Rachel and Rachel, Rachel

Bits And Pieces (The Dave Clark Five, 1964)

Bits: She's a leading lady, all right, perhaps even thoroughbred racing's version of a leading lady the stature of Joanne Woodward. So what's the connection? None, other than it was Woodward who won a Golden Globe award as best actress for her portrayal of a repressed school teacher living with her overbearing mother who suddenly gets a man in her life during summer vacation in the 1968 movie ``Rachel, Rachel.''
And now there's Rachel Alexandra, kept away from the boys by her previous owners, who suddenly has a new owner, beats the boys in the Preakness in the spring and is looking forward to a great summer season and eventually a breeding session with her new owners' top stallion, Curlin.

And don't worry, Rachel Alexandra _ only 3 _ will pick up awards of her own on the way to her date with 2-time Horse of the Year Curlin (sort of the Paul Newman of the male horsey set _ Paul was Joanne's husband for those keeping score) ... Soon to be in common: Appearances in Vogue Magazine _ Joanne's photo has appeared in the mag thousands of times with and without Paul: Rachel Alexandra's Vogue debut is scheduled for the August issue.


Pieces: An offer to purchase Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was turned down by co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach earlier this week, trainer Chip Woolley reports. ``I'm happy. I spent 25 years looking for this horse and I sure didn't want to lose him.'' The potential buyer was not identified _ whoever that is. Chances are it wasn't Jess Jackson, the Kendall-Jackson Wines co-founder who bought Rachel with the intention of breeding her to Curlin _ to provide racing with a superhorse. Mine That Bird is a gelding. ... Todd Pletcher is now training Quality Road, who won 3-of-4 starts, including the Florida Derby, for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Not a quality move, Mr. owner, Edward Evans, unless there is something we don't know about, which is likely the case _ the horse has a quarter crack less than a week before the Derby, Edward ... And no one is more horse-health conscious than Jimmy Jerkens.

The Travers: Until They Meet Again

The Travers Stakes is the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in America. And when the 140th edition is run Saturday, Aug. 29 at grand old Saratoga, the field of 3-year-olds could make this a most memorable mile-and-a-quarter.
I'm even thinking the Midsummer Derby may top the Kentucky Derby for suspense: Mine That Bird vs. Rachel Alexandra vs. Summer Bird _ the Derby winner vs. the Preakness winner vs. the Belmont winner, plus a cast of 3-year-olds looking to avenge losses in the Triple Crown races as well as previously injured horses on the mend (like Quality Road).
A look-see:
_ Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird is set to run in the West Virginia Derby at Charles Town on Aug. 1, then show up at Saratoga and train up to the Travers. Hey? a Derby winner ever run in the West Virginia Derby?
_ Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra's schedule has yet to be determined, but as of now the Travers is not out of the question. Let's say the filly runs next in the Mother Goose later this month, and again about a month later. Could the Travers be next? Stay tuned.
_ Belmont winner Summer Bird is headed to the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 2, followed by a trip to upstate New York for the Travers.
_ Florida Derby winner Quality Road, the likely Kentucky Derby favorite before an injury knocked him out, is back in training. If he bounces back from a quarter crack, Jimmy Jerkens could have him ready for the Travers.
_ While Belmont runner-up Dunkirk has been sidelined with an injury, Peter Pan winner Charitable Man, who was fourth in the Belmont, is headed to the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Aug. 1 and then the Travers.
_ Santa Anita Derby winner Pioneerof the Nile is the best of the west, and finished second in the Derby. He is trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the Saratoga meet, and he just might have Pioneerof the Nile for the Travers.
_ Musket Man, third in the Derby and third in the Preakness, passed on the Belmont, will be back for the Haskell, and the Travers is an option.
_ Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge, injured the morning of the Derby, is likely out of the picture, but just about every other 3-year-old is still in.
Let's see what happens.

WayAfterThoughts on the Belmont

WELL DONE OR TOASTED?:

WELL DONE

TIM ICE: May the horses come into your barn. A cool, quiet and intense young man, Mr. Ice arrived at Belmont Park at 34 years of age _ and left two weeks later at 35 after winning the Belmont Stakes with Summer Bird. He did a masterful training job _ putting blinkers on (he saw that his Bird wasn't focused in the stretch at the Derby, although 6th place wasn't bad for a fourth career start) and bringing him here for nearly two weeks to become familiar with the track.
Payoff should be big time for Mr. Ice, who already has a few interested owners knocking on his barn door (Hey, Rick Porter, ya listening?). Looks like Mr. Ice -- an Ohio boy currently based at Louisiana Downs -- could get to like the New York racing scene. Betting he'll spend his summer at Saratoga, with Summer Bird being pointed to the Jim Dandy on Aug. 1 and the Travers on Aug. 29. Welcome to New York.

MINE THAT BIRD & CO: Just love this little gelding and his crew of cowpokes from the Land of Enchantment; Broken leg trainer Chip Woolley (12 pins and a metal plate from knee to ankle in right leg), racing manager Kelly Denninton and owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach showed racing nogoodnicks how to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime moment and share it with others.
Ol' Chipper enjoyed his New York experience, and look for his Bird to resurface in Saratoga as well. Mine That Bird went 1-2-3 in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont and earned over $1.5 million for his connections! And this gelding will keep on going!

KENT DESORMEAUX: What can we say Kent? You deserved it.
Worst beat ever in the 1998 Belmont aboard Derby-Preakness winner Real Quiet (2nd by a nose); and biggest disappointment ever last year with Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown (last after being pulled up). You rode a perfect race, finally, and we think you have this one figured out.



TOASTED

CALVIN BOREL: Calvin, your new marketing/sponsor guy, gave you bad advice. Why in the wide wide world of jockey sense would you spend a week in Manhattan, ignore the racetrack, show up on Letterman, at MSG, the stock exchange, etc., etc., and expect to make good your guarantee of victory?
OK, so Joe Namath can party all night and lead the Jets to a Super Bowl win over the Colts, but Calvin, you lost to the Colts in this one. Your rail ride in the Derby was glorious, your effort in the Belmont was godawful.



MIKE SMITH: Short story shorter, Mikey boy coulda been aboard Mine That Bird in the Belmont, but even before all the histrionics surrounding Borel/Rachel Alexandra/Mine That Bird he begged off due to loyalty to owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs. Instead of riding in the Belmont, Mikey hopped on Madeo for the Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap at Hollywood and finished fourth. Hmm. Pass up a Belmont in favor of a Whittinghan. Wait 'til next year!

JESS JACKSON: Just because I'm not certain what his motives are with the filly. Hooray for winning the Preakness, but something just doesn't seem right about the way you shelled out however many millions to buy Rachel Alexandra in a plan to `revitalize'' the sport.
People were all over Baffert for buying a Derby winner (and Preakness winner as well)a few weeks before the race, but you go out and buy a Preakness winner 9 days before? Why didn't you speak up before the Oaks? And buy her then and run her in the Derby? She'd won four stakes in a row to that point. And the owners said they wouldn't run her against the boys.

Calvin Will Show Up for the Belmont, We Think!

Gotta make this quick, headed to a Belmont Stakes gala (cocktails in Garden City, oo la la!) ... So there's all these jockeys at the Belmont Cafe this morning, staying out of the rain even though their Belmont mounts are out on the track stretching their legs, galloping and foolin' around in the slop with their exercise riders getting drenched. Prado, Garcia, Velazquez, Maragh, and a few others I probably didn't recognize. Oh, and a couple of Hall of Famers were goofing off as well. ``He's no'' Angel Cordero Jr. and Jorge Velasquez were in the house and acting like children, chasing each other around the tables and yukking it up. Pletcher, Dale Romans, a bunch of jock agents also were on the scene on the day before the Belmont.

Missing? CALVIN ``CROWN'' BOREL!!!! Mr. Famous is hanging in a ritzy hotel on Central Park with his fiance and God bless, Calvin, enjoy the hell out of this week. However, you've won the Derby on Mine That Bird, the Preakness on the filly Rachel Alexandra and you're back on the Bird for the Belmont seeking to become the first jockey to win your own Triple Crown. And you take the week off from riding? No mounts all week at Belmont? You don't want a race over the 1 1/2-mile oval that has done in so many jocks who mistime their move in the longest race they will ever compete in? Not smart, Calvin. Yes, you guaranteed a victory with this great little gelding, but c'mon -- Letterman, the Garden, Wall Street over the racetrack on a week like this? Bad move from this view. Love Chip Woolley, love the horse. Don't love your week away from the track.

Garden Party for Horse Racing

It was a good day for horse racing -- for a change. The New York Racing Association put together a luncheon/news conference at Madison Square Garden today, promoting the not-so-on-the-radar Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Of course, Calvin ``we're gonna win'' Borel was the center of attention. Everywhere he walked at the Garden's Bar & Grill, microphones, notepads, TV cameras, bloggers and tweeters followed. All he did was say what he said yesterday: He will win the Belmont aboard Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird to become the first jockey to capture the Triple Crown on different horses. He rode Rachel Alexandra to victory over Mine That Bird in the Preakness. He says he's in a dream and riding it out, and that he wants to win this one for Chip -- the Bird's trainer Chip Woolley, who stuck with him even after he took over the gelding for the filly. Lots of other racing types were there as well - the Bird's New Mexico owner-trainer trio of Mark Allen, Leonard Blach and Woolley; trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Alan Garcia _ Kiaran sends out Charitable Man and Garcia rides him looking for his second Belmont win in a row. McLaughlin was pretty funny, say there's no need to run the race since Calvin guaranteed a victory, but then added this about his horse: His father was a Belmont winner (Lemon Drop Kid), he's 2-for-2 at Belmont, 3-for-3 on dirt and need I say more? Johnny V, who will ride Dunkirk, told the riders in attendance not to let Calvin on the rail ... Borel added that he's glad Rachel Alexandra is not running because, he said, she needs a rest.

And to kick off the festivities, NYRA CEO Charley Hayward made his opening remarks short and to the point regarding synthetic surfaces: He said the races Saturday will be on the turf and on the dirt and they are going to stay that way. Why he decided to throw out that line at this newser is questionable, but it's a clear statement that synthetics are not in NYRA's future (applause, please).

Hey Calvin, Why didn't you give us the Derby winner?

You gotta hand it to these jockeys, boy, they just know exactly what's going to happen, don't they? Hey wait a minute! If they know who's gonna win before they run the race, doesn't that means something's wrong? Let's face it, if the jockey says he's going to win and wins, wouldn't you think something's fishy? I am not saying I would, but others might. Who those others are I cannot say, but I am not one of them. That leads me to Calvin Borel. He's 1-for-1 on giving out winners of Triple Crown races: Correct Calvin gave everyone a head's up that he was gonna win the Preakness aboard Rachel Alexandra _ and that was why he was getting off Mine That Bird, the horse he won the Kentucky Derby on just two weeks prior to the Preakness So he's 1-for-1 and now he's looking at 2-for-2. For whatever reason, lovable Calvin had this to say to reporters after jumping off Mine That Bird (oh, did I mention he's back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont because Rachel Alexandra isn't running in it?) following a final workout Monday morning at Churchill Downs: ``We're going to win it, no questions asked." OK, so let's bet on Calvin again. If you believed him before the Preakness and bet $2 on the filly to win, you collected $5.60 -- that's $3.60 profit. Do the math for a $100 win bet (it's $280, for a profit of $180); and so forth ... And if you didn't believe Calvin and bet a $2 exacta box on the Derby winner and the filly), the payoff was $19.60 (for a $4 investment); again do the math. I'm not good at math. Works out pretty good for a can't miss bet, don't you think? OK. Mine That Bird will be the heavy favorite to win the Belmont, and won't pay too much when (if - lol) he does win, but having a winner is better than not having a winner. But Calvin, where were you before the Derby, damn it? Why didn't you tell us you were sitting on one of the greatest winning runs in Derby history, one that returned a mind-numbing $103.20 on a $2 win ticket (do your own math, it makes me sick even thinking about it). Place was worth $54 and show $25.80, and a $2 exacta, with one of the favorites Pioneerof the Nile finishing second, paid $2,074. (In the photo up above, Calvin's probably telling Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley after the Derby, `Aren't you glad I didn't open my mouth?')