Rachel Alexandra (foaled January 29, 2006 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Bred by Dolphus Morrison, who raced the filly in partnership with Michael Lauffer. Rachel Alexandra was sired by Medaglia d’Oro, a multiple Grade I winner who retired with career earnings in excess of US$5.7 million. Grandsire, El Prado, was the Irish Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and the Leading sire in North America in 2002. She was produced by Lotta Kim, sired by Claiborne Farm’s multiple stakes winner, Roar.
Trained by Hal Wiggins, at age two, Rachel Alexandra’s first important win came in late November at Churchill Downs in the Grade II Golden Rod Stakes in which she set a new stakes record. She ended the year with a record of three wins and two seconds from six starts.
Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years, taking the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes by one length on May 16, 2009.
Racing career
Ridden by regular jockey Calvin Borel, Rachel Alexandra, at age 3, made her debut on February 15, 2009, with an 8-length win in the Grade III Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park. She then won the March 14 Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks in New Orleans on a sloppy track. On April 8 she returned to Oaklawn Park to easily win the Grade II Fantasy Stakes by 8¾ lengths.
2009 Kentucky Oaks
On May 1st, 2009, the filly scored the most impressive win of her career, running away from the field to win the Grade I Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths.
Shortly after her Oaks victory, it was announced that Rachel Alexandra was sold to Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and Harold T. McCormick. ESPN reported that she would be transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen. Before this, she was not expected to run against colts, but with her change of ownership came a change of plans. Jess Jackson, owner of Curlin, paid the $100,000 supplemental fee which allowed her to race in the Preakness Stakes.
2009 Preakness Stakes
Rachel Alexandra won the 2009 Preakness Stakes from the number 13 post position, with Calvin Borel as her jockey. Borel was the first jockey ever to win a Kentucky Derby on one horse (Mine That Bird) and then to choose another to ride in the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The jockey, who’d also won the Kentucky Derby in 2007 on Street Sense, was quoted as saying: “This is the greatest horse I’ve ever been on in my life.”
Rachel Alexandra was the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924, while late charged by number 1 Kentucky Derby champ winner Mine That Bird, which placed 2nd in the Preakness Stakes of $1.1 million dollars. Rachel Alexandra became apparently the first horse to win from the 13th post position. She is also the first Kentucky Oaks winner to both contest and win the race.
It was announced on May 29, that Rachel Alexandra will not run in the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
Other Information
- Sire Medaglia d’Oro
- Grandsire El Prado
- Dam Lotta Kim
- Damsire Roar
- Sex Filly
- Foaled 2006
- Country United States Flag of the United States
- Colour Bay
- Breeder Dolphus C. Morrison
- Owner 1) L and M Partners, LLC (Michael Lauffer & Dolphus C. Morrison), 2) Stonestreet Stables & Harold T. McCormick (May 6/09)
- Trainer Hal R. Wiggins
- Steve Asmussen (May 6/09)
- Record 11: 8-2-0
- Earnings US$1,618,354
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