You wonder if somebody told Rachel Alexandra? With the late scratch of Zenyatta from Friday’s Oaks card at Churchill Downs, the spotlight was squarely on her as she went to post in the 135th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Roughly one minute and 49 seconds later she was cruising across the finish line in perhaps the most impressive 3-year-old filly race we’ve seen in years. She’s no longer simply Rachel Alexandra. With a performance like that come the never-ending accolades. She’s now earned the title “Rachel Alexandra the Great.”
That camera angle showing the gaping distance between Rachel Alexandra and the rest of the field brings back memories of Secretariat in the ’73 Belmont, doesn’t it?
Effortless….brilliant….flawless…superb!
Words cannot even begin to describe what she did to the field.
Out of the gate, she tucked in just off of early pace setter Gabby’s Golden Girl, who set opening splits of :23.75 and :47.46. Entering the turn she drew up even with Gabby’s Golden Girl when barely nudged by jockey Calvin Borel. By the time these two entered the top of the stretch, Rachel Alexandra had struck the front, and would never look back. Well, that last sentence is only partly true, as Borel did a little stylish looking over his shoulder while keeping her firmly held throughout the stretch.
Amazingly, she cleared the final 1/8 of a mile in 12 seconds en route to a final time of 1:48.87, and all without ever being asked for anything. Her head held high the entire time, she opened up a veritable can of “whoop-ass” on the rest of the runners, pulling away by a final margin of 20 1/4 lengths. That’s right, that’s not a misprint. 20 and 1/4 lengths!!!!!!!!!!!
Rachel Alexandra returned $2.60 as the heavy favorite. Longshot Stone Legacy, who was discussed as a possibility in the pre-race handicapping selections for the Oaks, blew up the exacta as the longest combo price on the board for $58 (not bad with such a heavy chalk out in front).
Even better, there’s a Pick 6 carryover from Oaks day to Derby day! That can only mean one thing….millions will be on the line tomorrow in the Pick 6 sequence that ends with the 135th Kentucky Derby. Calling all handicappers! 
Getting back to “Alexandra the Great”, is anyone else already drooling at the possibility of seeing her and Zenyatta duke it out one day? That’s getting way ahead of ourselves, admittedly, but it’s kind of difficult not to start thinking about such things. Just an absolutely incredible performance. It’ll be hard for the boys to live up to this tomorrow. The bar has been raised astronomically high by the super filly. In fact, if she were to announce for the Preakness or the Belmont, I think she be favored off this performance. That’s how dominating it was.
How good is she? In the post race interview, Borel called her “the greatest horse I’ve ever been on in my life!”
When pressed further on whether that statement included his winning mount aboard Street Sense in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, Borel replied in more diplomatic fashion.
“She does what I want her to do and I’ve never asked her yet. I don’t know how good she is.”
Indeed, but one thing is absolutely certain. In the 3-year-old filly division, there is a new queen. Actually, make that a new goddess! And her name is Rachel Alexandra.
All hail Alexandra the Great!
How about two ladies in the Breeders’ Cup Classic?
Just an awesome performance.
Wiggins already said he’s looking forward to a possible showdown with Zenyatta in the BC later this year. Hey, maybe they can both run in THE Classic, instead of the Ladies.
The 135th running of the Kentucky Derby is set to take place. 20 of the top three year olds in the world are prepped and ready to go at Churchill Downs, in Louisville.
Here is how I see the ‘Run for the Roses’ unfolding …
And there off …
A clean start for all 20 horses …
Regal Ransom quickly takes the lead … followed closely a half length back is I Want Revenge … followed a neck back by Join in The Dance … Papa Clem is in between horses … with Atomic Rain just to his outside … a length back on the rail is Musket Man … running alongside of the Illinois Derby winner is Friesan Fire the Louisiana Derby winner … another half length back to Dunkirk with Pioneer of the Nile to his outside … next comes General Quarters, Mine that Bird, Westside Bernie, and Chocolate Candy … a length back on the outside is Nowhere to Hide … just to his outside is an eager Desert Party … Hold Me Back is on rail … followed a half length back by Advice … who is flanked on the outside by Flying Private … on the rail about 2 length further back is Mr Hot Stuff … the trailer is Summer Bird … some 15 lengths behind the front runner … who is still Regal Ransom
The first quarter goes in a solid 22 3/5 seconds … as I Want Revenge seems eager to go on … and collars Regal Ransom …
As the horse approach the half mile pole … Regal Ransom and I Want Revenge continue to battle for the lead … while Join in the Dance and Atomic Rain stay close only a length behind … Papa Clem, Friesan Fire, Dunkirk, Pioneerof the Nile, Desert Party and Musket Man … make up the pack of horses just three or four lengths behind the frontrunners … as the field begins the spread out a bit … Nowhere to Hide, General Quarters, and Chocolate Candy start to move up towards the second pack of horses … as Westside Bernie and Mine that Bird lose a bit of ground … Hold Me Back and Advice are still 10 lengths off the pace … and Flying Private and Mr Hot Stuff appear to be content to sit 12 to 13 lengths behind the frontrunners … Summer Bird is some 16 lengths from the lead, and appears to be losing ground … as the half mile goes in 46 1/5 seconds …
As the Derby field continues along the backstretch … the favorite I Want Revenge has taken the lead from Regal Ransom … Pioneerof the Nile and Desert Party have emerged from mid pack to challenge the leaders … Papa Clem, Dunkirk, Friesan Fire, and Musket Man are just a couple lengths back and have now collared Join in The Dance and Atomic Rain, who appear to be done for the day … next comes Nowhere to Hide and Chocolate Candy … both well positioned only 5 lengths off the leader … General Quarters is under a ride, as Hold Me Back and Westside Bernie begin to get some urging … Mine that Bird is weakening, as Advice and Flying Private move alongside … Mr Hot Stuff is still 12 lengths back … and Summer Bird has pulled up …
They went six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 seconds … as I Want Revenge hits the turn a length in front … Pioneerof the Nile and Desert Party are rallying towards the leader … Dunkirk is just 2 1/2 lengths back in fourth … as Nowhere to Hide has rallied into fifth … Friesan Fire and Musket Man are under a ride but losing ground … 5 lengths behind the leader comes Chocolate Candy who has taken over 8th … from Papa Clem who is losing ground on the turn … Hold Me Back, General Quarters and Westside Bernie are under urging and are gaining on faders Mine that Bird, Atomic Rain, and Join In the Dance … Mr Hot Stuff begins his rally now 10 lengths from the front … as Advice and Flying Private are still 13 lengths back … Regal Ransom has pull up … to join Summer Bird as another DNF …
And DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME …
Desert Party and Pioneer of the Nile have collared I Want Revenge … Nowhere to Hide has found room along the rail only a length back … Dunkirk is in the mix on the outside … the others are fading … as Mr Hot Stuff, Advice, and General Quarters try to rally still 8 lengths off the pace …
Less than a furlong to go in the 135th Kentucky Derby … and 80-1 shot Nowhere to Hide has emerged with the lead on the rail … Desert Party is second a head back but appears to be all out … Dunkirk continues to rally on the outside just a half length behind … Pioneerof the Nile and I Want Revenge are game but have fallen a length and half behind … Mr Hot Stuff is only 4 lengths back and gaining …
Just 50 yards to go … Dunkirk has collared Nowhere to Hide … it’s down to these two … Desert Party is back in third …
And at the wire … it’s DUNKIRK by a length over Nowhere to Hide … and Desert Party … holds off a hard charging Mr Hot Stuff for third.
Here is your complete order of finish:
1 Dunkirk
2 Nowhere to Hide
3 Desert Party
4 Mr Hot Stuff
5 Pioneerof the Nile
6 I Want Revenge
7 General Quarters
8 Advice
9 Flying Private
10 Hold Me Back
11 Chocolate Candy
12 Westside Bernie
13 Friesan Fire
14 Musket Man
15 Papa Clem
16 Mine that Bird
17 Atomic Rain
18 Join In the Dance
DNF Regal Ransom
DNF Summer Bird
Payoffs:
Horse Win Place Show
15 Dunkirk 16.40 10.80 6.80
18 Nowhere to Hide 54.40 20.40
19 Desert Party 11.20
$2 Exacta Pays: 15-18 $1,720.80
$2 Trifecta Pays: 15-18-19 $13,898.40
$2 Superfecta Pays: 15-18-19-3 $64,452.60
$2 Oaks-Derby DD 6-15 $39.20
[...] 05 2009 Im not sure if anything we see on Saturday could possibly top what we saw on Friday, with Rachel Alexandra’s dominating performance in the Kentucky Oaks, but It’s time to pick a winner for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. By 6:30 [...]
That was an amazing race. We won’t see nothing like that tomorrow probably.
@Keith – I’ll take it! With these two ladies? Hells to the yeahs!
@Jane – don’t tease me, Jane! I want both the showdown in the Classic and to see Rachel in the Preakness.
@Parliament – bravo, well done. Even if not a thing comes true, hats off for the effort it takes to put together something like that. I must say, that’s the most respect I’ve ever seen Nowhere to Hide given. If he hits the board you’ll make a small fortune.
@Mike – indeed, had a feeling today might be the better of the two days. Hard to believe it still was even after Zenyatta scratched.
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