Rachel Alexandra profile

Rachel Alexandra,

Rachel Alexandra
Rachel winning the Woodward.
Sire	Medaglia d'Oro
Grandsire	El Prado
Dam	Lotta Kim
Damsire	Roar
Sex	Mare
Foaled	2006
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Dolphus C. Morrison
Owner	Stonestreet Stables
Trainer	Steve Asmussen
Record	19: 13-5-0
Earnings	US$ 3,506,730
Major wins
Golden Rod Stakes (2008) Martha Washington Stakes (2009) Fair Grounds Oaks (2009) Fantasy Stakes (2009) Kentucky Oaks (2009) Mother Goose Stakes (2009) Haskell Invitational Handicap (2009) Woodward Stakes (2009) Fleur de Lis Handicap (2010) American Classic Race wins: Preakness Stakes (2009)
Awards
American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (2009) American Horse of the Year (2009)
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)

Rachel Alexandra (foaled January 29, 2006 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year winner. She came to fame on May 16, 2009 when she became the first filly in 85 years (since Nellie Morse in 1924) to win the Preakness Stakes. She has won races in six states (KY, LA, AR, MD, NY, and NJ.), on 8 different tracks, against fillies and top colts and older horses, achieving a long string of consecutive wins including many Grade 1 stakes races. She has broken or come close to the stakes and/or track records in many of her races, as well as broken records for largest winning margins. On September 28, 2010, owner Jess Jackson announced Rachel Alexandra would be retired, and ultimately be bred to 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year, Curlin.

Rachel Alexandra is a bay filly with a distinctive upside-down-exclamation-point-shaped white blaze on her nose. She is considered quite tall for a filly and stands an estimated 16 hands at the withers. Her preferred style of running is generally that of a front runner (running on the lead) or a stalker (running close to the lead) however, she can also come off of the pace (Mother Goose Stakes).

Rachel Alexandra was bred and originally owned by Dolphus Morrison who named her after his granddaughter. Before she became successful as a racehorse, Dolphus Morrison sold part interest in her to Michael Lauffer. Her initial trainer was Hal Wiggins, Morrison's regular trainer, who trained her up until the Kentucky Oaks 2009. After her Kentucky Oaks victory, Rachel Alexandra was sold for an undisclosed amount (rumored to be in excess of $10 million) to Stonestreet Stables & Harold T. McCormick, with billionaire Jess Jackson of Kendall Jackson Winery holding controlling interest. Her current trainer is Steve Asmussen, and her regular jockey is Calvin Borel.

Breeding and Early Life

Pedigree

Rachel Alexandra is sired by Medaglia d'Oro out of the mare Lotta Kim, by Roar.

Sire

Medaglia d'Oro (foaled 1999, Kentucky) was a successful multiple Grade 1 Stakes winner and earned $5,754,720 in his racing career spanning to 5 years old. His notable performances included wins in the 2002 Travers Stakes, 2003 Whitney Handicap, and 2004 Donn Handicap, as well as second place finishes in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup Classic (twice, in 2002 and 2003), and 2004 Dubai World Cup. On the track, Medaglia d'Oro was a frontrunner known for his consistency and tenacity.Medaglia d'Oro was retired from racing in 2004 and entered to stud. Rachel Alexandra is a member of Medaglia d'Oro's extremely successful first crop to race, which also includes major stakes winners Gabby's Golden Gal (Acorn Stakes) and Payton d'Oro (Black-Eyed Susan Stakes). In 2009, Medaglia d'Oro was the leading second-crop sire in North America, with over $7.7 million in 2009 progeny earnings.

Dam

Morrison bred and raced Rachel Alexandra's dam, Lotta Kim (foaled 2001, Kentucky), a moderately successful racehorse whose biggest win came in the Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course. Soon after that race, she was injured in a training accident and retired. Rachel Alexandra is Lotta Kim's first and only surviving foal; Lotta Kim's 2007 colt by Empire Maker succumbed to a rare neurological disorder known as Wobbler disease, while her 2008 foal was born prematurely and died. Morrison did not breed Lotta Kim in 2009, but plans to return her to Medaglia d’Oro next year, having declined numerous offers to sell the mare in the wake of Rachel Alexandra's success., and then to Darley Stud in June 2009.

Rachel Alexandra had a different personality than her dam. "Lotta Kim had a terrible disposition," Wiggins recalled. "She wasn't really mean, but plumb ornery. She made it a project every time you wanted to do something with her. Completely the opposite from Rachel Alexandra. I don't know what you could do to get Rachel Alexandra excited, except go into the starting gate."

Through Lotta Kim, Rachel Alexandra is a fourth-generation descendant of superstud Mr. Prospector. Another superstud, Northern Dancer, is in both sides of her pedigree.

Breeding and Early Training

Morrison stated that he bred Lotta Kim to Medaglia d'Oro because he was impressed with the stallion's physical presence and compatibility with the mare:

"I bred Lotta Kim as a good physical fit for Medaglia d'Oro. He was, in my opinion at that time, the best thing I'd ever seen. He was an awesome thing, physically. Great balance, great racehorse, and obviously with the way he could finish a race, he had a great airway. That's one thing I've always looked for in broodmares, horses that can finish two turns effectively. Some sprinters are okay, but I prefer the good airway. That's what makes a good racehorse, along with the rest of the physical machine."

According to Morrison, Rachel Alexandra looked "a little raw-boned and a little scruffy" as a foal. Morrison rarely sells the first couple of foals out of his mares, but he almost made an exception with Rachel Alexandra, entering her in the 2006 Keeneland November Sale as a weanling. When X-rays revealed a "minor development problem" - he scratched her, convinced she wouldn't bring the $125,000 he thought she was worth.

In August 2007 Morrison sent Rachel Alexandra to Diamond D Ranch in Lone Oak, Texas, where Jimmy (Scooter) Dodwell broke her in. In November of that year Morrison called Dodwell and asked if Rachel was ready to be entered in a Florida sale. Dodwell wasn't so sure. Rachel Alexandra was one of the best young horses he had seen. "She had a ton of speed, with a long stride, and [I thought] she might be able to run forever," recalls Dodwell. "I stuck my neck out and told Mr. Morrison, 'You might want to hang onto this one.'" 

Racing career

Jockey

Rachel Alexandra's original jockey was Brian Hernandez, Jr, who rode Rachel Alexandra to two wins in five starts. But by chance, Wiggins had used Calvin Borel to work Rachel and considered a change. Borel first rode Rachel Alexandra in the 11/29/2008 Golden Rod Stakes (Grade II) to a 4 ¾ length victory, setting a stakes record for time. Since that race, Rachel Alexandra has been on a winning streak with Calvin Borel on the mount, as well as broken several stakes records for time and winning margin. One of the secrets to success, according to Calvin is that he just lets Rachel Alexandra do her thing. Borel said he's learned not to hold back Rachel Alexandra, even if she wants to run the first quarter-mile in a fast 22 seconds or the half-mile in 44. "I don't fight her ever since I've been on her," he said. "The first day I learned that." [9] Since Borel took Rachel Alexandra's mount, she won 9 races in a row before losing in her 4-Year-Old debut by half a length.

(source:wikipedia)