Rachel Alexandra tops field of 7 for Lady’s Secret

[Frankie]

OCEANPORT, N.J. —Rachel Alexandra should be an overwhelming favorite when the reigning Horse of the Year takes on six rivals in Saturday’s $400,000 Lady Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 4-year-old filly drew the No. 5 post, and will have regular rider Calvin Borel aboard.

“Rachel is doing really well,” Borel said recently. “I think she’s back on top of her game.”

Also entered Wednesday for the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares are Stage Trick, Queen Martha, Ask the Moon, Hark, Fabulous Babe and Yes She’s a Lady.

Stage Trick and Ask the Moon are the only challengers coming off stakes races.

Track officials had attempted to set up a race that would include Rachel Alexandra against unbeaten Zenyatta for the first time, but settled for the 2009 Horse of the Year trained Steve Asmussen.

The purse was increased $250,000 to lure Rachel Alexandra and the date was moved from Aug. 1 to accommodate her training schedule.

Rachel Alexandra comes into the race off a 10 1/2-length win in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs on June 12. The bay daughter of Medaglia d’Oro finished second in her two other starts this year. Last year, she was 8-for-8, including a win against colts in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth.

[Frankie]

RICHARD ROSENBLATT AP Sports Writer

Sure looks and sounds like Rachel Alexandra is back in top form.

All the reigning Horse of the Year has to do now is prove it Saturday with a big victory against six seemingly overmatched rivals in the $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park.

“She’s really doing well. She was of energy,” assistant trainer Scott Blasi said after the 4-year-old filly galloped around the track Wednesday. After a Friday morning gallop, Blasi simply said “she’s a dream.”


Rachel Alexandra has been training at Saratoga Race Course, but arrived at the Jersey Shore track Tuesday nearly a year after her win against males in the Haskell Invitational en route to an 8-0 record in 2009.

Trainer Steve Asmussen is following the “same routine” used last summer leading up to Rachel’s six-length Haskell victory over Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird.

On Monday, Rachel worked four furlongs in 49.60 seconds, and Asmussen said after three workouts at the Spa “things have gone as smoothly as we were hoping for.

“She looked great on the track, just appeared to be nice, loose and happy, and I thought she moved very well. She had a lot of energy and looked confident.”

While the Lady’s Secret is far from a glamour race, it nonetheless is a huge test for Rachel Alexandra, and will dictate the filly’s future schedule.

After two disappointing second-place finishes to open the year, Rachel returned to the winner’s circle with a 10 1/2-length romp in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs last month.

An impressive win in the ungraded Lady’s Secret could set her up for either the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign against fillies and mares Aug. 29 or the Woodward Stakes against leading older male Quality Road on Sept. 4, both at Saratoga. Rachel became the first filly to win the Woodward last year.

A loss, and it’s anybody’s guess what the future holds for the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro co-owned Jess Jackson.

“We have enough to worry about this week to not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Asmussen said.

Rachel should be the overwhelming favorite, perhaps 1-10, with only two of her rivals coming off stake races - Stage Trick and Ask the Moon.

Stage Trick finished third in the Grade 3 Obeah at Delaware Park and Ask the Moon was sixth in the ungraded Lighthouse at Monmouth.

Also entered are Fabulous Babe, Hark, Queen Martha and Yes She’s A Lady.

“I think we are running for second,” said trainer Patrick Biancone, who trains Queen Martha. “But second would be good.”

Rachel’s regular rider Calvin Borel will be aboard the filly, who will leave from the No. 5 post.

“After her last race, I think she’s back on the top of her game,” Borel said.

Monmouth Park general manager Bob Kulina had hoped to match Rachel Alexandra against unbeaten Zenyatta for the first time, but he was unable to pull off the race the industry would love to see.

To get Rachel Alexandra, the track changed the date (from Aug. 1) and distance (from 1 1/16 miles to Rachel’s best distance of 1 1/8 miles) and boosted the purse $250,000.

Kulina is hoping for a crowd of about 15,000. The race comes a week before the $1 million Haskell, which will feature Kentucky Der winner Super Save and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

“I’m really not sure what to expect, especially with this being the first weekend of Saratoga,” Kulina said of Saturday’s race, “but we are hoping for a huge day.”

So is everyone connected with Rachel Alexandra.

[Frankie]

OCEANPORT, N.J. —Rachel Alexandra kept cool on a wilting afternoon at Monmouth Park, defeating six rivals Saturday in the $400,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes for fillies and mares.

It was the second straight win for the reigning Horse of the Year following a pair of losses to start the season.

Rachel Alexandra beat the heat, in addition to the competition, as temperatures pushed into the upper 90s. Combined with the humidity, the heat index topped 100.

Calvin Borel was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen as Rachel Alexandra beat Queen Martha three lengths. Queen Martha, the second choice at 8-1, set the pace with Rachel Alexandra tracking in second. They hooked up on the final turn with Rachel Alexandra taking charge at the top of the lane before pulling clear in the deep stretch.

“We’re very pleased with her, how she ran today,” said Asmussen. “It was an awy warm day and she kept her composure. She was very relaxed off the other mare. The first thing Calvin said when he came off her was that he loved how she came home today. I think that will be the key to her future success.”

Her next start will be decided next week when Asmussen meets with owner Jess Jackson in Saratoga.

It was a triumphant return to Monmouth where Rachel Alexandra beat the boys last summer in the $1 million Haskell Invitational, one of the key victories that propelled her to the championship in an 8-0 campaign.

After a slow start this season with a pair of a narrow loses, Rachel Alexandra seems back to her old dominant self. She rolled to a 10 1/2 length win in her previous outing, the Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs.

To lure Rachel Alexandra back to Monmouth, the Lady’s Secret underwent a major overhaul. The race was originally slated for Aug. 1 with a purse of $150,000. The additional $250,000 was contingent on Rachel Alexandra competing in the race. The distance was also lengthened from 1 1-16 miles to 1 1-8.

The race comes a week before the Haskell, which will feature Kentucky Der winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

The time was 1:49.78.

The 1-10 favorite, Rachel Alexandra paid $2.20, $2.10 and $2.10. Queen Martha returned $2.80 and $2.40. Ask the Moon paid $3.80 to show.

Stage Trick was fourth followed Hark, Yes She’s a Lady and Fabulous Babe.