** For video of Rachel Alexandra schooling in the paddock at
Thursday, August 26, 2010
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RACHEL RETURNS TO
On Sunday the reigning Horse of the Year will try to accomplish a personal first – winning at the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles – when she returns to the Spa to compete in the Grade 1, $300,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares.
Last year’s Woodward was the final race of Rachel Alexandra’s audacious 3-year-old campaign. After winning the 2009 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks by 20 ¼ lengths, Jess Jackson acquired a majority interest in the filly, whom he transferred to the barn of Steve Asmussen. In her first start for her new connections, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro became the first filly to win the Grade 1 Preakness in 85 years, then followed with dominant victories in the Grade 1 Mother Goose and Grade 1 Haskell Invitational prior to her triumph in the Woodward, her final race of the year.
Freshened following her 8-for-8 2009 campaign, Rachel Alexandra was a close second in her first two starts of 2010, losing to Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds in March and Unrivaled Belle in the Grade 2 La Troienne at Churchill Downs in May. She returned to form with a 10 ½-length victory in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill on June 12, and enters Sunday’s race off a facile success in the Lady’s Secret on July 24 at
“The filly is a year older, and she’s carrying a little more weight, a little heavier than she was then,” said Asmussen. “There are no comparisons to the situation when she moved into the barn last year. It’s impossible to duplicate, moving into the barn four days off of a big race and 10 days before a classic. You can’t recreate that sort of tension or pressure on her, so it’s obviously a lot more relaxed this year.”
Rachel Alexandra has been stabled at
“We’re trying to keep her in a rhythm and keep her happy, and we feel that’s where she’s at,” said Asmussen.
Calvin Borel, who has piloted Rachel Alexandra in her past 13 starts, will ride the 4-year-old filly once again on Sunday. The 2-5 morning-line favorite, she drew post position 2.
Rachel Alexandra’s chief rival in the Personal Ensign is Life At Ten, who, unlike the favorite, has won going a mile and a quarter, a feat she achieved last time out when she took the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap by three lengths on July 17.
“The Personal Ensign is a natural progression as it made sense to keep her at a mile and a quarter,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains the 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon for Candy DeBartolo. “It just so happens that Rachel Alexandra is going to this race, but we are sticking with our plan.”
Life At Ten enters the Personal Ensign on a six-race winning streak which includes victories in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at
“She has gotten better and better as she has gotten older,” said Pletcher. “It was something we thought would happen, although it took longer than we had hoped.”
Life At Ten has raced on or right off the lead in her four most recent starts, but Pletcher believes that doesn’t necessarily mean his filly will be winging out front with Rachel Alexandra.
“Our filly has tactical speed; she can place herself where she needs to be,” said Pletcher. “I think she’ll be forwardly placed, but we’ll play it by ear.”
Life At Ten, the 5-2 second choice, will break from post position 4 under John Velazquez.
One trainer who would like to see a speed duel is Marty Wolfson, who will be represented by Team Valor’s Miss Singhsix, second to Life At Ten in the Delaware Handicap most recently.
“We have an outside chance, but you never know what will happen at
Jose Valdivia will come in to ride Miss Singhsix, the 10-1 third selection, in the Personal Ensign. The duo will leave from the rail.
Completing the field are Persistently, winner of a
The field for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Miss Singhsix (IRE) | J Valdivia, Jr. | 116 | M D Wolfson | 10-1 |
| 2 | Rachel Alexandra (KY) | C H Borel | 122 | S M Asmussen | 2-5 |
| 3 | Persistently (KY) | A Garcia | 116 | C R McGaughey III | 20-1 |
| 4 | Life At Ten (KY) | J R Velazquez | 120 | T A Pletcher | 5-2 |
| 5 | Classofsixtythree (KY) | J Castellano | 116 | G C Contessa | 20-1 |
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