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Filly Rachel Alexandra To Race In The 2009 Haskell Invitational
Stonestreet Stables’ Kentucky Oaks and Preakness winner filly Rachel Alexandra will take on the boys again in the $1-million Haskell Invitational August 2 at Monmouth Park, announced co-owner Jess Jackson.
Race horse trainer Steve Asmussen said Wednesday that he plans to send Rachel Alexandra to Monmouth early in the week preceding the Haskell at 1 1/8 miles.
“Depending on the weather, we’ll ship in on Tuesday of race week,” Steve Asmussen said. “If everything goes to plan, we’ll breeze her (at Saratoga) on Monday and ship on Tuesday. We’ll continue to breeze her on Mondays up to the race.”
Asmussen said the distance of the Haskell was perfect for the filly Rachel Alexandra, who has won twice at nine furlongs this year.
“With her race in the Mother Goose at a mile and an eighth,” he said, “this should suit her very well.”
Asmussen brought Curlin to Monmouth Park in 2007, and the colt’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic sealed his Horse of the Year title that season.
“I guess along with the World Cup (in Dubai), the Breeders’ Cup win at Monmouth was the biggest of my career,” Asmussen said. “I’m looking forward to being back there.”
A winner of nine races in 12 career starts, filly Rachel Alexandra burst onto the national scene with a dominating score in the Kentucky Oaks on May 1 at Churchill Downs, this year. She was subsequently sold to her current connections, who took their superstar to Pimlico where she became the first filly in 85 years to capture the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown. She followed that up with another tour de force performance against 3-year-old fillies when she posted a nearly 20-length score in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 27, her most recent start.
Filly Rachel Alexandra, by Medaglia d’Oro — Lotta Kim, by Roar, has earned $1,798,354 on her way to becoming a national sensation. As proof of her celebrity, she is currently featured in the August issue of the worldwide magazine Vogue.
Waiting to take on filly Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell is Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, who shipped to Monmouth Park on July 3. Also expected in the starting gate for the Haskell are Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem, Long Branch Stakes winner Atomic Rain and Continental Mile Stakes winner Bunker Hill.
Considered possible Haskell entries are Munnings, who just won the Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap over older horses for race horse trainer Todd Pletcher, and the David Fawkes-trained pair of Red Legend Stakes winner Big Drama, and Iowa Derby winner Duke of Mischief.
Tim Ice, trainer of race horse Summer Bird, said he anticipated meeting filly Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell when he shipped in for the race.
“The good horses should meet each other,” race horse trainer Tim Ice said. “I’m certainly not going to run away and look for another spot because the filly’s coming.” he said. “If we beat her, then Summer Bird is the best 3-year-old. If she beats us, well, she was supposed to win.”
Summer Bird continued his Haskell training with a 5-furlong breeze in 1:01.40 here on Sunday with jockey Eddie Castro aboard.
“Eddie did a good job,” Tim Ice said. “The colt finished up strong — the last quarter in :24 2/5 — which is what I wanted to see. He’s doing really well here so far.”
Horse racing news edited from www.monmouthpark.com.
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