Rachel Alexandra: Newest Jersey Girl?
The scene has been set for the 2009 Haskell Invitational. The horses are shipped. “Born to Run” is cued and ready to play for the post parade. All they need to do is run the race.
Rachel Alexandra arrived at Monmouth Park on Friday in fine fettle. She schooled in the paddock in the afternoon and looked calm and collected. But can she defeat a tough field of graded stakes winners, including this year’s Belmont Stakes champ?
Bill FInley says that Munnings is going to beat her. As long as he handles the track, his speed and class will make the race a challenge for sure.
And what of Summer Bird, the handsome star of June’s Belmont Stakes? He has been training at Monmouth for a few weeks and he looks like the ocean air is agreeing with him. Will he or any other of the colts in the race throw a monkey wrench into Rachel’s plans for victory? It’s quite a challenge for the filly after a busy few months and I will be putting down a few safety bets :^) Best of luck to the connections of all the runners in the Haskell and may the best colt (or filly) win.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 
Sarah,
I love your photos of Rachel. What a race yesterday! The shot of her neck with the braids is incredible. Looking forward to seeing more of your Haskell photos. Will have to pick up a copy of the USA Today on my way home from work.
Regards,
Your biggest fan in Alpharetta, GA
I guess I have to eat my words about her. I thought she was just the “sensation du jour”. The pretty filly who happened to beat a colt. Who won against fillies and was great, but hasn’t broken through yet. I hated people calling Mine That Bird second-rate against her, but now I admit. She’s amazing. I still love Mine That Bird more. He’s just a horse who goes out, skips along and does what he’s told.
But Rachel’s fantastic.