Kentucky Derby Notebook
Rachel Alexandra Wins Oaks by 20 Lengths
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Saturday, May 2, 2009
LOUISVILLE, May 1 -- Rachel Alexandra rolled to victory in the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, crushing the field by 20 1/4 lengths and perhaps stamping herself as the best 3-year-old horse in the country, male or female.
With jockey Calvin Borel up, Rachel Alexandra stalked Gabby's Golden Gal along the backstretch then easily moved to the front with little urging from Borel. She poured it on in the stretch, widening the gap as 100,000 spectators roared with every stride of her eye-popping victory in the filly version of the Kentucky Derby.
Borel blew a kiss and tapped her on the neck as they crossed the finish line for her fifth straight win, all by convincing margins.
Stone Legacy was second, with Flying Spur third.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas joked during the week that maybe his three entries -- Stone Legacy, Be Fair and Tweeter -- would have a better chance against Rachel Alexandra if they decided to turn the 1 1/8 -mile Oaks into a relay race while the bay filly went it alone. That probably wouldn't have worked, either.
Rachel Alexandra broke quickly to the front then tucked in behind Gabby's Golden Gal. She loped along behind trainer Bob Baffert's horse down the backstretch before Borel nudged her to the outside as they entered the far turn. A couple of quick strides put her in front and she simply took off while Borel sat in the irons and enjoyed the ride.
"She's unbelievable, one of the best fillies I've ever been on in my life," Borel said. "I've never been on a horse like this."
Horse Euthanized
Stormalory, a 3-year-old colt, was euthanized after breaking down during the $150,000 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Stormalory, trained by Bill Mott and owned by Sheik Mohammed of Dubai, broke slowly under jockey Julien Leparoux in the 1 1/16 -mile race before going down just before the far turn with an injury to his left front leg. State veterinarian Bryce Peckham said an X-ray revealed several fractures. Stormalory won the Transylvania Stakes in his previous start at Keeneland on April 3.
The death was the second high-profile accident at the track this week. Raspberry Miss, a 2-year-old filly trained by Ken McPeek, died Monday after another horse broke loose and collided with her as she stood near the finish line during training.
