Woodward Vault: Rachel Alexandra

She wasn't supposed to win the race. Sure she was favored and her competition that she was facing wasn't fantastic. The issue was she was a 3yo going against older males. Very few 3yo's had won the race, and none of them where a filly. Then we saw something that we hadn't seen before in her, she fought back. The 2009 Woodward was the bow on the fantastic year that Rachel Alexandra (Medagalia d' Oro) had. Having already locked up 3yo Filly honors with wins in the Oaks, Preakness and Haskell, her connections looked towards the big prize of Horse of the Year. While Azeri was the last female to win the title in 2002, no 3yo filly had won since Busher won the title in 1945. If she where to win the race, then it would put her in the drivers seat for the title.

With her most likely adversary Zenyatta staying home in California, the field for the Woodward didn't have the greatest accomplishments. It was going to be a tough race, Stephen Foster winner Macho Again, the upset winner of the Whitney Bullsbay, the previous year's Belmont winner Da' Tara, Asiatic Boy the Triple Crown winner and the talented Cool Coal Man where all entered in the race as well. On paper it looked to be one sided with Rachel being the heavy favorite, but despite not being the world's best horses, these horses wheren't just going to laydown because she was a filly. This was going to be to a race tough one and it turned out to be just that. Sent right to the lead by her regular rider Calvin Borel, Rachel was pressured by Da' Tara who was entered to be most likely a horse to press her to set up for his stablemate Cool Coal Man and Past the Point who gave her future boyfriend Curlin a scare the year before in the same race. The fractions she had set where very brisk and for a normal pacesetter they would have been falling back as their legs got more tired. Da' Tara had done just that as the field had gotten closer to the front. As they turned for home, Bullsbay and Macho Again had both started to make their moves. Rachel was tiring and Calvin was trying as hard as he could to keep her in front (however, many believe he overwhipped her). Macho Again had one last chance to catch her, but... well I'll let the video speak for itself.



That would turn out to be her final race of the year and sealed up Horse of the Year honors for her, even though Zenyatta had won the BC Classic. While her 4yo season wasn't as great, she did pick up wins in the Lady's Secret at Monmouth and Flus de Lis at Churchill Downs. She finished her career with a runner up finish in the Personal Ensign. Her first foal, a colt by Curlin is named Jess's Dream (nicknamed Taco) and is currently in foal to Bernardini with a filly.