Rachel Alexandra
Which recap best captures Rachel Alexandra’s three-length win as the 1-10 favorite in the ungraded Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth this afternoon?
Rachel Alexandra has to work in Lady’s Secret victory (Blood-Horse)
… it was not a walkover for the reigning Horse of the Year …
Rachel Alexandra cruises in the Lady’s Secret (Thoroughbred Times)
Rachel Alexandra turned in a performance befitting a Horse of the Year …
Rachel Alexandra takes care of business (Daily Racing Form)
… a solid win, considering the conditions.
I’m partial to the last. She tracked an unexciting pace, responded when asked, looked comfortable, despite the heat. She won by open lengths, even if not by a great margin. (And really, what would have been gained by a blowout?)
Final time for the nine furlongs was 1:49.78 (final furlong :12.75).
With Rachel Alexandra running, Monmouth racked up phenomenal handle numbers, taking in a record $11,421,794 on its 12-race card. The WPS pool in the Lady’s Secret hit $1,593,662, the exacta pool $343,968.
At Saratoga today, first-timer Wine Police turned heads with a wire-to-wire win in the seventh, a 5 1/2 furlong maiden special, which the 2-year-old Speightstown colt took by 7 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:03.36 (watch the replay). He’s the latest addition this summer’s buzz babies list.
7/25/10 Addendum: A Beyer speed figure of 110 for Rachel Alexandra in the Lady’s Secret, 105 for runner-up Queen Martha. That’s a big number for ‘Martha, who was making her second US start and her first on dirt. Rachel Alexandra’s BSF revised to 105, per Mike Watchmaker (DRF+).
Trainer Linda Rice on defending her 2009 Saratoga title:
“A lot of people are expecting an awful lot, but realistically I just hope we go there and have a good meet, the horses run well and we win our share of races, have good racing luck and try not to embarrass myself.”
Since her history-making win last summer, Rice has picked up a few new clients, but she’s still seeking owners offering the sort of financial backing that would allow up her to acquire and train top-class horses. Somewhat ironically, her current stock, largely comprising turf horses and NY-breds, may actually better position her for a repeat title than would a barn full of champions, as 2009 runner-up trainer Todd Pletcher tacitly acknowledged:
“What we need to be successful at Saratoga is to be able to participate in open allowance races. If the cards are weighed heavily with a lot of New York-bred races and sprint races on the turf, we just don’t have the horses to participate in those categories.”
The trends of the past decade aren’t in Pletcher’s favor.
The headline says it all: “Rachel towers over Lady’s Secret field.” Monmouth anticipates the reigning HOTY will go to post “at the absolute minimum price” of 1-20. “I think we are running for second,” said trainer Patrick Biancone, who will saddle Queen Martha on Saturday. “But second would be good.”
That’s Monmouth, this weekend and next. Rachel Alexandra arrived at the track on Tuesday morning for the Lady’s Secret Stakes on Saturday (she may paddock school on Friday, reports Monmouth), and the likely field for the Haskell on August 1, which already included Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin at Lucky, gained Derby runner-up Ice Box. “It’s everything you hope for,” Monmouth general manager Bob Kulina told the Star-Ledger. “It’s shaping up to be the premiere 3-year-old race after the Triple Crown, after the Derby.” (And what about the Travers, the mid-summer Derby? “… we will just have to wait and see what happens in Jersey.”)
Not to slight glorious Saratoga, which opens Friday and drew 127 entries for its 10-race card. Seven are entered in the Schuylerville Stakes, including Belmont maiden winner Stopspendingmaria, one of the buzz babies I’m following here, and Rick Dutrow trainee Le Mi Geaux, one of the first winners for freshman sire First Samurai. He did quite well at Saratoga in 2005, winning an allowance and the Hopeful Stakes.
Speaking of juveniles attracting buzz, Date With Destiny, the only foal of the late champion George Washington, is pointing to the Group 1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile on September 25 after her impressive maiden win. The Fillies’ Mile is a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In Challenge race, but even if Date With Destiny does win, she’s a longshot for the Breeders’ Cup. Trainer Richard Hannon, addressing talk of sending his star milers to the event, said last month, “I am not interested in what they have to offer across the pond.”
Getting back to Monmouth, somehow I missed Dick Jerardi’s DRF+ column of last week. Per the Beyer speed figure makers, “Monmouth is getting faster (and better) horses at this meet than it got over the same period last year.” The only group not running to higher pars? Jersey breds.
Rachel Alexandra put in her final work for the ungraded Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, breezing four furlongs in :49.60 over the Oklahoma track this morning. The Pink Sheet posted pre-work, post-work, and an impressionistic in-motion photo of the move, which took place shortly before 6:00 AM and looked “nice, loose and happy” to trainer Steve Asmussen. The field for the Lady’s Secret won’t be drawn until Wednesday, but Monmouth announced yesterday that Hark, Queen Martha, Stage Trick, Starship Angel, and Yes She’s a Lady were all possible. Combined, the five have won 17 of 56 starts, and none are graded stakes winners.
At Belmont Park on Sunday, Quality Road worked a bullet five furlongs in :58.69 for the G1 Whitney on August 7. He’s looking well.
It’s that time of year, when buzz babies appear. “I have a really nice two year old running today at Hollywood Park named SMASH,” trainer Bob Baffert tipped his Facebook friends on Sunday morning, but the Smart Strike colt needed no touting for his debut. Sent off at 1-2, Smash won the five-furlong maiden special by 2 1/2 lengths in :57.63 over the Cushion Track. “Look at this guy level out,” said track announcer Vic Stauffer. And he did it with such ease.
Life At Ten gets a Beyer speed figure of 98 for winning the G2 Delaware Handicap with a final time of 2:03.21. Bit of trivia: That’s the lowest since Amarillo was given a 96 in 1998. The race was the 5-year-old mare’s sixth straight victory, and a record-tying fourth for trainer Todd Pletcher, who said Life At Ten could start next in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga. (If only Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta also showed up …)
A few updates to the disabled list: General Quarters is most likely out of the Arlington Million. The one-horse-stable star exited the Arlington Handicap, in which he finished sixth, with an injury. “He came out with a bum ankle,” said trainer Tom McCarthy. (Get well soon, GQ.) There’s good news about Drosselmeyer, sent for exam after showing some soreness following a July 4 workout. “There were just several general hot spots that came up, not any one thing or any one spot.” The Belmont Stakes winner will be turned out for 60 days and return to training in the fall, reports the Thoroughbred Times, with a goal of making the Dubai World Cup. (No Breeders’ Cup, then? Too bad.)
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