Okay, let me tell you about my recent deep dive into the story of Rachel Alexandra. I’ve always been a fan of horse racing, and this amazing filly has always fascinated me, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and really get into her history.
I started by digging through a bunch of articles and records online. Just piecing together the basic timeline of her career, you know? It was a bit all over the place, but I managed to pull together a general idea of her races and wins.
Then I moved on to trying to find out who was behind her training. Turns out, she was initially with a trainer named Hal Wiggins. I guess he was the go-to guy for the owner, a fella named Morrison. Under Wiggins’ care, she had a few races, but she didn’t exactly set the world on fire right away. I think she came in sixth in her first race. Not a disaster, but certainly not a sign of the superstar she’d become.
What really got me hooked was when I started looking into her big wins. This is where things got interesting. She won the Preakness Stakes in 2009, which is a huge deal. I mean, she was the first horse to win it from the 13th post position, imagine that.
- And get this – she was the first 3-year-old filly to snag an Eclipse Award.
- Her total earnings were a cool 3.5 million, which is just mind-blowing.
After her racing days, Rachel Alexandra was retired to Stonestreet Farm in Kentucky. I spent a good chunk of time reading about her life there and her offspring. I even discovered she had a colt named Jess’s Dream, pretty cool. Her second foal, Rachel’s Valentina, was sired by another Preakness winner, Bernardini. I found out that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta never competed in the same race.
It took me a few days to really sift through everything and get a good grasp on her story, from her rocky beginnings to her rise to the top of the racing world. I’m still amazed by her journey. I spent a few afternoons trying to find more about her. To be honest, the whole process was a bit messy, with information scattered all over the place, but it was totally worth it. I feel like I have a much better understanding and appreciation for this incredible horse now. I have been telling all my friends about her story, and I think I might even write a short story inspired by her. Anyway, it was a fun little project, and I’m glad I took the time to do it.
