OAKS JUST A ROMP IN THE PARK FOR RACHEL ALEXANDRA

By Graham Potter | Friday, May 1, 2009

Rachel Alexandra might started at the seemingly restrictive odds of 1-5 in the Kentucky Oaks at, but that price proved to be fantastic value and any investor would have been rubbing his hands with glee as the star filly chased down the home straight at Churchill Downs. It wasn’t a win. It was a massacre!

Jockey Calvin Borel placed Rachel Alexandra one out, hard on the heels of the early leader Gabby’s Golden Girl from the break. The free-striding filly bided her time until the field started the sweep into final turn where she momentarily moved up to within half-a-length of the lead, before breezing on by Gabby’s Golden Girl to strike the lead approaching the 600m mark. Jockey Calvin Borel glanced to his right to see if any danger existed out wide, and he also gave Gabby’s Golden Girl a sideways glance to ensure there would be no fight-back from that runner. The race was already won.

As Rachel Alexandra straightened, Borel checked behind him on the outside again. The crack filly, still hard held, now had a two length advantage over the ever-game, but now struggling Gabby’s Golden Girl. With just under 400m left to run Borel made one last check on the opposition, but he saw nothing of any concern.

When a horse loves to run, it loves to run. When such a horse has the potential to be an outright champion, it is a pleasure to watch. No surprise then that Rachel Alexandra was roared home by the 105 000 spectators at the track. Borel never moved on the filly in the run home. He just let her enjoy herself. The star three-year-old pulled further away from the struggling pack with each passing stride. When the post arrived to end to agony of the also-rans, Rachel Alexandra finished 20.25 lengths clear of Stone Lagacy. This was Rachel Alexandra’s fifth successive victory.

The winning margin doubled that of the previous recorded Oaks record. Lite Light won by ten lengths in 1991. This was the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks, but race records only date back to 1916.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Hal Wiggins: “If you watched the race, you saw it. It was just unbelievable. When he (Borel) asked her, she just naturally took off ... and just finished tremendous. It looked like she came out of the race really, really good. That’s the main thing.”

Jockey Calvin Borel: “It’s unbelievable. I don’t know how good she is. I asked her for absolutely nothing.” (... and she won like that!). “I don’t know how good she is to tell you the truth. She is an incredible filly. I’m happy they didn’t run her in the Derby. I think they did the right thing by running her today, but I do think she would have won it. She is probably the greatest horse I’ve been on in my life. There are other things down the road for her and she’ll prove it. I promise it.”