Rachel Alexandra arrived at the Albany International Airport today. She was on a flight from Louisville, Ky. with 19 other thoroughbreds from trainer Steve Asmussen's training stable. They are headed for Saratoga Race Course. (Photo taken by Skip Dickstein)
Video of Rachel disembarking off the plane
"We left Churchill Downs at 7:15am and we got here at 11:15am; four hours from track to track is pretty impressive," said Blasi. "She's at Saratoga and everything is good. The air is good; the water tastes good. It's all positive. She looks fabulous right now. I am looking forward to getting her back to the track tomorrow." Blasi said that Rachel will most likely have her first breeze at Saratoga on Monday, July 5. "She's the ultimate pro as far as traveling," he said. "She's great at everything she does."
Unlike some other horses who might be apprehensive about traveling, Rachel is an old pro at moving around and has no problems with being shipped:
As a yearling, she was shipped from Kentucky to Texas to get broken in, then she was shipped back to Kentucky.
As a two year old, she stayed in Kentucky and was raced three times at Churchill Downs and once at Keeneland then two more times at Churchill Downs.
As a three year old, she was shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, then shipped to Fair Grounds in Louisiana, then shipped back to Oaklawn Park, then shipped back to Churchill Downs, then shipped to the East Coast to Pimlico in Maryland, then shipped to Belmont in New York, then moved to Monmouth in New Jersey, then moved to Saratoga in upstate New York, then shipped to Fair Grounds in Louisiana for the winter. (Whew!)
As a four year old, she was shipped from Fair Grounds in Louisiana back to Churchill Downs in Kentucky, and now she has been shipped to Saratoga in upstate New York again.
Rachel is anticipated to have her next start in a race on the East Coast.
Hello cooler weather (hopefully)!!!
ReplyDeleteRachel Alexandra: "Hey Zen, Saratoga is nice this time of year. Why don't you come out here and play with the big boys and girls?"
Pixie, how do you get these photos???
ReplyDeleteIt is nice and cool in upstate NY now, but will turn very warm by July 3rd.
Welcome, my baby!!! See you soon in your winning races up here.
@ RachelAlex: Photo taken by Skip Dickstein
ReplyDelete(I scour the internet for anything Rachel)
Pixie,
ReplyDeleteYou had stated that Rachel looks more muscled tan last year. You are right. I saw her last year in the Oaks and the year in the Fleur de Lis and not only is she more muscled in her hind quarters, but she is thicker through the chest and neck. She even looks like she has grown a couple of inches. I am beginning to think that they were using (and still may be in training) the crossover bit to make her pull her rider around the track to build up the muscles and her endurance......just a thought.
About her traveling, that doesn't supprise me, she has a quite disposition and nothing seems to bother her. She stands quitely when they saddle her, walks rigt into the starting gate, and stand quitely in the winners circle.....like she is saving and using her energy from the time the gate opens to the wire and the rest is down time - game off.
RachelAlex,
I hope you get to see her....let us know if you think she has muscled out. I hope she wins by 20+ lenghts for you.
GUESS WHAT!!!!!! They just announced that the BSF for Rachel in the Fleur de Lis has been upgraded to 109!!!!!! Now she is tied for 5th highest BSF in 2010. I don't know if the exterme heat had anythig to do with it, but they just announced it on HRTV (they were talking about her being shipped east). What was Zen/s BSF in her last race.
ReplyDeleteSorry, 4th with Battle Plan and Esk. Only three to go to get to the top....
ReplyDeleteI found Zen's BSF 103.....hum...and Rachels was 109.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel Fan,
ReplyDeleteShe does look much more muscled out than last year. I have commented to my husband that she does not look like the same horse that we saw last year. We got up really close to her in the paddock at the Mother Goose last June and honestly, she looked powerful, but delicate at the same time. However, she is a mare now and she needs those muscles! Let us all keep our fingers crossed!
RachelAlex,
ReplyDeleteIf you get close to her this year, check out her height and let me know what you think.
OMG I love that pic Pixie! She looks so casual with the plane in the background, cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteA 109 huh? Fantastic news, thanks for sharing Rachel Fan!
109! Wow!! That was what she got in the Woodward! And she was being eased in the Fleur de Lis, but she was struggling in the Woodward near the wire. She might be just as good as last year already!!! So exciting! Thanks rachel fan!!!
ReplyDeleteLook back at the article and click on the video link and watch her disembark off the plane! SO ADORABLE!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's one of our local TV stations in Albany that created that video. I missed that newscast! So glad that you got it, Pixie.
ReplyDeleteNotice how she is checking everything out as she goes down the ramp. So cute.