Pedigree Look: Rachel Alexandra

Name: Rachel Alexandra
Year Born: 2007
Color: Dark Bay/Brown
Sex: Filly
Sire: Medaglia d'Oro
Dam: Lotta Kim
Broodmare Sire: Roar

Profile: Racing was desperate. A year after Big Brown was eased in the Belmont and Eight Belles broke down in the Derby, more people turned away from racing. Then came along a horse who turned the racing world on it's side. A hero had risen... or should I say a heroine. Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d' Oro) went on to do things that a three year old filly had done in the past, but not in a long time. She ended her Horse of the Year winning season doing the impossible, defeating Older Males in a two turn Grade 1 race. She and Zenyatta helped turn the “Sport of Kings” into the “Sport of Queens”.

Rachel's career started at Churchill Downs where she would finish sixth in her debut (in a little bit of foreshadowing, the winner of that race Songtress was trained by her future trainer who she would make history with). She would break her maiden in her second start before finishing second in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill. After an slight injury had her miss the summer 2yo races, she returned in allowance at Keeneland which she won. Then a runner up finish in the Pocahontas before winning the Golden Rod, both of those races where at Churchill. It was after the Pocahontas that she would switch jocks from Brian Hernandez Jr. (who is now most known as the rider of Fort Larned) to Calvin Borel who had his greatest success in 2007 with Street Sense.

Her three year old season with her as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks, she won the Martha Washington which is the first leg in Oaklawn's prep series. After winning for fun in the mud in the Fair Grounds Oaks, she returned to Oaklawn for the Fantasy which she won with ease. That set her for the Kentucky Oaks, even though many people thought that she should go to the Derby instead. Set off as the favorite, she did not disappoint the Oaks crowd by winning by 20 ½ lengths and almost setting a stakes record. Soon after her Oaks romp, she was bought in part by Stonestreet Stable who had owned 2007 Preakness and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Curlin). More importantly, she was moved from Hal Wiggins to Steve Asmussen.

The Preakness would be her next start, but there was some controversy when reportedly Mine That Bird (the winner of the Derby) and Pioneerof the Nile's (the runner-up) connections had tried to keep her out of the race. That failed miserably after Marylou Whitney (the owner of MTB's sire Birdstone) had told her trainer that she would remove her horse if it meant keeping Rachel out. The plan was dropped and Rachel went to the race... with Calvin in the saddle. She would defeat Mine That Bird by a diminishing length under his new rider Mike Smith (who of course was the regular rider of Zenyatta and Azeri). She was the first filly to win the race since Nelly Morse won 85 years before in 1924.

After skipping the Belmont, the Mother Goose would be her next race where she would demolish two other fillies (both who would go onto win G1's) in a stakes record and almost track record time. It was then on to the Haskell where she would face Belmont winner and future 3yo Male Champ Summer Bird, along with Munnings whose owners and trainer also had the last filly before Rachel to win a Triple Crown race in Rags to Riches. All she did there was defeat the boys in the slop and just missing the stakes and track record. In what would be her final start as a three year old, she faced older males in the Woodward. While most expected her to win the race, she would be facing several nice horses including G1 winners Bullsbay and Macho Again as well as UAE Triple Crown winner Asiatic Boy. She would defeat them all winning by a head. Here is that win.



The 2009 season got her 3yo Champion Filly honors and Horse of the Year over Zenyatta. Her 4yo season didn't go as planned, but she did pick up wins in the Flur de Lis and the Lady's Secret before ending her career with a runner up finish in the Personal Ensign. Her first foal Jess's Dream (Curlin) is a yearling and should make his first start sometime next year. She also has a Bernardini filly on the ground this year. Sadly Rachel had a complication after foaling the filly and is barren for the 2014 foaling season. It is unknown right now weather she will be able to continue her broodmare career.

Sire

Medaglia d' Oro (El Prado (IRE)) was one of the best 3yo and Older Horses of his generation. He won the Travers, Whitney and Donn Handicap at ages 3, 4 and 5. He was also the two time runner up in the Breeders' Cup Classic and was second in the Dubai World Cup as well. Other then Rachel he is the sire of G1 winners Plum Pretty (who also won the KY Oaks), Champagne d' Oro and Warrior's Reward.

El Prado (IRE) (Sadlers Wells) is a G2 winner in his native Ireland and was Champion 2yo in 1991 there. He is the sire of G1 winners Kitten's Joy (Turf Champion and turning out to be a good sire himself), Borrego, and Spanish Moon among others. His dam Lady Capulet (Sir Ivor) won the Irish One Thousand Guineas. She is also the dam to G1 placed in Ireland Entitled (IRE) (Mill Reef). Caps and Bells (Tom Fool), Lady Capulet's dam is also the dam to G2 winner in Ireland Sir Wimborne (Sir Ivor) and Drone (Sir Gaylord) the broodmare sire of both Charismatic (Summer Squall) and Grindstone (Unbridled) both of them Kentucky Derby winners. This is the same female family as G3 winner in England and Ireland Turkish Treasure (Sir Ivor).

Cappucino Bay (Bailjumper) is a stakes winner in her own right. She is the dam to stakes placed Expresso Bay (Metfield), G3 winner Naples Bay (Giant's Causeway) and Cappucino Kid (Pioneering) who now lives at Old Friends since 2008. Dubbed In (Silent Screen) won six times in 42 starts. Other then Cappucino, she is the dam to stakes winner Maharesred (Maheras).

Dam

Lotta Kim (Roar) is G2 placed. Rachel Alexandra is currently her only foal to race, but she also has a yearling Samantha Nicole (Medaglia d' Oro) who is owned by Stonestreet. Both Rachel and Samantha are named after Dolphus Morrison's (their breeder) granddaughters.

Roar (Forty Niner) is a G2 winner. As a sire, Roar has stakes winner Coach Jimi Lee and G2 winner Roar Emotion among his foals. His dam Wild Applause (Northern Dancer) is G1 placed. She is also the dam to G1 placed Yell (A.P. Indy) and G3 winner Blare of Trumpets (Fit to Fight). This is the same female family as Derby winner Sea Hero (Polish Navy), G1 placed Mackie (Summer Squall) and G1 winner Hero's Honor (Northern Dancer).

Kim's Blues (Cure the Blues) won 4 of her 24 starts. Among her foals, she is the dam to stakes winners High Blues (High Yield) and Lotta Rhythm (Rhythm). Her dam Early Decision (Lord Gaylord) is a stakes winner. This is the same female family as Belmont winner Hail to All (Hail to Reason).