RACHEL HEADED TO THE HASKELL
Jess Jackson announced that Rachel Alexandra will start next in the $1-million Haskell Invitational Handicap at 1 1/8 miles against colts on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Medaglia d’Oro filly, who’s won the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness Stakes and Mother Goose in her last three starts, tries to become only the second filly to win the Haskell after Serena’s Song in 1995.  Following is the press release received from Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables. — Ray Paulick
LEXINGTON, KY (July 14, 2009) – Rachel Alexandra’s connections announced today the next race for filly Rachel Alexandra will be the Haskell Invitational Handicap on Sunday, August 2 at Monmouth Park Racetrack.
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“Rachel Alexandra is progressing well after her stakes record victory in the Mother Goose. She is in top condition. If this preparation continues, our target is to race in the Haskell Invitational in about three weeks,†said Jess Jackson, owner of Rachel Alexandra. “We are all looking forward to seeing this great athlete perform again against both colts and fillies.â€
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The Haskell Invitational Handicap is a 1 1/8 mile Grade I race for three-year-olds with a $1,000,000 purse.
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In addition, there are only 11 more days for bidding on Rachel Alexandra’s training halter worn preparing for her record Preakness victory where, after 85 years, a filly prevailed in that classic race. The Kendall-Jackson/Rachel Alexandra Running Auction is a five-month-long charity auction taking place on www.kj.com.  Proceeds will be donated to The V Foundation to aid in cancer research.
Tags: haskell, haskell invitational, jess jackson, Paulick Report, Rachel Alexandra, Ray Paulick, stonestreet stables
July 14th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
monmouth park and bobby kulina do it again when it comes to showcasing racing nobody does it better Maybe we should listen to them on a national platform we all know racing could use the help
July 14th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
hope she loses
July 14th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
What do we have to do to get better horses at Delaware Park?. I thought the $1,000,000. purse would certainly draw Rachel. Why are we alwasy on the “short-end”?
July 14th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
It is always satisfying watching a great horse regardless where they run, I will use the words of one of the greatest trainer that ever lived Mr. Hirsh Jacob,s comment when he beat Buckpaser with a filly when they were two years old, run them while they’re doing good.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Monmouth Park is the last of the Mohicans. They do get it done. They should run Breeders Cup.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
The NJ Star-Ledger spoke with Monmouth Park president Bob Kulina said Tuesday night and he remarked that with Summer Bird and Rachel Alexandra “in” for the Haskell that quote - “we’re going after Mine That Bird again.”
So while Mine That Bird is slated to race the next day (Aug 3rd) in the $1M (G2) WV Derby I’m sure that Monmouth will indeed make a strong attempt to pull off what NYRA has been dreaming of with this year’s Travers Stakes.
Even if they don’t get MTB it still looks like a good race for the benefit of fans.
http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/07/rachel_alexandra_to_give_haske.html
July 14th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I know nothing about race tracks and cannot argue about which needs which horse, etc.
But I can say I love Rachel Alexandra , and will watch any race she is in. She’s taking it to the boys
again and knows that Summer Bird is already entered.
No running and dodging, no hiding, no running in easy races against lesser talent,
Jackson is a true sportsman - love him or hate him.
Race on , Alexandra the Great , your fans love you.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Breeders’ Cup Package Up for Auction July 15
Updated: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 2:03 PM
Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 1:29 PM
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A VIP package for this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be auctioned Wednesday, July 15, as part of the “Don’t Give Up ESPYs V Foundation Auction” to assist the V Foundation’s fight against cancer.
During the 7-8 a.m. portion of the July 15 “Mike & Mike in the Morning” show on ESPN RADIO and ESPN2, retired jockey Jerry Bailey will discuss horses, the Breeders’ Cup and the effort to raise money in the race against cancer. During the hour, you’ll have the chance to bid on a VIP ticket package to the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park.
Bidding for the VIP package starts at $2,000 and comes with 2 premium seats to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 6-7, and a three-night hotel stay. It also includes:
–2 tickets to the Breeders’ Cup VIP party
–Exclusive morning visit with your favorite Breeders’ Cup horse
–A visit to the Saddling Ring prior to the Ladies’ Classic
–Watch the Ladies’ and Breeders’ Cup Classics from the Winners’ Circle
–VIP transportation to and from the track
To bid, call 1-800-4JIMMYV.
Since its inception in 2005, the ESPYs V Foundation Auction has raised $2.58 million to fund cancer research.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
“No running and dodging, no hiding, no running in easy races against lesser talent,
Jackson is a true sportsman - love him or hate him.”
Hate him… well… hate’s too strong. How about loathe him?
So we’ll see RA at SA for the BC? I say BS.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Thats a great spot for her to run. The Haskell has a lot of history. If she wins that race she becomes leading candidate for HOY. Zenyatta needs to get off plastic and see what she is made of. Rail Trip would of given her trouble.. Zenyatta needs to go to Saratoga and put on a show. The great ones win at Saratoga. Rachel will show at Breeders Cup. Too many cameras. Jess won’t pass that up. Can’t blame him.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
It’ll be great to see RA against the colts again.
As for the Delaware Handicap — according to the Baltimore Sun she was assigned top weight of 123 lbs if she ran in that race. Her closest competitor was assigned 119 lbs. So it appears the “true sportsman” chose the shorter distance & more favorable weight assignment.
But Mr. Jackson wasn’t dodging — Summer Bird should be fierce competition at 9 furlongs. Although he’s never won at that distance, he beat the illustrious Luv Gov in an 8.5 furlong maiden special weight.
July 15th, 2009 at 4:42 am
I think it’s sad that the top HOY prospect this year appears to be avoiding races over 9.5 furlongs and declined to run a handicap with a top weight assignment.
RA’s connections declined the 10-furlong Delaware Handicap with top weight of 123 pounds in favor of the 9-furlong Haskell where she’ll likely get a weight advantage over the colts again. Yes, her connections keep saying they’re “pointed to” or “considering” 10 furlongs and longer but they never make it in the gate.
So RA goes from slapping around bad fillies at 9 furlongs to racing mediocre colts at 9 furlongs (with the weight advantage in her favor). The Preakness was 9.5 furlongs but she was reportedly too tired after that race to even try the Belmont.
Winning Colors beat the colts in the SA Derby by daylight and that was after she slapped around the fillies in the SA Oaks. Then she beat a stellar field in the Kentucky Derby that included Risen Star and Forty Niner. She was third in the Preakness after being admittedly targeted by Forty Niner’s trainer. But she still had enough energy to run the Belmont Stakes and then take on older females later that same year. No HOY for her though because all of her accomplishments, including beating stellar colts twice at different distance, wasn’t quite good enough for HOY just 21 years ago.
I realize I’m in the minority but IMO it’s another symptom of just how far racing has fallen that RA’s campaign to date has put her in the lead for HOY honors. Let’s see her run at 10 furlongs or better or against some serious competition before handing her the trophy. But as it stands her connections have no incentive to challenge the horse since most of the turf writers/Eclipse voters are already blathering about her greatness and HOY front-runner status.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Kudos to Monmouth Park and all her loyal patrons! Monmouth is a wonderful track family-friendly track. They have a history of solid customer service. They may have underestimated the importance of the locals when they over-priced their Breeders Cup tickets (and took away numerous picnic tables), but they seem to stick to a formula which works for the ever-successful Haskell.
Good for the Jackson camp for placing their bear well!
July 15th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Jackson doing right thing. Delaware is a fair meet compared to Monmouth.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I look forward to watching Miss Rachel Alexandra win another race
It is also wonderful to see Ron Turcotte (comment #4) leaving his thoughts as well. It is good to hear from you, Ron and I pray you are doing fine. Go Miss Rachel & show the America you are the best Filly and deserve HOY for 2009. I pray for a Safe & Happy Race. I hope Curlin gets to watch the race on TV & see his future girlfriend win. LOL
July 15th, 2009 at 9:55 am
So RA is a freak filly but what is the point of running her against colts? Everyone knows that a 3-year-old colt is physiologically ahead of a 3-year-old filly. Who cares whether she can occasionally beat a colt field? It proves nothing nothing except that she is a freak filly, which we already know. Of course Jess Jackson carefully picks his spots. We all know that if you run a horse tough enough times, you will get her or him beat. If Jackson thinks racing’s marketing problems can be ameliorated by him vs her competition, he may be neglecting to study the past and cosnsider the risk, i.e. Ruffian.
July 15th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Phil its pretty simple, when it comes time to breed her it will be nicer to have Haskel Winner (G1) than Delaware Handicap (G2).
July 15th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Dustin Stones in regards to “neglecting to study the past” skip the all too often cited Ruffian and look at 1995 with Serena’s Song who raced in the Haskell and won it. She also ran against the boys in the Kentucky Derby and the Jim Beam Stakes …
Tougher than shoe leather she raced 38 times in her brief career. If Jackson wants to dazzel us with a career akin to that vs. a sparingly used and against the gals only (a la Zenyatta) we should be so lucky.
July 15th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
A small field of 6 or 7 horses with Munnings and MTB entered and Rachel might be scratched!! Munnings will definitely pressure her hard…
July 15th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Rachel’s in the Haskell.
Local area man, 2009 hapless bettor & owner of four Haskell tickets purchased for a song in May, now knows how to break even on the year.
Wife, wearing her pink Belmont “Rachel Bracelet,” issues warrant for his arrest.
July 15th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Monmouth Park Breeders’ Cup 2007:
New Jersey Account Wagering System - giving at least five years to upgrade their software systems, etc. - could not cope with the amounts of money being bet (routine transactions for other tracks).
On both racing dates, their system crashed & burned.
Betting became impossible. The handle died.
The state of New Jersey ended up losing millions of dollars hosting the event.
And now the amnesiacs want to repeat the experience.
Their “temporary insanity defense” in court will prevail.
The presiding judge, however, will mandate in his verdict that the word “temporary” be stricken from the records of the proceedings.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Seems like some twisted logic here from some of the posters…
Dustin: If it proves nothing that RA (a three-year-old filly) can beat some of the best three-year-old colts then what would you suggest her connections do to prove to you that she is a great horse? Would you rather she keep beating up on the fillies? Where should she run?
Thomas: The fact that RA may not be the horse that Winning Colors was doesn’t mean she isn’t well on her way to possibly legitimately winning HOY. That’s like saying that because Albert Pujols isn’t Babe Ruth he’s not a legitimate candidate to win MVP. That’s why the award is called “Horse of the Year” as opposed to “greatest horse of all time.”
I am bothered by Jess Jackson’s repeated statements that he will not run RA in the BC. That to me seems like the only example of dodging the competition I’ve seen from the RA camp. That said, I firmly believe that if she is healthy we will see her at Santa Anita in November because Jackson will not be able to resist.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:32 am
When they ran the Breeders Cup at Monmouth, the best horses won. Santa Anita Classic was a joke. Monmouth is competing with a lot of tracks near by. They attrct the best horses for Haskell for the fans they have. They take care of thier fans which most tracks don’t.
July 30th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
THE BUBBLE WILL BURST THIS SUNDAY!