Date posted September 7, 2009 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and Breeding,
Staff FavouritesAmerica’s champion three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra claimed a historic win in Saturday’s US$750,000 Grade I Woodward Stakes at the beautiful Saratoga track.
In winning the Woodward Stakes, Rachel Alexandra, became the the first female of any age to win the prestigious 1700m event in its 56-year history and it could give her the vital edge to clinch Horse of the Year honors.
Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro had to beat the older males the hard way.
Ridden by regular jockey Calvin Borel, he set a torrid pace to led-all-the-way, and in doing so he didn’t leave her with much petrol in the tank at the finishing post. Rachel Alexandra had only a head margin over the charging Macho Again ((4c) Macho Uno - Go Donna Go by Wild Again) with Bullsbay ((5c) Tiznow -The Hess by Lord Carson) another length away.
Rachel Alexandra, has solidified her claim as America’s champion three-year-old filly, with 11 race victories on her ‘cv’, nine of them in succession, and earnings of more than US$2.9million.
She is out of the Roar (Forty Niner - Wild Applause by Northern Dancer) mare Lotta Kim (ex Kim’s Blues by Cure the Blues) a winner of two races including a listed event. Lotta Kim is a half-sister to the Listed winners Lotta Rhythm (by Rhythm) and High Blues (by High Yield).
Her sire Medaglia d’Oro (ex Cappucino Bay By Bailjumper) was no slouch on the track either, winning the Group I Gulfstream Park Donn Hcp and the Saratoga Whitney Hcp. Since his retirement to stud he’s sired nine stakes winners, including another winner at the elite level, Gabby’s Golden Gal (ex Gabriellina Giof by Ashkalani), with progeny earnings running at $10million. Standing at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Kentucky, the stud has recently announced they will allow the son of El Prado to breed mares on southern hemisphere time. Jonabell Farm is run by Australian, Olly Tait, who said, “Medaglia d’Oro is shaping up as one of the world’s most exciting stallions”.
‘We’d also like to extend an invitation for all breeders to visit Jonabell to inspect Medaglia d’Oro in person. He is well worth looking at.’
Currently the Leading Sire by North American Earnings, the Leading Second Crop Sire and the fourth-ranked Leading General Sire by global earnings. Any breeders interested should contact Darley Australia’s, Alastair Pulford.
