Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Standing outside his barn at Saratoga Race Course on a sparkling Sunday morning, trainer Steve Asmussen was still basking in the glow of Rachel Alexandra’s historic victory in the 56th running of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes 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],” said Asmussen. “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 became the first filly to ever win the Woodward. The 3-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 have been invited to the Grade 1 Beldame 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],” said Asmussen. “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,” said Asmussen. “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 3-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 8-0 this year, won the Kentucky Oaks by 20¼ lengths and the Mother Goose at Belmont Park by 19¼ lengths and beat 3-year-old colts in the Preakness and Haskell.
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 4-year-old.
“She’s run more races than Zenyatta’s run, and Zenyatta’s a 5-year-old,” Jackson said during Saturday’s post-race news conference. “You can’t expect a youngster — she’s only 3 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.”
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