Flying Spur

L & M Partners LLC’s Rachel Alexandra delivered a tour de force under Calvin Borel in crushing six rivals to win the 135th running of the $554,500 Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) by a record 20 ¼ lengths on Friday before a crowd of 104,867 at Churchill Downs.

    Trained by Hal Wiggins for the partnership of breeder Dolphus Morrison and Michael Lauffer, Rachel Alexandra stalked early pacesetter Gabby’s Golden Gal until Borel began to inch up midway on the final turn of the mile and one-eighth race.  

Turning for home, Rachel Alexandra had put Gabby’s Golden Gal away and Borel began looking over his right shoulder for competition. There was none as the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro continued to widen under a hand ride from Borel to complete the distance over a “fast” track in 1:48.87, which just missed the stakes record of 1:48.64 established by Bird Town in 2003.

The margin of victory is believed to be an Oaks record.  Available records date to 1916 and the largest previous victory margin was 10 lengths, a feat last achieved by Oaktown Stable’s Lite Light in 1991.

“It was just unbelievable,” said Wiggins, a training veteran of 40 years who scored his first victory in the Kentucky Oaks and notched his first win in a Grade I stakes race.  “When he (Borel) asked her, she just naturally took off. And just finished tremendous. It looked like she came out of the race really, really good. That’s the main thing.”

As the 3-10 favorite, Rachel Alexandra returned mutuels of $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10. Stone Legacy, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, rallied for second to return $11 and $5. Flying Spur finished another 4 ¼ lengths back in third under Garrett Gomez and paid $2.80 to show.

The victory extended Rachel Alexandra’s win streak to five, a streak that began with Borel aboard for the Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs last November.   The filly has never lost with Borel in the saddle.

Bred by Morrison, Rachel Alexandra is a daughter of the Roar mare Lotta Kim, who was owned by Morrison and trained by Wiggins. Rachel Alexandra has won seven of 10 career starts for earnings of $958,354, including $336,914 for the Oaks triumph.

The field was reduced to seven when West Point Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and R. Dee Hubbard’s Justwhistledixie was withdrawn from the Oaks less than two hours before the race because of an abscess in her left front foot.

The victory was worth $336,914 and increased Rachel Alexandra’s earnings to $958,354.

The victory in the Oaks was the first for Borel, who won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) in 2007 aboard Street Sense.  He will ride Mine That Bird in Saturday’s renewal of the “Run for the Roses.”

Despite the threat of rain early in the day, the 135th Kentucky Oaks attracted the fourth largest crowd in the history of the race that was first run in 1875.  The event has attracted more than 100,000 fans in 10 of the past 11 years, topped by the crowd of 111,243 that attended the race in 2005.
    
            KENTUCKY OAKS 135 QUOTES

CALVIN BOREL (rider of winner Rachel Alexandra) -- Do you think you should have run in the Derby?  “To tell you the truth I’m happy they didn’t run her, I think they did the right thing by running her today, but I do think she would have won it.
“She’s probably the greatest horse I’ve ever been on in my life.  There are other things down the road for her and she’ll prove it, I promise it.”
This filly she breaks out of the gate and she’s like ‘bring it on, let’s go!’
 
HAL WIGGINS (trainer of winner Rachel Alexandra) -- “If you watched the race you saw it. It was just unbelievable. I was a little worried about (Bob) Baffert’s filly (Gabby’s Golden Gal) on the lead like that, but (jockey) Calvin (Borel) said, ‘I had everything under control.’ When he asked her, she just naturally took off. And just finished tremendous. It looked like she came out of the race really, really good. That’s the main thing.”
On the show-stopping performance:
“Her last four races have been like that. Of course, this is the most important, a Grade I win for a filly. The owner still owns the dam, so that’s very important. And I’ve trained for the man for 30 years. It’s good feeling to me for him to be able to experience this.”
 
DOLPHUS MORRISON (co-owner of winner Rachel Alexandra) -- Any regrets that you’re not running in the Derby tomorrow?  “No sir, the Triple Crown races are to showcase the future stallions of our industry and fillies should run with fillies and stallions with stallions.”  
 D. WAYNE LUKAS (trainer of Stone Legacy, second; Be Fair, fourth; and Tweeter, seventh) -- “I thought Be Fair would be the stronger of the entry but I was really pleased. The way the pace developed it really setup for Stone Legacy. We are tickled. Mary Lou Whitney has won this race in the past and now to get another second is great. Second is what everyone was lining up for today. There is no disgrace to get beat by the winner. The pace scenario didn’t really matter because once Rachel Alexandra she took off, the front-runner was of no consequence.”

KENT DESORMEAUX (jockey, Stone Legacy, 2nd) – “No excuses. That’s one we don’t have to beat tomorrow. I’m glad she isn’t in the Derby.”

GARRETT GOMEZ (rider of third-place finisher Flying Spur) – “She struggled the whole time trying to keep up. In the middle of turn, I got into her pretty good. I wasn’t going anywhere, so I kind of let her regroup and she found some more and was able to get third. The filly who won it is something else.”

BILL MOTT (trainer of third-place finisher Flying Spur) – “It meant a lot to be third in this race. Third was great for our filly who looked like she would drop out of it, but then made a run. That’s some super filly who won.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO (rider of fourth-place finisher Be Fair) -- “I thought we could be second or third, but she just was not good enough today. The winner, she was just too good.”

COREY NAKATANI (rider of fifth-place finisher Nan) – “We’d have been all right if I’d have had a rocket. What can you say? She ran away and hid. Congratulations.”

WALLY DOLLASE (father of trainer Craig Dollase of fifth-place finisher Nan) – “Awesome. Simply an awesome victory for that filly. My filly is still running. The other one is gone.”

VICTOR ESPINOZA (rider of sixth-place finisher Gabby’s Golden Gal) – “What can I say? She just ran away. Calvin (Borel on Rachel Alexandra) didn’t say anything when he went by me. He couldn’t.”

MIGUEL MENA (jockey, Tweeter, 7th) – “She didn’t break too good. She was a little rank the first part. She got tired. No excuses.”

L and M Partners' brilliant Rachel Alexandra, who closed 2008 with a dominating victory in the Golden Rod (Grade II) beneath the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs, will put a four-race win streak on the line Friday when she faces seven rivals in the 135th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at the legendary Louisville track.

The Oaks, America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies, will go as the 11th race on Friday with a 5:45 p.m. (all times EDT) post time. The 12-race Oaks Day card has a first post time of 10:30 a.m.

Rachel Alexandra drew post position six for the Oaks and Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed Rachel Alexandra as the 3-5 odds-on favorite for the 1 1/8 mile Oaks.  The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro is trained by Hal Wiggins and scheduled to be ridden by Calvin Borel.  Each of her connections is seeking their first victory in the Kentucky Oaks.

Following last fall’s Golden Rod victory, Rachel Alexandra reeled off impressive victories in her 3-year-old campaign in the Martha Washington on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park, the Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II) on March 14 at Fair Grounds and the Grade II Fantasy on April 5 at Oaklawn Park.  She has a career record of 6-2-0 in nine races and has earned $621,440.

The second choice on the morning line at 5-2 is West Point Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and R. Dee Hubbard’s Justwhistledixie. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the daughter of Dixie Union brings a five-race winning streak into her first meeting with Rachel Alexandra.  Her two most recent scores came in the Davona Dale (Grade II) and Bonnie Miss (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park.

Julien Leparoux, who rode Justwhistledixie to the Bonnie Miss victory, has the mount Friday and will break from post position five.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who had sent out four Kentucky Oaks winners, will be represented by a trio of runners in the 135th  renewal of the race:  Lukas will saddle Westrock Stables’ Be Fair and the Marylou Whitney Stables’ duo of Stone Legacy and Tweeter in Friday’s race.

Lukas’ Oaks winners are Blush With Pride (1982), Lucky Lucky Lucky (1984), Open Mind (1989) and Seaside Attraction (1990).   Lukas will be one of three Oaks trainers trying to accomplish a sweep of the Oaks and Saturday’s $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).  That Oaks-Derby sweep was last achieved in 1952 when Calumet Farm’s legendary trainer Ben Jones sent out Real Delight to win the Oaks and followed with a Derby win by Hill Gail.

Lukas will send out Flying Private in the Derby on Saturday.

Bob Baffert, who will enter racing’s Hall of Fame this year with his 1999 Kentucky Oaks winner Silverbulletday, will saddle Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Gal in Friday’s Oaks with Victor Espinoza to ride.  Baffert’s Kentucky Derby hopeful is Pioneerof the Nile.

Bill Mott, another member of racing’s Hall of Fame and the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs, will saddle Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur in the Oaks. Flying Spur’s best career effort was a runner-up finish to Rachel Alexandra in the Fair Grounds Oaks.  Garrett Gomez, who won the 2007 Oaks on Rags To Riches, has the mount.

The field for the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks, from the rail out, is as follows: Tweeter (Miguel Mena), Be Fair (Rafael Bejarano), Stone Legacy (Kent Desormeaux), Gabby’s Golden Gal (Victor Espinoza), Justwhistledixie (Julien Leparoux), Rachel Alexandra (Calvin Borel), Nan (Corey Nakatani) and Flying Spur (Garrett Gomez). All starters will carry 121 pounds.

Follow your favorites for the 135th Kentucky Oaks daily at www.churchilldowns.com, where we provide updates on how each contender is progressing for the big race!

BE FAIR / TWEETER – Westrock Stables' Be Fair walked the shedrow at Barn 44 a day after working five furlongs in 1:00.20 in her final major drill for Friday’s 135th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I).  Exercise rider Omar Golon was aboard for the work on Sunday.  Rafael Bejarano has the riding assignment Friday in Kentucky Oaks 135.

“She's doing excellent,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

Lukas’ other Oaks possibility, Marylou Whitney Stables' Tweeter, “breezed down the lane” according to the trainer. Exercise rider Taylor Carty was in the irons.

FLYING SPUR – Under exercise rider Joanna Trout, Flying Spur worked four furlongs in :48.40 and was timed in 1:01.80 galloping out another furlong.

“It looked nice,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We had a long wait before we worked, but she handled it well. It turned out OK. It was not a problem.”

Flying Spur’s breeze was scheduled to take place after the track reopened at 8:30 a.m. right after the renovation break, but was delayed when a loose horse ran into another horse in the stretch.  Garrett Gomez has the Oaks riding assignment on Mike Rutherford’s filly.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL – The morning after she worked five furlongs in 1:00.40, the Medaglia d’Oro filly’s exercise for the day was limited to walking the shedrow at trainer Bob Baffert’s barn.  Baffert said the Sunland Oaks winner was fine the day following the breeze.

“She came out great,” Baffert said. “She looked great today.”

Owned by Arnold Zetcher, Gabby’s Golden Gal will be ridden in the Oaks by Victor Espinoza.

Baffert said he was impressed by the unbeaten Rachel Alexandra, who worked Monday morning.  “Man, she just looks fantastic,” Baffert said. “What a racemare. She’s a superstar.”

JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – After walking the shedrow for the previous two mornings, Justwhistledixie was sent to the track to gallop 1 1/2 miles just before the renovation break at Churchill Downs on Monday morning. Exercise rider Danny Wright was aboard the daughter of Dixie Union, who had worked four furlongs in :49 on Friday.

“She was happy today. She was fresh,” said Neal McLaughlin, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s assistant and brother. “She was excited. She didn’t want to stand and look like she normally does; she just wanted to get on with her gallop. That’ll get her back into her routine. (Tuesday) I’m sure she’ll stand longer and relax, but she’s real happy right now.”

Although exuberant about her morning exercise Monday, Justwhistledixie poses no problems for her connections.

“She’s really laid back. She’s really easy on herself. She’s not a difficult to train. She doesn’t try to do too much. She’s just very smart and very easy to train. She does everything right,” McLaughlin said. “In her races, she’s more of a stalking filly. If there’s no pace, she can be up front. If there’s pace, she can sit back. She doesn’t need anything, where a lot of other horses need the pace to themselves or other horses to go out there to set a lot of pace so they can close. She dictates her own race, so that’s really nice to have in a big race like this.”

Julien Leparoux, who was aboard Justwhistledixie for the first time during her victory in the Bonnie Miss (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park, has the return mount aboard the filly who will be seeking her sixth straight win in the Oaks.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam's Nan galloped 1 1/8 miles with exercise rider Jose Castanon aboard.

“She's doing very well,” Aimee Dollase said. Aimee is the sister and assistant to trainer Craig Dollase.

Aimee says she's enjoying the experience of Derby Week. It was Derby Week 1996 when she first came to Churchill Downs as a full-time employee in her family's stables. Her father, Wally, brought Alyrob to the Derby that year and they also had Jewel Princess, an Eclipse Award winner, running on Oaks Day.

“It was fascinating,” Aimee said. “Derby Week is like the Super Bowl. I was so caught up in all the excitement I thought it was like this all the time around here.”

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – Everything was ready to roll and Rachel Alexandra was preparing to break off for a half-mile work when the horn sounded signifying a loose horse on the track.

“Damn,” trainer Hal Wiggins muttered as he exited the clocker’s stand and headed to the track to take his stable star back to Barn 30.

A training accident closed the track for nearly 30 minutes, and during that time Rachel Alexandra cooled her heels back in the barn.

“I just wanted to keep her walking because I was worried she might tie up,” Wiggins said.

When the track reopened, Rachel Alexandra and jockey Calvin Borel returned to the track and sizzled a half-mile in :46.40, the fastest move of 26 at the distance over a track rated as “fast” on Monday morning.

Clockers caught Rachel Alexandra in fractions of :11.60, :23.20, :34.80, out five furlongs in :58.40 and six furlongs in 1:10.60.

“I had her in :46 and 2, :58 and 4 and 1:12 and 3,” said Wiggins, who was looking for a work in the 48-second range from the probable Kentucky Oaks favorite.  “I thought she went too fast, but Calvin swears she does that every time.  That is what she did at Oaklawn Park before the Fantasy; she worked in 47 and 3, but that’s just the way she is. I am glad to have one that can go that fast.”

Rachel Alexandra, owned by L and M Partners, is scheduled for a walk day on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday and then will gallop up to Friday’s race.

“At Oaklawn, I had postponed her work a day because the track was sloppy and I walked her two days after the work and then galloped the day before the Fantasy,” Wiggins said. “I’ll decide on Wednesday whether she’ll walk another day or go to the track."

Follow the progress of your favorite Kentucky Oaks contender through the Churchill Downs Notes Team, bringing you daily updates on the fillies preparing for the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1.

BE FAIR – Four-time Kentuckcy Oaks-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder’s Be Fair “galloped strong” under exercise rider Omar Golon on Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. But how far did she gallop?

“Doesn’t matter,” Lukas said.  “She was strong.”

Rafael Bejarano has the Oaks mount on Be Fair, who will work Sunday or Monday.

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Fitz Just Right and Justwhistledixie galloped a mile and a half each after the renovation break with exercise rider Danny Wright handling both activities.

Neal McLaughlin, assistant to his brother Kiaran McLaughlin, said both fillies would work “probably a half-mile” after the renovation break Friday with Wright handling both works.

Ramon Dominguez will ride Fitz Just Right in the Oaks and Julien Leparoux has the call on Justwhistledixie.

FLYING SPUR – Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur galloped under exercise rider Joanne Trout on her first day at Churchill Downs. The Bill Mott trainee has been stabled at Keeneland since finishing second in the March 14 Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II).

Mott said that Garrett Gomez would have the mount on Flying Spur in the Oaks and that the filly’s final pre-Oaks work likely would be Monday.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL – Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Gal galloped a mile under exercise rider George Alvarez for trainer Bob Baffert.

Victor Espinoza has the Oaks riding assignment on Gabby’s Golden Gal, who is slated for her final pre-Oaks work on Sunday or Monday.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan galloped a “strong” 1 ¼ miles according to Wally Dollase,  who’s handling training duties for his son Craig while the younger Dollase takes care of other business on the West Coast.

Dollase says it’s not yet determined when Nan will put in her final work for Oaks 135. Corey Nakatani has the riding assignment for the Oaks.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – L & M Parnters LLC’s probable Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Rudy Gallegos up.

Trained by Hal Wiggins, Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to work a half-mile on Monday morning with Oaks rider Calvin Borel up

Churchill Downs has provided the following horse-by-horse update on preparations by the contenders for the 135th Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1, 2009.

BE FAIR – Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder’s Be Fair galloped Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Omar Golon up. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time winner of the Kentucky Oaks, has enlisted the services of jockey Rafael Bejarano to ride Be Fair in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ duo of Fitz Just Right and Justwhistledixie are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainees will be housed in Barn 42. The fillies are scheduled to work Friday and McLaughlin will be on hand for the works. Ramon Dominguez has the riding assignment on Fitz Just Right and Julien Leparoux will partner Justwhistledixie in the Oaks.

FLYING SPUR – Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon and will be stabled in trainer Bill Mott’s barn (19). In her most recent start, Flying Spur ran second to probable Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra in the Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II) on March 14. Flying Spur, a homebred daughter of Giant’s Causeway, is a daughter of Lakeway, who ran second in the 1994 Kentucky Oaks.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GIRL – Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Girl jogged before the renovation break Wednesday morning under exercise rider George Alvarez. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gabby’s Golden Girl enters the Oaks off a 13-length victory in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 29. Victor Espinoza, who was aboard for the first time that day, has the Oaks riding assignment.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile and an eighth before the renovation break under exercise rider Jose Castanon. Trained by Craig Dollase, Nan is scheduled to work on Friday or Saturday. Corey Nakatani has the Oaks riding assignment.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – L and M Partners’ Rachel Alexandra continued to show her readiness for next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks by galloping a mile and a half under stout restraint from exercise rider Rudy Gallegos. “She is like that every morning,” trainer Hal Wiggins said. Calvin Borel, who has ridden Rachel Alexandra to four consecutive daylight victories, is scheduled to work Rachel Alexandra a half-mile on Monday as their final tuneup for the Oaks.