Rachel Alexandra in serious condition

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year who foaled a Bernardini filly Feb. 12, is in serious condition after undergoing surgery Feb. 13, according to owner Barbara Banke. The surgery was performed at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital to repair a bruised area in her small colon that was injured during foaling.

"We are solely focused on making sure Rachel is as comfortable as possible," Banke said. "She is showing the same strength and courage now that she demonstrated on the track. Our hearts are broken by this turn of events and I can only ask that you send your thoughts and prayers to Rachel now."

Veterinarians could not determine a full prognosis for Rachel Alexandra at this time.

Rachel Alexandra's filly, who weighed 140 pounds at birth, is healthy and has returned to Banke's Stonestreet Farm where she will be placed on a nurse mare.

In January 2012, Rachel Alexandra spent three days at Rood and Riddle as a precautionary measure for pain management related to the foaling of her first foal, a colt by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin . Fans later participated in a contest to select the colt's eventual name, Jess's Dream.

Rachel Alexandra, a 7-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro , is out of the Roar mare Lotta Kim.



Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles...urgery#ixzz2KrSDqAlc

A great horse and more sad news today

eish...not a happy valentines day so far.wheres the good news?

Paythepublic Wrote:

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> eish...not a happy valentines day so far.wheres
> the good news?


Free drinks at Dave's bar only catch you will have to put up with ZO.

ZO looks like he made some money so should be in a jolly mood(

Rachel Alexandra second foal Rachel's Valentina a filly just won on debut at Saratoga. Her first foal has yet to start a race. Interestingly Rachel Alexandra won the same race American Pharoah is to race tonight the Haskell.

REPLAY

Rachel's Valentina Solid in Spinaway


Six years after her dam beat the boys with a brilliant performance in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I), Rachel's Valentina put in an impressive run of her own Sept. 5 at Saratoga Race Course to take the $350,000 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) for Stonestreet Stables. Watch Video

The homebred 2-year-old Bernardini filly, the second foal out of champion Rachel Alexandra, galloped her record to a perfect 2-for-2 on Woodward Day, as she won the seven-furlong test in a final time of 1:23.10 on a fast dirt track.

Slow to start, Rachel's Valentina nevertheless moved up into a good tracking spot, third along the rail, behind a pace set by rival Tonasah, while Constellation ran second.

A quarter went in :22.75 with a half in :45.38, and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez swung Rachel's Valentina out to make her move. Constellation had taken the lead through three-quarters in 1:10.09, but Rachel's Valentina surged past her inside the final furlong to take control, holding off the late-closing run of Tap to It to win by a length.

Off as the 8-5 favorite in a field of six, Rachel's Valentina returned $5.50, $3.10, and $2.60, while Tap to It paid $3.30 and $2.70, Constellation held 3 1/4 lengths back for third ($3.40), with Anna Rae, Tonasah, and Banree completing the order of finish.

Rachel's Valentina came off a maiden-breaking debut Aug. 2 at the Spa for trainer Todd Pletcher. The score upped her earnings to $259,800.

NOVAK: Rachel's Valentina Sparkles in Debut

"I thought she ran fantastic," Pletcher said. "Actually, she put herself into the race a little more than I thought she would, but she seemed to be handling tracking those horses well, and getting a little dirt well. I felt like, turning for home, knowing her style and watching her train, that she was going to keep coming. I've always felt like the farther she goes, the better she gets, and I think that's proven to be true."

With her victory in the Spinaway, a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, Rachel's Valentina picked up an automatic berth in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Keeneland. Pletcher said the Oct. 3 Frizette (gr. I) at Belmont Park or the Oct. 2 Alcibiades (gr. I) at Keeneland are the straightforward options for another start before then.

"I haven't really thought about (what's next). I'll talk to the Stonestreet people and see," he said. "I think she'll have one more race if she's doing good."

Rachel's Valentina becomes the 12th grade I winner for Bernardini, an impressive group that includes this year's Humana Distaff winner Dame Dorothy and Test Stakes winner Cavorting.

She won well and she is beautiful but watch that brute of a girl that ran 2nd. Green as grass and she will be a serious fully moving forward.

Rachel's Half Brother Goes for $800,000

A half brother to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra was purchased by Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Estate Company for $800,000 during the Sept. 15 second session of the Keeneland September yearling sale.

The son of Malibu Moon who is a half brother to the $3.5 million-earning mare was bred in Kentucky by Heaven Trees Farm and was consigned as Hip 414 by Gainesway, agent.

"He was just a lovely colt, a beautiful mover," said Shadwell manager Rick Nichols. "Watching him out back, he just seemed to have a certain air about him; a lot of class. Nice horse."

The colt and his high-profile half sister were produced from the stakes-winning Roar mare Lotta Kim, a half sister to tw