Projo Sports Blog

In case you wondering, it was Nellie Morse, in 1924.

But Rachel Alexandra is favored to end that 85-year, distaff drought. She's listed at 8-5 in the morning line to win the 134th running of the second leg of thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown on Saturday at Pimlico, in Baltimore.

Dazzling as a 20-length winner in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, Rachel Alexandra drew the outside post -- No. 13 -- for the Preakness.

"We're very happy being on the outside," said Scott Blasi, the assistant trainer for Steve Asmussen, who took over from Hal Wiggins when Rachel Alexandra was sold last week.

"You've got a long run to the first turn here," Blasi told turf writers at the track. "What you're worried about is traffic. We know she does have good tactical speed and should be able to get good position going into the first turn."

The shortest of the Triple Crown races at 1-3/16ths miles -- the Derby is 1-1/4 miles, the Belmont, a mile-and-a-half -- the Preakness would seem to suit Rachel Alexandra. Jockey Calvin Borel has been placing her prominently early on in her races this year, and those tactics should serve her well at Pimlico, which has tighter turns than either Churchill Downs or Belmont and generally is not as favorable to stretch runners, such as Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Borel has created quite a stir in racing circles by getting off the Derby winner --Mine that Bird pulled off a stunning, last-to-first upset in the Run for the Roses at 50-1 odds -- to ride Rachel Alexandra.

While Borel is believed to be the first jockey ever to ride another horse in the Preakness when his Derby-winning mount also was entered, his decision makes sense on two counts.

First of all, he has ridden Rachel Alexander in all of her races this year, while he rode Mine That Bird for the first time in the Derby. Secondly, he obviously believes Rachel Alexandra is the better horse, and who can blame him for wanting to win?

Mine That Bird isn't even the second choice in the morning line, which is established by the track's oddsmaker, based on how he thinks the public will bet. Pioneer of the Nile, who finished second in the Derby, is listed at 5-1 and will start from post nine. Mine That Bird, who drew post position two, is the third choice, at opening odds of 6-1.

The last filly to win the Kentucky Derby was Winning Colors, in 1988. She went on to run third in the Preakness and sixth in the Belmont. Only three fillies ever have won the Derby, the other two being Genuine Risk (1980) and Regret (1915.)

Eight Belles ran second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby in 2008, but broke bones in both her front legs while slowing down after the race and had to be euthanized on the track.

 Tags  Jim Donaldson Preakness Rachel Alexandra

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