HEADLINE NEWS • 5/17/09 • PAGE 2 of 15
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HEADLINE THREE CHIMNEYS NEWS The Idea is Excellence. For information about TDN, Sky Mesa’s SKYLIGHTER Takes call 732-747-8060. Allaire duPont Distaff S. (G2) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com Click here for chart / replay SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009 TDN Feature Presentation GOLDIKOVA RETURNS AT LONGCHAMP Last year=s GI Breeders= Cup Mile heroine Goldikova GRADE 1 PREAKNESS STAKES (Ire) (Anabaa) makes her return in the G1 Prix d=Ispahan going an extended nine furlongs at Longchamp today. The four-year-old filly reserves her best for this venue, and put in her finest domestic efforts here last term. Runner-up to Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) in the THE LEADING ACTIVE SIRES BY G1 Poule d=Essai des AVERAGE EARNINGS PER RUNNER: Pouliches in May, she #1 - KINGMAMBO; #2 - A.P. INDY; accounted for Darjina #3 - SMART STRIKE; #6 - PLEASANT TAP -Thoroughbred Times Today, 5/14/09 (Fr) (Zamindar) and the subsequently disquali- THIS ONE’S FOR THE GIRLS fied Paco Boy (Ire) Two years ago, Calvin Borel appeared to be on his (Desert Style {Ire}) in way to taking the GI Preakness S. aboard Street Sense the G1 Prix du Moulin (Street Cry {Ire}). But over his right shoulder, he caught Goldikova Sarah K Andrew in September, as she a glimpse of his good friend Robby Albarado carrying prepared for her subse- the gold and burgundy colors of Jess Jackson=s quent dazzling display at Santa Anita. She stayed the Stonestreet Stables, and Curlin (Smart Strike) was 1 5/16mile-trip of the G1 Prix de Diane well enough along in time to derail Borel=s Triple Crown dreams. when third at Chantilly in June, and should find this trip When GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Rachel Alexandra within her comfort zone. AThis has been her target for (Medaglia d=Oro) was acquired privately in a deal ru- some time and the filly is in great shape,@ trainer Freddy mored to be in the ballpark of $10 million, there was Head, who partnered Riverman (Never Bend), Carwhite some question as (Ire) (Caro), Baillamont (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and to whether Borel, Miesque (Nureyev) to success in this race, told the whose relation- Racing Post. ship with the filly dated back to her Prix d=Ispahan field p14 last five starts-- all victorious-- would retain the mount for the Preakness. After all, Albarado and Asmussen teamed to win an Calvin Borel and Rachel Alexandra roll in the additional half- Preakness Horsephotos dozen Grade/ Group 1 events from the Jersey Shore to the deserts of Dubai, while Borel had struck out in 12 rare mounts for Asmussen. Nonetheless, Borel, it was ultimately decided, knew Rachel Alexandra the best and it was announced he would be in the saddle for the Preakness. The rest, as they say, is history. Rachel Alexandra, the first filly to go favored in the Preakness since Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors (19-10) in 1988, did what that filly could not do, leading virtually every step of the way to become the first female winner of the Classic since Nellie Morse back in 1924. Preakness S. cont. p2 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 5/17/09 • PAGE 2 of 15 Preakness cont. Rachel Rousing From the Start... Reasoning that his Medaglia d=Oro filly bred from his talented homebred Lotta Kim (Roar) would not bring the money he thought she should, Dolphus Morrison in- stead decided to hang onto his filly and race her. A maiden winner at second asking, she returned on 15 days= rest to post a runner-up effort in the GIII Debu- tante S., but was sidelined thereafter with an injury. She made a splashy return to action, taking a Keeneland allowance with supreme ease Oct. 17, but, back just 15 days later, was blocked for a run and settled for a runner-up effort in the Nov. 1 GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. She accom- plished what her dam could not, scoring by 4 3/4 lengths in the GII Golden Rod S. Nov. 29 and earning the highest two-turn figure for a juvenile filly in 2008. That she failed to earn so much as a spot on the Eclipse ballot will go down as a tremendous over- Rachel Alexandra awaits her date with sight, as she picked destiny Horsephotos up at three where she left off at two. A convincing eight-length winner of Oaklawn=s Martha Washington S. Feb. 15, her 1 1/2-length margin of Saturday, Pimlico success in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 14 belied the BLACKBERRY PREAKNESS S.-GI, $1,100,000, PIM, ease and dominance with which she accomplished it. 5-16, 3yo, 1 3/16m, 1:55, ft. Morrison and trainer Hal Wiggins decided to give their 1--RACHEL ALEXANDRA, 121, f, 3, by Medaglia d=Oro filly one more prep for the GI Kentucky Oaks, sending 1st Dam: Lotta Kim (SW & GSP, $146,485), by Roar her back to Oaklawn for the Apr. 5 GII Fantasy S. A 2nd Dam: Kim's Blues, by Cure the Blues dime on the dollar seemed generous, as she waltzed 3rd Dam: Early Decision, by Lord Gaylord home 8 3/4 lengths to the good. The Oaks itself proved O-Stonestreet Stables LLC & Harold McCormick; to be another tour-de-force. Allowed to stalk the pace, B-Dolphus C Morrison (KY); T-Steven M Asmussen; Rachel Alexandra pulled Borel to the front as they ap- J-Calvin H Borel; $660,000. Lifetime Record: proached the stretch and, while never being asked to 11-8-2-0, $1,618,354. Werk Nick Rating: A++. run, drew off to win by a historic 20 1/4 lengths. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Since the deal to purchase Rachel Alexandra came 2--Mine That Bird, 126, g, 3, Birdstone--Mining My together rather quickly, the intent seemed clear. While Own, by Smart Strike. ($9,500 yrl '07 FTKOCT). Morrison vowed in the Oaks winner=s circle that he O-Double Eagle Ranch & Buena Suerte Equine; would not entertain the idea of trying the boys in the B-Lamantia, Blackburn & Nedham/BetzThoroughbreds Preakness or beyond, the Stonestreet team were fo- (KY); T-Bennie L Woolley Jr; $220,000. cused on the trip to Baltimore. A five-furlong breeze May 10 in :48 2/5 was followed by the official green 3--Musket Man, 126, c, 3, Yonaguska--Fortuesque, by light for the Preakness. The naysayers thought her Fortunate Prospect. ($15,000 yrl '07 KEESEP). O-Eric front-running style in a field more packed with speed Fein & Vic Carlson; B-Jim E Nelson & Sergio De than even the Kentucky Derby, the competition and the Sousa (KY); T-Derek S Ryan; $121,000. quick turnaround could be the filly=s undoing. Those Margins: 1, HF, 2HF. Odds: 1.80, 6.60, 11.10. who backed other Preakness runners would be de- Also Ran: Flying Private, Big Drama, Papa Clem, Ter- lighted that their favorite would start at inflated odds in rain, Luv Gov, General Quarters, Friesan Fire, Pioneerof the second leg of the Triple Crown. In the end, there the Nile, Tone It Down, Take the Points. would be plenty of torn tickets. Cont. p3 P TDN HEADLINE NEWS • 5/17/09 • PAGE 3 of 15 Preakness cont. Looks Can Be Deceiving... A History-Making Performance... To think the winner was possibly not firing on all The start of the Preakness was delayed momentarily cylinders is something of an ominous thought, but one by Big Drama (Montbrook), who reared and threw issued by her pilot. AShe struggled a lot [with the jockey John Velazquez. Reloaded without incident, the track],@ Borel explained. AShe=s so used to that track at Florida invader jumped well from the inside gate, while Churchill. She just skips along. She was struggling at Rachel Alexandra broke a bit to her outside, but recov- the end. I had to get into her a little bit. The first quar- ered and ranged up outside Big Drama, who raced a bit ter was good, then, we picked it up. The more I asked off the fence, and the duo raced through an opening her the more she struggled. She=d never been hit be- quarter mile in a sharp :23.13. Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy), fore.@ And while stating that turning for home he was looking to atone for his 18th-place effort as the Derby >home free,= Borel added, AI knew [Mine That Bird] was favorite, was close up, as coming. It=s going to take a racehorse to beat her. She=s was Pioneerof the Nile the greatest racehorse I=ve been on in my life. She did (Empire Maker), the not handle the track 110 percent.@ runner-up in the ARun for the Roses,@ who seemed Mine That Bird Validates His Derby Run... to be struggling as they Many were willing to dismiss Mine That Bird=s Derby raced around the first success as a one-off performance, but those critics turn. Mine That Bird were silenced by a barnstorming run which fell just one (Birdstone), the Derby length shy at the finish. I m thrilled to death with the upsetter, was predictably A = race my little horse ran, said trainer Bennie Chip last of 13 as Rachel @ A @ Rachel Alexandra (middle) leads into Alexandra continued, Woolley, who seemed to enjoy the Preakness experi- the Preakness stretch Horsephotos ears pricked, through a ence a great deal more than the Derby. AEverything was contested opening half- going according to Hoyle, until the turn when he was mile in :46.71.