Take A Rest Rachel

Just arrived home from the Preakness _ I will deal with the sidetrips later (in a word OY!) _ and I am hoping Rachel Alexandra is now resting comfortably in her stall at Churchill Downs. She needs a rest! No matter what her new owner Jess Jackson and new trainer Steve Asmussen are saying now, I don't believe for a minute she will show up for the Belmont on June 6. I had my reservations about her running in the Preakness against the boys after just a 15-day break, but Jackson _ of Curlin and Kendall-Jackson wine fame _ was determined to match ``his'' filly against the boys to give racing an intriguing matchup that would boost the sport. Fortunately, it all worked out _ the race was terrific, and the filly was sensational, although she was all out in beating the Derby winner Mine That Bird by a length .... The Lady indeed is a Champ ... And that's all we need for now. No rematch with Mine That Bird in a 1 1/2-mile marathon. What would it prove? ... Put her back with fillies for a couple of races this summer, and then see how the Travers on Aug, 29 shapes up ... Who knows? By then, top 3-year-olds who missed the Derby such as I Want Revenge and Quality Road might be back from injuries. Add Mine That Bird, and then we're talking ...