly D (gr. IT) at Arlington Park, finishing two lengths behind Mauralakana at odds of 53-1. She completed the year with a fifth-place showing in Woodbine's E.P. Taylor (Can-IT).

Switched to the West Coast in 2009, Toque de Queda ran third in a troubled Santa Barbara effort in April at Santa Anita. She was sixth in the Gamely when out-kicked late, but was beaten by less than two lengths.

A second Great Britain-bred, Restless Soul, comes off a victory in the Yerba Buena Stakes at Golden Gate Fields April 4. The 5-year-old Singspiel mare has won two of her past three starts for trainer Ben Cecil.

Charming Legacy is an Irish-bred 6-year-old who has placed third in both the Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT) and the Redondo Beach Stakes at the current meet. Trained by Ron McAnally, she is yet to win a stakes but has not been out of the money in five starts at Hollywood while winning twice.

You Lift Me Up was expected to run here for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer rather than in the Vanity. Four of her five lifetime wins have come on the turf, including a stakes victory on the Hollywood turf last fall.

Hot n' Dusty, owned by Madeline Auerbach and Little Red Feather Racing, has won three of 16 starts and makes her stakes debut this weekend.

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'Rachel' will pass on Breeders' Cup

David Grening, Daily Racing Form

ELMONT, N.Y. - Owner Jess Jackson said Wednesday he would love to race his Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra against the boys again this year, but that she would not run in any race in this year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, and he suggested that she could run again next year as a 4-year-old.

Jackson made those remarks during a conference call Wednesday to preview Rachel Alexandra's return to the races in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose at Belmont Park. Rachel Alexandra drew post 3 in a field of five 3-year-old fillies and was installed as the 1-5 favorite by Belmont's linemaker, Eric Donovan. The Mother Goose will go as race 9 (post 5:17 p.m.) on a 10-race program.

The Mother Goose will be Rachel Alexandra's first race since she defeated Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and 11 other males in the Preakness, becoming the first filly to win that race since Nellie Morse in 1924. She was held out of the Belmont Stakes because her connections felt she needed more time, but Jackson said he had no reservations about trying her against males in races such as the Haskell or Travers. He said, however, that Rachel Alexandra would definitely not run in this year's Breeders' Cup - be it against the females or males - because it's being run over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. Last year, the Jackson-owned Curlin finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"That's absolutely certain," Jackson said. "If I'm going to run [next year] the Breeders' Cup is not that essential for her. I just don't want to risk her. You may not think it's a risk, but I saw what Curlin did and how he struggled, and I saw four or five other horses that raced on plastic and they struggled. If it's a dirt horse, it's a dirt horse."

The field for Saturday's Mother Goose, from the rail out: Hopeful Image (Edgar Prado), Don't Forget Gil (Alan Garcia), Rachel Alexandra (Calvin Borel), Malibu Prayer (John Velazquez) and Flashing (Javier Castellano).

Asmussen: Rachel Alexandra ‘beautiful’ in workout

LOUISVILLE, KY.(AP) —Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra has put in a final workout before her next start in Saturday’s Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park.

Rachel Alexandra worked a half mile in 49.8 seconds at Churchill Downs on Monday morning, and trainer Steve Asmussen said the 3-year-old filly went “beautiful” and looked “happy.” She galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.40.

Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths on May 1, and her Preakness win against the boys gave her a six-race winning streak. The Mother Goose for 3-year-olds fillies will be her first start since the Preakness.

Rachel Alexandra reaches Belmont

ELMONT, N.Y. (AP)—Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra has arrived at Belmont Park for Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Accompanied by assistant trainer Scott Blasi, exercise rider Dominic Terry and four other thoroughbreds, Rachel Alexandra departed Churchill Downs at noon. She arrived at trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn on the Belmont Park backstretch by 4:30 p.m.

The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was bedded down in stall No. 5—the same stall previously occupied by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.

Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 lengths on May 1, and her Preakness win against the boys gave her a six-race winning streak. The Mother Goose will be her first start since the Preakness.

Colonial Turf Cup

Battle of Hastings wins the Grade 2, $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup for 3-year-olds at Colonial Downs on June 20, 2009.

Battle of Hastings got a terrific trip from just off the pace and was pushed to the limit when holding off a game Straight Story to post a head victory Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va.

With Tyler Baze aboard for owner Mike House and trainer Jeff Mullins, Battle of Hastings returned $7.40 as the favorite after finishing 1 3/16 miles in 1:57.79 over a firm turf.

Al Khali took the lead from Straight Story entering the backstretch run of the Colonial Cup, and they showed the way to the top of the stretch, where Al Khali drifted wide, floating Straight Story and jockey Chuck Lopez even farther out onto the course. Baze capitalized by urging Battle of Hastings through a huge opening along the rail, and they got to the wire with just enough to outlast a furious re-rally by Straight Story. Lime Rickey finished third, another 1 1/4 lengths back. Dover Street Art was an early scratch, leaving a field of nine 3-year-olds.

Battle of Hastings, a British-bred gelding by Royal Applause, has now won 5 of 10 starts, including 3 of 5 since being sent to Mullins in Southern California last fall. He earned easily his biggest paycheck, $288,000, more than doubling his bankroll to $474,592. His previous triumphs included the Baldwin and La Puente stakes over the Santa Anita turf.

The Colonial Cup is the first leg in the sixth annual Grand Slam of Grass bonus series. Subsequent legs are the July 18 Virginia Derby, the Aug. 8 Secretariat, and the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Turf.

The Colonial Cup was one of four stakes run Saturday on the expansive Colonial turf course.

All Along: Three in row for Winter View

Winter View ($9.80), last of nine for much of the way, launched a searing outside run under Julien Leparoux to defeat Tejida by a head in the Grade 3, $150,000 All Along Stakes for fillies and mares. Dyna's Lassie was third, Astrologie was fourth, and Indescribable, the 7-5 favorite, was eighth.

Notching her third straight victory for breeder-owner Augustin Stable, trainer Jonathan Sheppard, and Leparoux, Winter View finished the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:49.56. The 5-year-old Thunder Gulch mare has now won 5 of 21 starts.

Longshots led early, but after straightening for home, the field became well-bunched behind the tiring front-runner, Julia Tuttle, with several taking their best shot. Tejida, ridden by Corey Nakatani, emerged as the horse to catch in the desperate final yards, but it was the same sort of furious rally that Winter View used in winning her two prior starts at Keeneland, capped by the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes on April 23, that denied her.

* Leparoux, the leading jockey at the current Churchill Downs meet, also was the winning rider in the $48,500 Buckland Stakes when booting home Twiceasbeautiful ($12.80) to a 3 1/4-length score as the longest shot in a scratch-laden field of four fillies and mares.

Twiceasbeautiful, trained by Michelle Sharp for breeder-owner Linda Rosenblatt, rallied from last to take the 5 1/2-furlong race for her fifth victory from 17 career starts. Ten horses were scratched from an original cast of 14.

* Drivingmaxandmitzi ($3.80) took over with ease with a four-wide move entering the far turn and proceeded to a 3 1/2-length triumph under Rosemary Homeister Jr. in the $30,000 Old Nelson, a 1 3/16-mile starter-allowance for older horses. Hector Magana trains 7-year-old Drivingmaxandmitzi, now a winner in 19 of 40 starts, at Arlington Park for the Midwest Thoroughbreds ownership group.

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Racing goes prime time at Churchill

By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Put on the evening gown. Take off the sunglasses. For the first time in the 135-year history of Churchill Downs, the horses charged down the stretch under the lights.

In an event dubbed as “Downs After Dark,” the Kentucky Derby host track transformed the Twin Spires into a nightclub of sorts on Friday. A live band pumped energetic music through the paddock, where patrons could lounge on a couch, sip on a mojito and nibble on a kabob while watching the horses prepare to race.

The paddock, even more than the grandstand, was the place to be on this night, unless you had scored a ticket to the dance club upstairs or sprung for a luxurious five-course dinner in the suite known as “Millionaire’s Row” during the Derby. Churchill listed the attendance of 28,011, far above the average from a typical race day.

“You’re going to have a great time here regardless, but this just brings a different atmosphere,” Jennifer Howell said. “Horses and happy hour. It’s an awesome combination.”

Although the first several races were run during daylight, temporary lights were illuminating the last ones, including the 11:11 p.m. finale.

Officially, Churchill’s first race after sundown happened at 9:40 p.m., with favorite Final Copy emerging as the winner. Jockey Robby Albarado, a veteran of night racing at Evangeline Downs, said the night racing was nothing new but the raucous crowd provided tremendous energy.

“I’m overwhelmed by the crowd,” Albarado said. “This was a big night for not only Churchill Downs but horse racing. This kind of solidifies what racing is about.”

Albarado also endeared himself to a new fan, Billy Warrick. Warrick’s name was drawn for a chance to either pocket $100 or place a $1,000 bet on his choice of a winning horse. He chose to gamble and placed his money on Albarado, turning the investment into $2,400.

“I will always bet on Robby,” he said.

Night racing was well received, although it did make for a short night of sleep for the horsemen. Calvin Borel, the jockey who rode Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, said he had to be at the track by 5 a.m. Saturday for morning workouts. Still, Borel said it’s needed to give the sport a jolt.

“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,” Borel said. “Just look at the crowd they’ve got already. It might be all right.”

Racing under the lights, which will take place on a test basis three nights this summer at Churchill, is hardly a foreign concept in the industry. Turfway has done it for four decades, and at the same time Churchill’s race card is going off, night racing will be taking place at tracks from California to Pennsylvania.

Trainer David Vance said he has been a longtime critic of night racing because he believes it hurts tradition and throws off schedules, but he agreed that if the people turn out, it’s all worthwhile.

“If it would help Churchill Downs, I wouldn’t care if they started at midnight,” Vance said.

As for the racing fans, the support was largely resounding. Wayne Wilder was handicapping the day’s second race Friday while relaxing in a padded chair with his foot resting on a matching ottoman.

“Well, I won the first race,” Wilder said. “I guess it must have been the chair"

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Pa. probes if vet used gun to put racehorse down

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Authorities are investigating whether a veterinarian used a gun to euthanize a racehorse at a track near Philadelphia.

The practice might violate rules at Philadelphia Park and racing-industry standards.

Pennsylvania Racing Commission spokesman Chris Ryder says his agency is reviewing the recent death, along with race track stewards and law enforcement officials.

One question is whether the veterinarian had a permit to carry the weapon at the Bensalem track.

Ryder says a gunshot can be an accepted manner of euthanizing animals when done properly.

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