Standing outside his barn at Saratoga on a sparkling Sunday morning, trainer
Steve Asmussen was still basking in the glow of the historic victory by RACHEL
ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) in Saturday’s Woodward S. (G1) as he reported the
filly came out of the race in good shape.
“I’m just extremely proud of her and proud of everybody, and happy for
(owners) Barbara (Banke) and Jess (Jackson),” Asmussen said. “He steps up and
puts it out there. People like to talk about what could have happened — he sees
what will happen.”
On Saturday afternoon, before an enthusiastic crowd of 31,171, Rachel
Alexandra became the first filly to ever win the Woodward. The three-year-old
filly, who has now defeated older horses as well as her male peers in fashioning
a nine-race winning streak, will remain in Saratoga for the time being as her
connections ponder her schedule for the rest of the year.
Both Rachel Alexandra and the undefeated West Coast mare Zenyatta (Street Cry
[Ire]) have been invited to the Beldame S. (G1) on October 3 at Belmont Park,
the purse for which would be raised to $1 million with an additional $400,000
commitment from TVG-Betfair if both start.
“I honestly don’t know (what her next race will be),” Asmussen said. “I heard
Jess say (she might not run again this year) yesterday at the press conference.
We’ll just worry about her health, and take her back to the track on Wednesday.”
Asmussen said that Rachel Alexandra, whose blanket of pink carnations adorned
the rail outside her stall, was tired from her efforts in the Woodward, in which
she set fast early fractions and then turned back the furious late charge from
Macho Again.
“She ran,” he said. “She’s very physical. She ran hard, cooled out, drank
plenty of water. She’s a professional. She doesn’t rest on her laurels. She puts
in the work. That’s what gives you so much confidence about her. She doesn’t
just take the day off.”
In addition to becoming the only female to win the Woodward, and the first
three-year-old to do so since Holy Bull in 1994, Rachel Alexandra also joins an
elite roster of champions who have won the race, including Curlin, Forego,
Kelso, Sword Dancer, Damascus, Buckpasser, Key to the Mint, Seattle Slew,
Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Slew o’ Gold, Alysheba, Easy Goer, and Cigar.
Asmussen and Jackson became the first trainer and owner to win consecutive
editions of the Woodward with different horses, having taken last year’s running
with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin.
Rachel, who is undefeated in eight starts this year, won the Kentucky Oaks
(G1) by 20 1/4 lengths and the Mother Goose S. (G1) at Belmont Park by 19 1/4
lengths and beat three-year-old males in the Preakness S. (G1) and Haskell
Invitational (G1). Her other victories this year were in the Fantasy S. (G2),
Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Martha Washington S.
Jackson has said he will not run Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders’ Cup at
Santa Anita because of the synthetic racing surface and added he planned on
running her again next year as a four-year-old.
“She’s run more races than Zenyatta’s run, and Zenyatta’s a five-year-old,”
Jackson said during Saturday’s post-race news conference. “You can’t expect a
youngster — she’s only three and she just ran against older horses — to keep
going all the time. You have to give them a break, and we’ll talk that over very
seriously.”
Trainer Dallas Stewart is still amazed with the performance of MACHO AGAIN
(Macho Uno), who came up a head short to Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward.
Winner of the Stephen Foster H. (G1) earlier this year, Macho Again spotted
Rachel Alexandra as many as 15 lengths in the early stages of the race.
Robby Albarado then helped Macho Again make up that ground around the far
turn before guiding him between Bullsbay (Tiznow) and Past the Point (Indian
Charlie) at the top of the stretch.
Within the last 30 yards, Macho Again inched closer to Rachel Alexandra,
closing the gap from a length to a head.
“She might be the best racehorse in the world, but we were just a head away
from her,” Stewart said. “I think it took everything she had to keep him out. In
another jump or two, it could have been different, but it didn’t turn out like
that.
“I was screaming, jumping, and hollering all the way,” he added. “I knew we
were second, but I didn’t think we were that close. When I saw the replay, I was
amazed. He made a big surge at her.”
The four-year-old gray will continue to make his case for year-end honors in
the older horse division in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) for over 1 1/4 miles
at Belmont Park on October 3.
“I am really happy with the way he came out of the race,” Stewart said.
“We’re going to take him back to Churchill. He had been training so well there.
We’ll evaluate him and see if he’s ready for the Jockey Club Gold Cup. That
would be a race we would like to win with him.”
Along with his second-place finish in the Woodward, Macho Again was also
second to Bullsbay in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga last month. His other victory
this year came in the New Orleans H. (G2) at Fair Grounds.
“I think this shows he’s the best (in the division),” Stewart said. “He won
the Stephen Foster. He came up here and finished second in two Grade 1 races.
This race shows he’s a champion himself. He’s got the courage and determination.
He just ran into a Super Woman.”