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The Preakness: Fear and Loathing of a Fantastic Filly
When I wrote about the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, I wasn't sure horse racing could get any weirder. And then it got weirder. Here's what happened.
Mine That Bird, a 50-1 longshot, won the Derby. Now obviously, if there's to be a 2009 Triple Crown winner, Mine That Bird needs to follow up victory in Kentucky with victory in Maryland at this Saturday's Preakness. And then go on to win the Belmont Stakes in New York.
What an inspirational story it would be! The underdog! The longshot! Just what we need in dark times such as these!
But now the inspirational story has a new wrinkle. A filly named Rachel Alexandra is in the race, and the last time Rachel Alexandra ran, she blew away the field at an all-filly race called the Kentucky Oaks. She blew away the field by more than 20 lengths. So she didn't blow away the field. She laid the field to waste.
Many think she should have been entered in the Derby, and that if she had been, she would have won, not least because pre-Derby favorite I Want Revenge was dropped from the race due to injury. Two people who think she might have won are her new owner, winemaker Jess Jackson, and Mine That Bird's Derby winning jockey, Calvin Borel. Jackson both purchased the "super filly" and came up with $100,000 to get her into the Preakness. And Borel? Well, maybe he wants to win the Triple Crown on two different horses. It would be a first.
Things have already gotten ugly--which makes sense, given that this is horse racing, not lawn bowling or curling. Once the Derby has been run, and that unholy spectacle retired for a year, the inexorable trot toward increased scumminess and the restoration of American horse racing's signature unsavoriness begins. This time around, a group that included Mine That Bird's owner tried to pack the field with colts so that the super filly couldn't run. They lost. Rachel A. is in.
Actually, it's a good thing that we have all this maneuvering and intrigue surrounding the Preakness. Of course, eyes would be on Pimlico, anyway, because the Triple Crown is always on until the Derby winner loses. But the arrival of Rachel Alexandra, the gatecrashing super filly, and Borel's switch have given the event some extra energy. The Derby is well-marketed, mawkish insanity. The Preakness? Um, well... not exactly drenched in tradition, is it? I mean, what do the fans at the track drink while they're waiting for the race to start? I don't know, either. The Derby is, famously, the "Run for the Roses," while the Preakness is the "Run for the Black-Eyed Susans." Doesn't exactly trip off the tongue, does it? That said, it's probably better than the Runyon-esque Belmont Stakes, nicknamed the "Run for the Carnations." Carnations, in some cultures, are a funeral flower. Hello, Deathrace 2009!
The lurid pageantry of big-time horse racing will go on. And to be sure, the thoroughbreds that will rocket around Pimlico tomorrow are a stunning thing to watch, a snarling peloton of rippling, animal velocity, spraying dirt, spitting froth. It's definitely cool to witness the girl horse get in on the game (victories by fillies are a rare event), and it does complicate the rooting. I mean, with Mine That Bird we had a sort of modern-day Seabiscuit, a potential champion ideally suited to the mood of Depression 2.0 America.
But it just can't be that simple, can it? And the arrival of Rachel Alexandra smack in the middle of the Triple Crown reminds us why. She is the perfect challenger for a complicated age.
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Calvin Borel is my new hero.
And -- I just love it that the guy that tried to keep Rachel Alexandra out of the race is the owner of Mine That Bird -- and the guy who bribed Ted Stevens of Alaska.
Good triumphs over greed. I could watch that all day long.
What an incredible race... congratulations to the connections of Rachel Alexandra on a stupendous triumph of the spirit, the heart, and her stamina. Mine That BIrd also ran a sensational race and would have won if the race had been longer. He closed like the champ that he is and simply got beat by a front running machine with a stride a mile long. It's too bad he's a gelding... his net worth would be many millions if he had his testacles, but such is the nature of the game. Rachel is the new heroine but I think Mine That Bird will be the favorite for the Belmont, should he be fortunate enough to run.
Mine That Bird might have gotten stuck in traffic but Rachel Alexandra also had the outside gate, the dreaded number 13, which meant that she had a lot of ground to make up for to get to the rail.
I agree that they're both great racehorses, and it's going to be an extra exciting Belmont Stakes if they both race in it.
Mine that Bird would've beaten Rachel had he not gotten stuck in traffic. He'll probably win the Belmont
It's a longer race. They're both terrific.
Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness.
The previous owner of the filly didn't put her into the Kentucky Derby because he figured that fillies should not run with colts.
The new owner put her into the Preakness because he figured that champions should run with champions.
What a thrilling outcome for the exciting sport of Horseracing.
What a lovely turn of phrase. "Champions should run with champions." That captured the spirit of the race perfectly.
Anyone who participates in this "sport" in anyway, including those that praise it or write in support of it are guilty of enormous cruelty to animals.
This "sport" must stop.
Yeah, and the tevis cup and the iditerod and football, and wrestling and bird races,,,
Then count me among the guilty. Oh well. I'm going to burn in hades for that, too?
Yep. Me too.
What's the difference between praying in church and praying at the track? At the track you really mean it.
I stopped watching the Preakness the year General Scott almost took over the country from President Lyman.
I cannot -- and will never again -- watch another horse race after seeing Barbaro's dangling leg during the 2006 Preakness. It was more terrifying to watch that than any Wes Craven movie. It was after that Preakness that I realized there is a very brutal side to the so-called Sport of Kings.
Remeber when theisman broke his leg in half
Injuries like Barbaro's only occur in 1 out of every 1000 races. Such injuries can also occur when horses are running in a pasture.
Also, most things in life have a brutal side.
The drink at the Preakness is the Black Eyed Susan.
1oz Vodka
1oz Rum
1/2 oz Cointreau
6 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice
Combine ingredients, stir, and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple, orange slice, and cherry brochette.
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That sounds slightly lethal.
I think we need a new word in our language to describe vicarious experiences such as horse racing which by default fall under the category of "sports". Someone who likes activities such as whitewater kayaking, running and martial arts could be said to be involved in sports, as could participants in team activities like baseball, basketball and the rest of their kind...but horse racing, in which the favored drink is of more significance than the actual contest should be given a new name. I nominate the word "schpowrtz", said with a kind of 3 jigger slur to one's speaking ability.
I'm glad Huffpo covers schpowrtz...is the sun over the mast yet?
For most of us, watching any sport is a vicarious experience. And when it comes to some sports, drinking is part of that experience. (Consider college football and tailgating parties.)
Also, jockeys are incredible athletes. They aren't sitting in the saddle during a race. They're standing in the stirrups, crouching just enough to keep their balance on an animal that's running 40 mph.
Ever actually ridden a horse above a walk?
MUCH more strenuous than football.
Another question to consider. Had Hernandez not left the Fair Grounds, when Wiggins needed a check rider for RA and Borel was still there, he would have been the regular rider on RA. So, would Jackson have kept him as the rider. What I don't appreciate about the Jess Jacksons of the world, is how easily they dump small name trainers after purchasing horses. Jackson dumped Helen Pitts when he bought Curlin and has dropped Wiggins for MTB. Yes, this happens often in racing, but, it really hurts the small people who have put their hearts and souls into developing their, possible, once in a lifetime steed. By the way, Mr Jackson, Helen Pitts has done a marvelous job in training Einstein. You may have money, Jess, but, you are no Einstein. Whatever faults in the background of Mike Allen, he kept his small New Mexico trainer, who, himself, gave kudos to the great job another trainer in Canada had done with MTB. Good luck to both MTB and the rider from New Mexico, Mike Smith.
Not to mention all the people Jess Jackson has laid off without severence whilst he spends multi-millions on this fantasy.
"And Borel? Well, maybe he wants to win the Triple Crown on two different horses. It would be a first."
It sure would, since Calvin would need to ride all THREE of the races on ONE horse to win the Triple Crown.
"It sure would, since Calvin would need to ride all THREE of the races on ONE horse to win the Triple Crown."
I think you mean:
"It sure would, since Calvin would need to ride all THREE of the races on the SAME horse to win the Triple Crown."
It's guys like Borel that stopped me from betting horses and started me taking my camera. Love to watch races on TV or in Las Vegas. My max bet when i do is $18 ...$6.00 for 3 boxes. It was the Preakness Codero whipped Winning Colors accross the face. I hope the girl wins it would do wonders for the sport.
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I meant the jockey triple, not the horse triple. Obviously, Mine is the only horse that has a shot, but if Borel wins on Rachel A., and then Rachel A. wins the Belmont, he would have taken the TC on two different horses. A first for a jockey, I believe.
I think you would enjoy Jayson Starks column at times. He keeps track of pitchers hitting for the cycle... over an entire season. Almost the same as a triple crown on different horses.
Wouldn't u need 1 rider to win on 3 different horses to actually win the triple crown
To win the Triple Crown, one horse must win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont.
I believe the point is that Calvin Borel might become the first jockey to win all three Triple Crown races on two different horses.
No breakdowns, please, whether male or female.
Did the real Stardom Bound run in the KO? So, who did RA gallop against? Remember, her sire did not take to the Pimlico race course. However, as Haskins writes, there are several working very well over the track, including the longie Take The Points. But, MTB is showing signs of greatness.
Lafitte, the Pirate, the greatest? He is a legend, but, explain this. He once was the regular rider of a horse in SoCal. Always sent him to the lead and had to pick him up and carry him across the finish line to, usually, win by inches. Pincay took a mount at Belmont, so Shoemaker got the call - Fine start, then, pulled him back. Let him relax until the top of the stretch, then chirped, threw a cross and the horse started picking up the leaders. Flew by them all at the sixteenth pole and galloped home by lengths. When Pincay returned, it is told he sat by the hour watching the replay shaking his head and wondering how Shoe did it.
After reading your comment i started thinking about fillys, landaluce, mares and trainers like a real horse player "how did i leave them out" ? isn't that what you hear over and over at the track lol Was the Pincay Shoemaker switch Cougar II and Kennedy Road? Laffit always said in every race he was always afraid of shoemaker. Shoemaker did ride with the old guys longden & Arcaro. I'd leave the track asking myself how did shoemaker do that.
What about three str8 woody pincay belmonts or shoemaker derbys, both winning 6 races on the card. Over and over in my head who was best. I could walk into the track and tell who was on the horse pincay on the neck or shoemaker with the small bounce. I think Pincay scraped the rail more than shoemaker but the shoe would pull out his bag of tricks and it was game over.
Every man has his hero i think laffit would put other riders in danger but the shoe would fear in other riders. Maybe Chris McCarron or Gary Stevens should make the call. Thanks 4 the reply I'm now ready for the Preakness
Thanks for mentioning the great Landaluce. One of the finest young fillies to ever hit the track. So, sad, she passed far too early. Her early runaway victory at Hollywood Park still sends chills through me. Much akin to the Secretariat run-away. Plus, I'll never forget the great filly Princess Rooney coming west and making three moves in a race.
Drove a Pincay fan nutzo at Del Mar - She only bet the Pirate and would tell the world about him. One day, she was on the down escalator at DM, while I was going up. As I passed, I said "Shame about Lafitte losing the strength in his legs - He's over the hill, now" - She was still screaming when she hit the main floor.
But, even the best misjudge horses - Pincay rode Roving Boy only once - Didn't like him, so Eddie D took over and Roving Boy became the Eclipse 2 year old of the year.
Best to ya, today. Good skill always.
I've watched the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup - Exceller on youtube over and over with shoemaker on Exceller cutting down Codero on Seattle Slew in the streach but Slew is still hanging. If Laffit's saddle on Affirmed hadn't slipped it might be considered by ALL fans as the second best race in the modern era without dispute. I wasnt around to see Citation 1948 triple crown however santa anita has a statue of Seabiscut
Horse Racing "The sport of man where horses are king" Horse racing has no race, color, language or class barriers it"s all about the love of the horses. Horses get injured and die and we cry, jockeys get hurt and die and we cry the bettor gets killed and we laugh. Everyone has an uncle that wins at the track all the time at the track but he is always broke The race track is the only place you see an 85 year old man with a program sticking out of his back pocket his head to the ground knowing where he will be tomorrow.
Horse Racing In the modern era 1960 " 2009
Best performance: Secretariat Belmont Stakes.
Best looking Horse: Affirmed.
Best overall horse: Seattle Slew.
Most heart: Seattle Slew
Best Sire: Seattle Slew.
Best Race: 1978 Jockey Club Gold (a must See Youtube).
Best Jockey style: English.
Best racing surface: Grass.
Best race track: Santa Anita Park.
Favorite races: Kentucky Derby, English Derby, Belmont Stakes
Greatest Sports figure, any sport: Jockey Laffitt Pincay Jr.
The dream Triple Crown: Purse $50 Million
Kentucky Derby 1 � mile first saturday in May,
The Preakness run at "Santa Anita" 1 mile on grass in June",
The Belmont Stakes 1 � mile in July.
And the winner is:
Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai $1 billion horse stable and still can"t win the Kentucky Derby.
What do you think?o you agree with?
Secratariat was not as good as Seattle Slew? Are you serious?Secratariat's Belmont is easily the greatest performance in the history of sports.Easily.When it comes to heart and who had the biggest, Secratariat literaly had the biggest as we found out upon his death.His heart though not diseased in any way was 2-1/2 times bigger than the typical horse which combined with his unrivaled beauty,convinced me that God decided to make the perfect racehorse.He ran every furlong of the 1-1./2 mile faster than the previous.His Belmont was as close to supernatural as we'll ever see in this world.
Absolutely. Secretariat was a freak of nature. I also found it interesting that Calvin Borel said the same thing about Rachel Alexandra. Does anyone know her lineage?
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