La Troienne - Rachel comes in second by another narrow margin

This is not easy to write:

On April 30, 2010, in front of a record crowd of 116,046, as the 1-5 favorite, Rachel Alexandra came in second by a head, to the winner Unrivaled Belle, in her second race of the 2010 year in the Grade II, 1-1/16 mile $418,800 La Troienne at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. Rachel Alexandra broke well and headed to the lead. Be Fair, was there to put pressure on her and the two traded leads with Rachel running on the outside. However, Rachel was caught wide going into the first turn, which may have lost her a few lengths. Unrivalled Belle then swept around her going into the stretch, and the two had a strong and long battle in which they exchanged leads inside the eighth pole before Unrivaled Belle finally surged ahead in the final strides. The third place finisher Morena was 5 lengths back. The final time was a very fast 1:42.97, a little over a second away from the track record. The fast finish by Rachel, although in second place, gave her a high Beyer Speed Figure of 103. Unrivaled Belle also received a 103 speed figure, a career best for her.

Rachel came in 2nd by a head in La Troienne 2010

Rachel just isn't fast right now and hadn't been fast all week in workouts, trainer Steve Asmussen said after the race. "She's just not been as fast as last summer. What we have to realize is there has been improvement since her last race."

"Calvin did absolutely nothing wrong today. I thought he got along with her great today. There's an old adage in racing: ‘You get paid for what you do, but you pay for what you do.' I think there's some hangover."

Regarding Rachel's two losses this year, Jess Jackson her owner commented, "I'm not disappointed in either race. She is still not 100% back. She could be 10 lengths better than she was today. This didn't define her as 100 percent, that's for sure. It's part of the foundation you have to build, race by race. Steve and I are both satisfied, most importantly, that she came out healthy, nothing wrong with her. I don't know that we used all of her in this race and that's not necessarily true that we should... After a six-month layoff, you don't ask a horse to come back [at 100 percent]. Now we have to see, when she gets back to her peak, what she can do this year. I'm not pushing her. We love her, she's going to improve, and I expect she will."

Rachel Alexandra’s owner, Jess Jackson, said his star filly would not be retired.

“She went right to the shed. She’s on her toes. She ate her oats. She’s happy and sound. We’re happy with her. We love her anyway,” he said. “We’re not trying to break track records yet. She needs another race or two under her belt, I think, before she’s back. And that’s what our hope is.”

Sizing Up Rachel's Competition in La Troienne

RACHEL ALEXANDRA (at odds) carrying 124 pounds, will be making her second start of the year in La Troienne. We Rachel fans know all about her, but what about the other horses? Should we be concerned about the competition in tomorrow's La Troienne? Let's look at their profiles:

ZARDANA carrying 120 pounds, is listed as a 6-year-old now, but because she’s South American-bred she’s really only five and a half. She was foaled on Sept. 12. She is a Brazilian mare out of Irish Crimson Tide and is being trained by John Sherriffs, the same trainer as Zenyatta.  She is most noted for breaking Rachel Alexandra's winning streak last month by winning the New Orleans Ladies with Rachel coming in second by only 3/4 of a length. Before then, she had a notable win in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Handicap last December at Santa Anita. However, that was the only graded race she has ever won. She has won 7 other races but they were ungraded (including the New Orleans Ladies). She seems to be improving in her races and earned a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure for her last performance in the New Orleans Ladies.

Zardana beat Rachel by 3/4 lengths last month

UNRIVALED BELLE carrying 120 pounds, is a 4 year old filly out of Unbridled's Song. As a 3 year old, she won two ungraded races before coming in 2nd in the Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap (the winner was Flashing, who Rachel beat by 19+ lengths a few months prior). This year, she finished just out of the money in her first race, the Grade 2 La Canada, probably because she did not like to run on synthetics. However, in her second race of the year run on dirt, the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes, competitor Bambera stumbled out of the gate and cut a tendon, so Unbridled Belle took advantage of the situation and won by 1-3/4 lengths.

Unrivaled Belle wins the G3 Rampart last month

BE FAIR carrying 118 pounds, is a 4 year old filly out of Exchange Rate. It is deja vu again because last year around the same time Be Fair and Rachel Alexandra also competed. That was the Kentucky Oaks where Rachel won by 20+ lengths, and Be Fair finished just out of the money in 4th place. Be Fair has actually only won one stakes race, the Grade 3 Lake George in July of last year, and mostly finished out of the money in most other races. However, she seems to be improving because she came in a gamely 3rd place in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at the beginning of this month where Zenyatta won (of course).

Be Fair won the G3 Lake George last summer

DISTINCTIVE DIXIE carrying 118 pounds, is a 5 year old mare out of Fusaichi Pegasus. She won 3 allowance races, but has never won a stakes race. However, she came in 2nd early this month in the Bayakoa at Oaklawn (not the same race as the Bayakoa Handicap at Santa Anita that Zardana won, of course).

MORENA carrying 118 pounds, is a 6 year old mare out of Privately Held. Because she is an import from Peru, I had a hard time finding accurate information about her from Peru. In the U.S., however, it seems she has never won a stakes race but has placed in the money three times. She placed second in a Grade 3 race, second in a Grade 2 race, and third in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Handicap last August.

Rachel's Workout Statistics (since her last race)

Date         Track    Dist.    Time     Surface    Condition         Rank
4/26/2010     CD       4F      0:49.87   Dirt          Sloppy              n/a

4/19/2010     CD       6F     1.11.22    Dirt            Fast                1/7

4/12/2010     CD       6F     1:12.00    Dirt            Fast                1/7

4/5/2010       CD       5F     1:00.20    Dirt            Fast                n/a

3/29/2010     FG       5F     1:03.20    Dirt            Fast           13/105

3/23/2010     FG       4F     0:50.40    Dirt            Fast                 1/2

WORKOUT 4-26-2010

On Monday morning April 26, 2010 at about 6:15am, with regular rider Dominic Terry aboard, Rachel Alexandra bucked and played before breezing four furlongs in 0:49.87 over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. She set fractional times of  13.37 for the first furlong, 25.78 for the quarter mile, :37.80 for 3 furlongs, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.56. She went her last quarter in a whopping 24.09 under a tight hold from her rider.

“I thought Dominic did an excellent job with her,” Asmussen said. “Turning around she was obviously feeling really good and he got her to settle down loping down the backside. She broke into it smooth and she was very fluid, straight to the wire. I can’t tell you how excited we are about the prospects of Friday. The level of excitement for Friday, it's definitely there," said Steve Asmussen, "I am very, very pleased with her. She's doing very well."

Asmussen said putting Rachel Alexandra back on her old schedule has been the key to getting her ready for her second start of the year.

"After trying to rush her back and seeing how it didn't work, Mr. Jackson and the whole team thought we should get her back on her once a week schedule and see how that went," said Asmussen. "Her last two works before we left the Fair Grounds were not what we've come to expect from Rachel, but the three works she had before this morning were what we have come to expect."

Who are the people (and pony) in Rachel's life?

Who are the current people (and pony) in Rachel's life? You may have seen them at her races but may not have known what role they play. Here is the breakdown:

Her (majority) owner Jess Jackson:

Her trainer Steve Asmussen:

Her jockey Calvin Borel:

Her assistant trainer Scott Blasi:

Her exercise rider Dominic Terry:

Her owner's wife Barbara Banke (also a co-owner):

Her bodyguard Amy Kearns:

Her groom Javier Espinoza:

Her hotwalker Juan Gonzalez:

Her stable pony Dakota:

There you go! So when you see videos of her races and wonder who those people around her are, now you will know!

WORKOUT 4-19-2010

On Monday morning April 19, 2010 at about 6:30am, with regular rider Dominic Terry aboard, Rachel Alexandra worked six furlongs in a lightening 1:11.40 over a fast track at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. She set fractional times of 12.40 for the first furlong, :24.40 for the quarter mile, then :36.20 for 3 furlongs, :48 for the half mile, then :59.40 for 5 furlongs, and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:24.10, and a mile in 1:37.80.

The digital clocker from Daily Racing Form reported splits of 12.56, 24.28, 36.16, 47.67, and 59.29 seconds, and six furlongs at 1:11.22 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:24.41 and a mile in 1:37.76.

Rachel gets freshened up after her workout

“She worked crazy good,” Asmussen said in a release."The racetrack obviously was playing very quick this morning." “She’s had three works here since she’s been here and they have been extremely ‘Rachelesque.’ I’m happy to see her putting in work like she did last year.”

Her work was the fastest of seven at that distance on the track. This is the 5th workout since her last race.

WORKOUT 4-12-2010

On Monday morning, April 12, 2010, at about 6:30am, Rachel Alexandra worked six furlongs in 1:12 over a fast track at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. She set fractional times of 12.80 for the first furlong, :25.40 for the quarter mile, then :37.20 for 3 furlongs, :48.40 for the half mile, then 1:00.20 for 5 furlongs, and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

“I was very pleased with her work,” said Asmussen. “She looks happy and she cooled out great. It was a very strong move.” Asmussen said his team would be looking at how she recovers in determining her next race. “I’m very anxious to see her attitude off of the work,” said Asmussen. “How she acts, how she rests in her stall, and if she’s comfortable with everything we’re doing. From a work standpoint it was very impressive and fast, which she is.” “We’re trying to get her back in the rhythm that she had success with last year, because we were very unsuccessful in trying to alter that,” said Asmusen.

I suspect that last comment might possibly be referring to how Asmussen was trying to train Rachel to run off the pace even though she wanted to run in front. Trying to rate a horse that does not want to rate is taxing on both the horse and the rider. This proved true in the New Orleans Ladies.

Her work was the fastest of seven at that distance on the track. Steve Asmussen also said he plans to work her every Monday until further notice. This is the 4th workout since her last race.

Who is that white pony we frequently see with Rachel?

Who is that white pony we frequently see with Rachel Alexandra?

Rachel with white mystery pony

That was my question recently, as Rachel has not raced for a while, and I had time to examine pictures closely. Could it be Pancho, Curlin's stable pony?

Curlin with Pancho

I did some research and found out it is NOT. This white pony that is with Rachel has darker markings on the mane and tail than Pancho. Well, it turns out to be assistant trainer Scott Blasi's pony: Dakota. He is the escort for Rachel you sometimes see at her races. Why is he called a "pony"? He sure is big! Well, on a race track, a "pony" is any horse that is not a thoroughbred or racehorse who is there to serve a particular purpose (other than racing). His purpose is to calm down racehorses, especially famous ones, who have higher stress because of the excitement and pressure surrounding them such as noisey and imposing crowds, photographers, writers or fans.


Dakota's calming effect can be used in a variety of settings including on long-distance trips in a trailer:

Can you spot Dakota in the trailer that Rachel Alexandra had just left?

Well there you go! It has become crystal clear! Do not get Dakota mixed up with her previous stable pony from Hal Wiggins barn:

Rachels previous stable pony (also white!)

Dakota is actually considered a grey, and also has a darker mane:

Closeup of Dakota

So there you have it. It might be very confusing because there are 3 DIFFERENT white-ish ponies hanging out to confuse us: Curlin's pony Pancho, Rachel's former pony from her Hal Wiggins days, and Dakota.

Isn't this fun? Stay tuned to this blogsite because in my next article, I will have a description of all of Rachel Alexandra's human connections.