Borel off Bird for Rachel in Preakness

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Rootdog1

Hey, Yadda Yadda - what is the benefit of running her on two weeks rest after that effort. I agree take on the boys, but why not wait for a tired bunch of colts in the Belmont?

In last year's Belmont Stakes, three horses were exiting the Preakness, while three others were exciting the Derby. The Derby horses outperformed the Preakness horses. The tired horses / Belmont angle is overplayed in my opinion.

We know Rachel Alexandra can handle 9 furlongs no problem, and judging by the way she finished, 9.5f should be no issue either. Her 108 Beyer in the Oaks is more than 10 points better than the runner-ups in the Derby. She didn't have a grueling race, the colts are weak, the purse is $1 million, it's a grade one, it's an American classic... it's a go in my opinion. If she flops, you can re-group for the fillies in the Acorn.

Furthermore, there are still some ?'s about who could re-surface in the Belmont which could make it a more difficult race than the Preakness.