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Rachel Alexandra the buzz horse in Preakness
Preview: USA, Wednesday 11.15pm GMT (live on RUK)
Pimlico: Preakness Stakes (Grade 1) 3yo, dirt
IT'S not so much a battle of the sexes at Pimlico on Saturday - one filly versus 12 colts hardly amounts to that - but there is no doubt Rachel Alexandra is the name on everyone's lips as the 134th Preakness Stakes looms.
Rachel Alexandra's astounding 20-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Oaks means that, for once, the Kentucky Derby winner - the equally astonishing 50-1 Churchill Downs scorer Mine The Bird - is not centre stage for the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Indeed, Mine That Bird ranks only third favourite with British bookmakers, at around 6-1 behind general 2-1 market leader Rachel Alexandra, and 4-1 chance Pioneerof The Nile, beaten seven lengths into second in the Kentucky Derby.
If she justifies favouritism, Rachel Alexandra would become the first filly to win the Preakness since Nellie Morse in 1924, and only the fifth all told. She is the first Oaks winner to contest the Preakness.
Her jockey Calvin Borel, who rates Rachel Alexandra the best he has ridden, secured his second Kentucky Derby in three years with a daredevil rail-ride on Mine That Bird, who will be partnered on Saturday by Mike Smith.
The filly would not have been here had she not been sold to Jess Jackson's Streetside Stables and Harold McCormick, with former connections believing that the Classics should be left to males.
But RachelAlexandra has been supplemented for $100,000, and even though stall 13 is perhaps not the best position, trainer Steve Asmussen's assistant Scott Blasi put a positive spin on it.
"The great thing about being in 13 is it gives Calvin a chance to dictate the race," he said.
"Being a filly, much pressure is going to be put on her in the race, and it is a long run to the first turn. I think this gives Calvin a good chance to get in position without being run over."
Mine That Bird's trainer Bennie 'Chip' Woolley, reflecting on the Kentucky Derby, said: "Hopefully, he'll fire back like that again this weekend. He passed 18 head of Grade 1 horses from the three-eighths pole to the wire, so it's not like he stole an easy lead and just got away from them."
Woolley added of Mine That Bird's Pimlico preparation: "I was afraid it might just be Churchill he likes,but he looks just as good here."
For a fleeting moment in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert thought he had his fourth victory with Pioneerof The Nile.
"Garrett [Gomez] was sitting there at the top of the straight with a ton of horse and hadn't even asked him, so I thought,
'Hello, number four'," said Baffert, who believes Pioneerof The Nile is set to run another big race.
Disappointment of the Derby was 38-10 favourite Friesan Fire.
Like the winner, he was bumped at the start, but he tore a part of his near-fore hoof off in the process and jockey Gabriel Saez gave his mount an easy time of it late on.
Trainer Larry Jones reported soon after the Derby that the injury was healing faster than anticipated, and, just as he did prior to the Derby, Friesan Fire put in a quick 5f workout this week at Pimlico.
Musket Man and Papa Clem, third and fourth in the Kentucky Derby, each has a right to improve on Saturday, while like Friesan Fire, another Derby also-ran given a second chance is General Quarters, who was tenth at Churchill.
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