HORSE OF THE YEAR HAS FINAL WORK BEFORE RACE ON MARCH 13

Jim Mulvihill
Fair Grounds
 
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra drew post position No. 2 in a five-horse field for her 2010 debut in Saturday’s $200,000 New Orleans Ladies. Regular rider Calvin Borel will be aboard, carrying 123 pounds, the maximum weight as the conditions are written.

Rachel Alexandra will break to the outside of Fighter Wing, who set the pace in last month’s Pelleteri Stakes before fading to second and has been on or very near the lead in all of her recent starts.

Zardana, the Grade II Bayakoa winner shipping in from Southern California for trainer John Shirreffs, drew to Rachel Alexandra’s outside in post No. 3. Shirreffs also trains Zenyatta, the Champion Older Female preparing to face Rachel Alexandra for a $5 million purse in Oaklawn Park’s April 9 Grade I Apple Blossom.

The field is rounded out by Unforgotten, a multiple stakes winner with more than a half-million dollars in earnings, in post No. 4, and Clear Sailing, the impressive Pelleteri winner, in post No. 5.

$200,000 New Orleans Ladies
Race 10 (5:15 p.m. CST) 1 1/16 Miles
For fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward

Post Position, Horse (Jockey, Trainer, Weight)

1. Fighter Wing (Corey Lanerie, Greg Geier, 117)
2. Rachel Alexandra (Calvin Borel, Steve Asmussen, 123)
3. Zardana (David Flores, John Shirreffs, 121)
4. Unforgotten (Miguel Mena, Dalas Stewart, 117)
5. Clear Sailing (Shane Sellers, Glenn Delahoussaye, 117)

RACHEL WORKS FOUR FURLONGS IN 49 FLAT

With regular exercise rider Dominic Terry aboard, Rachel Alexandra put in her final timed workout in advance of Saturday’s $200,000 New Orleans Ladies this morning, going four furlongs in :49, breezing, over the fast main track at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Fair Grounds clockers caught fractional times of :25 1/5 and :37 1/5 en route to the official final time of :49, with a five-furlong gallop-out time of 1:01 4/5.

Trainer Steve Asmussen: “It was just an easy half. It’s hard to compare her to anybody else so we just gave her an easy half and let him get along with her and it looked like she went beautiful. She’s a beautiful mover. That’s how she runs and that’s what makes her special. She went over the racetrack very well; it was in great shape this morning. That’s all we could hope for. She got the breeze in, did very well, looked good.”

Rachel Alexandra—2010 Workouts

Date, Fair Grounds track condition, distance, final time (fractional times, when available), breezing or handily

March 8, Fast, Four furlongs, :49 (:25 1/5, :37 1/5), breezing
March 2, Fast, Six furlongs, 1:13 3/5 (:13, :25 3/5, :38 2/5, :51, 1:02 1/5), breezing
Feb. 24, Fast, Six furlongs, 1:14 (:13, :25 1/5, :37 3/5, :49 4/5, 1:02), breezing
Feb. 18, Fast, Five furlongs, 1:00 1/5 (:12, :23 4/5, :35 3/5, :47 3/5), breezing
Feb. 12, Sloppy, Five furlongs, 1:03 4/5 (:13 2/5, :26 1/5, :38 3/5, :51 3/5), breezing
Feb. 6, Fast, Four furlongs, :50 3/5, breezing
Jan. 31, Fast, Four furlongs, :52, breezing