Time to Open Your Eyes … This is Rachel

It’s time boys and girls. It’s time to open your eyes and see what is in front of you. Rachel Alexandra is ready, are you? To those who said she could not get the distance. Today is the day. In today’s Personal Ensign, she will get that classic ten furlongs that so many have doubted she could handle. What do we know about her chances to handle a mile and a quarter? Rachel is sired by the excellent runner Medaglia d’Oro, who won the ten furlong Travers, and was second in the 12 furlong Belmont, not to mention consecutive seconds in the 1 ¼ mile Breeders’ Cup Classic. It was no surprise that he could get the distance, being out of the superior sire line of Sadler’s Wells. Will his daughter be able to navigate the classic distance? In races at nine furlongs or longer, Rachel has a perfect record of seven wins in seven tries. The day she won the 1 3/16 Preakness by one length, she was hounded for most of the first mile by a world class sprinter named Big Drama. Handle the distance? Rachel can and will. To those who said she could beat top competition. Today is the day. Life at Ten is the now horse. She has won six in a row, including a grade 1 and a grade 2 in her last two starts. She is coming off a win at this distance, and I have seen many pick her to win the Personal Ensign. Good. I am glad that Rachel will run against a really good horse. Is she as good as Rachel? Whether you look at Beyer speed figures, or the Ragozin numbers, Life at Ten is simply not in the same stratosphere as the future Hall of Famer. She wasn’t last year, and she is not this year, and once they go around the track today that will become clear. I hope Life at Ten brings her best today, I honestly do, she will need it to test Rachel today. Personally I think Life at Ten’s race for second with the rapidly improving Miss Singhsix might be the interesting contest. Bring it on Life at Ten. To those who said she could not run like she did last year, and no longer handle grade 1 competition. Today will be further evidence that the ultimate plan is working. Last year she was pushed early for the big races of the Spring and Summer. She passed with flying colors and in historic fashion. In winning all five grade 1 races she entered, Rachel did things never before done by a sophomore filly. Her average margin of victory in those grade 1 wins was by an astounding figure of more than nine lengths. This year she has been asked much more judiciously to have her at her best in November. She is getting better month by month, and is already running big. Don’t forget in her win in the Fleur de Lis, she carried more weight and ran faster than did the much respected Blame in winning the Foster a few races later. Races in which he was all out, and she was not. Despite her easy wins in her last two, people are not satisfied. Fine. This year is designed for her to have plenty more left in the tank as the races become more important. The Breeders’ Cup is the goal this year. Rachel has already defeated a dozen horses who have won grade 1 races. That list will grow today. Is she the same horse as last year? I think in the end, she will prove to be even better. Rachel Alexandra runs today in the Personal Ensign … I say enjoy the show!