RachelAlexandra

From the flashing lights of a Saratoga post parade to the serenity of a Lexington paddock, the journey of Rachel Alexandra from farm to fame and back again is a story of a timeless champion that stole the heart of American racing.

Early Career

Rachel Alexandra, the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro and Lotta Kim, was foaled on January 29, 2006 in Lexington, Kentucky at Heaven Trees Farm less than three miles from Stonestreet. Named for the granddaughter of her breeder and original owner, Dolphus Morrison, Rachel Alexandra secured her first graded stakes victory in the Grade II Golden Rod under the famed Twin Spires. This was to be the beginning of a nine-race win streak that would continue over the winter, with victories in the Martha Washington Stakes, Fairgrounds Oaks and the Fantasy Stakes. But it would be back under the Twin Spires the next spring – the site of Rachel Alexandra’s wondrous 20 ¼ length romp in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks – that a star was born.

Three-Year-Old Campaign

Rachel Alexandra was acquired by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and Harold T. McCormick following her Kentucky Oaks victory. Accompanied by two-time Eclipse award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen and her charismatic jockey Calvin Borel, “Rachel” (as she is affectionately known) set upon one of the boldest campaigns in thoroughbred racing history: a 2009 tour de force pitting the young filly against the best the sport had to offer, regardless of age or gender.

Rachel Alexandra’s glorious front-running style took her, and a legion of fans, on a whirlwind 3-year-old campaign of epic magnitude: eight victories in as many starts, across seven unique racetracks in six different states. Seven of her eight victories in 2009 came in graded stakes, including five historic Grade I’s. Rachel overwhelmed the boys in three Grade I events, including the classic Preakness Stakes  and Haskell Invitational , earning the year’s highest Beyer Speed Figure of 116 along the way. She capped her remarkable 3-year-old campaign with an unprecedented victory in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga against older male horses including Macho Again, Asiatic Boy and Bullsbay in one of the most courageous performances in racing history.

In her historic campaign, Rachel Alexandra set stakes, track and margin of victory records against the winners of many of North America’s most prestigious races.  She unseated Ruffian’s margin of victory record in the Mother Goose Stakes, brushing the Belmont track record set by the legendary Secretariat. She captured affections and commanded rare attention with each appearance, her distinctive gaze gracing the pages of Vogue and the photographs of devoted race fans from coast to coast. Following a season to remember, Rachel Alexandra was named 2009 North American Horse of the Year, becoming the first-ever 3-year-old filly to receive the award.

Rachel’s Retirement

As a 4-year-old, the super-filly returned to racing much to the delight of her fans, appearing in five electrifying races at four different tracks in 2010.  Despite the rigors of an exhilarating 3-year-old campaign, Rachel ran to impressive victories in both the Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs and the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park, and placed by no more than a length in the other three races.

In late September 2010, Rachel’s monumental efforts were rewarded with the announcement of her retirement from competition.

Life as Broodmare

Today, Rachel Alexandra enjoys her well-earned liberty in the beautiful paddocks of Stonestreet Farm enjoying the next chapter of her extraordinary life: breeding the sport’s next generation.

She delivered her first foal, a 125 pound bay colt by Curlin named Jess’s Dream, on January 22, 2012.

Rachel delivered at 140-pound Bernardini filly on February 12, 2013. She is currently at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, KY following surgery to repair a section of her small colon that was damaged during the foaling. Please refer to our Latest News for more information on her condition.