This weekend must be dedicated to the animals. Meet Rachel Alexandra the super filly, Pimlico’s hottest new attraction who will run in the 134th Preakness Stakes barring any unforeseen events.
Much hangs on this year’s Preakness that extends beyond the 2nd leg of the triple crown stakes. All at Pimlico is not well, according to examiner.com:
Track owner, Magna Entertainment Corp. is in bankruptcy. A new infield BYOB ban, threatening rain, and one of the worst economic recessions in recent memory may converge to form a perfect storm of dwindling interest. The fate of Preakness teeters in the balance.
On the one hand, the sky could rip at any moment. On the other, the sun might shine. This is the City of Baltimore, nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and western Maryland. Here, the barometer can and often does shift on a dime.
We natives can’t help but see Pimlico through the eyes of history, the rest of the world’s as well as our own. Here, the underdog Seabiscuit battled mighty War Admiral and emerged victorious. Here, America’s Barbaro suffered gut-wrenching defeat.
Enter the new lady in town, Rachel Alexandra. No filly has won the Preakness since 1924. She is being billed by the horse crowd as the best horse since Man o’ War (c. 1920) who some feel was the horse of the century. Sports stations and horse racing aficionados are all a buzz with the talk of Super Filly Rachel Alexandra. Should she turn out to be the horse of the century, Mine That Bird is out of the running. To make matters even dicier, Cal Borel, the jockey who rode Mine That Bird to victory two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby, is jumping ship, or should I say, ‘jumping horse,’ and riding Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. What is that old country expression about dance with the one who brung you?
We will just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow as coverage begins at 4:30 on NBC. The odds will be posted online sometime tomorrow. Post time is generally around 5:30-6:00.
No Triple Crown winner this year!
Watch the new kid in town kick some major horse booty! Rachel Alexandra is the winner of the 2009 Preakness Race. Mine That Bird came in a close second. One can only wonder if Cal Borel had ridden Mine that Bird, if we might be looking at a Triple Crown Winner.
Enjoy the race!
Will we have a new Lady Victory, a 2nd leg winner named Bird That Mine, or will another dark horse appear out of no where? [ED note: Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness.] Is Cal Borel, the exuberant jockey, a turn coat for not riding Bird That Mine? Check out the competition. Who is your favorite?
Will the boys rule the day or will there be a female interloper breaking the glass ceiling for the first time in 85 years?
Click to view the competition.
Additional video footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjePyvH7024&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBxJvzktxrw&NR=1
