How can you not call her great?

[PaceAdvantage]

• The first filly to win three grade I races on dirt against males in a single year.
• The first filly to win the Woodward.
• No 3-year-old filly had ever defeated older males in a two-turn, grade I dirt race. The last to win a major two-turn dirt stakes over her elders was Misty Morn in the 1955 Gallant Fox Handicap.
• All year, Rachel has been flattered by horses she has trounced.
• Gabby's Golden Gal was beaten 29 1/4 lengths by Rachel in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Acorn Stakes in 1:34 3/5.
• Flashing was beaten 31 1/2 lengths by Rachel in the Mother Goose (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Test Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.
• Summer Bird was beaten 6 lengths by Rachel in the Haskell and came back to win the Travers Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.
• Take the Points was beaten 32 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Preakness and came back to win the grade I Secretariat Stakes.
• Just Jenda was beaten 11 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Fantasy Stakes and came back to win the Monmouth Oaks by 4 1/4 lengths.
• Even Sara Louise, who was beaten 4 3/4 lengths by Rachel in last year's Golden Rod (gr. II), won the Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga in 1:09 3/5 in her 3-year-old debut.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...spa?source=rss

[Imriledup]

Thank you Jess Jackson. If it wasn't for him, this horse would never raced against the males, we would have been left wondering 'what if'. Thank you Steve Asmussen. Awesome, awesome job taking a horse of this magnitude and putting her in a position to show her greatness.

[tucker6]

Originally Posted by Imriledup

we would have been left wondering 'what if'.

I don't want to turn this into a Zenyatta discussion, but that's exactly how I feel when her name is mentioned. "What if" indeed.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

• The first filly to win three grade I races on dirt against males in a single year.
• The first filly to win the Woodward.
• No 3-year-old filly had ever defeated older males in a two-turn, grade I dirt race. The last to win a major two-turn dirt stakes over her elders was Misty Morn in the 1955 Gallant Fox Handicap.
• All year, Rachel has been flattered by horses she has trounced.
• Gabby's Golden Gal was beaten 29 1/4 lengths by Rachel in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Acorn Stakes in 1:34 3/5.
• Flashing was beaten 31 1/2 lengths by Rachel in the Mother Goose (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Test Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.
• Summer Bird was beaten 6 lengths by Rachel in the Haskell and came back to win the Travers Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.
• Take the Points was beaten 32 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Preakness and came back to win the grade I Secretariat Stakes.
• Just Jenda was beaten 11 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Fantasy Stakes and came back to win the Monmouth Oaks by 4 1/4 lengths.
• Even Sara Louise, who was beaten 4 3/4 lengths by Rachel in last year's Golden Rod (gr. II), won the Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga in 1:09 3/5 in her 3-year-old debut.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...spa?source=rss

is that all ??????

[lamboguy]

tom durkin got it right, "Rachel Alexandra the Great"

[SmartyLane]

After watching the Fair Ground Oaks I thought this horse was incredible. Say what you want about Jess Jackson, but HE is the reason we all got to witness how great she was.

In the bloodhorse article Nerud said she is the greatest he has ever seen, and no doubt is better then Ruffian was.

Those that still have negative things to say about her are just plain crazy.

That Woodward was amazing..........fast fractions early and she still held on. Say what you want about the competition, there were horses running at her the whole time and she put each of them away. Da'Tara early, Past the Points, Bullsbay, and then Macho Again. All came at her at different points of the race and she held on.

Just happy to be around during the years of Rachel Alexandra the Great.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

• The first filly to win three grade I races on dirt against males in a single year.
• The first filly to win the Woodward.
• No 3-year-old filly had ever defeated older males in a two-turn, grade I dirt race. The last to win a major two-turn dirt stakes over her elders was Misty Morn in the 1955 Gallant Fox Handicap.
• All year, Rachel has been flattered by horses she has trounced.
• Gabby's Golden Gal was beaten 29 1/4 lengths by Rachel in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Acorn Stakes in 1:34 3/5.
• Flashing was beaten 31 1/2 lengths by Rachel in the Mother Goose (gr. I) and came back to win the grade I Test Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.
• Summer Bird was beaten 6 lengths by Rachel in the Haskell and came back to win the Travers Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.
• Take the Points was beaten 32 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Preakness and came back to win the grade I Secretariat Stakes.
• Just Jenda was beaten 11 3/4 lengths by Rachel in the Fantasy Stakes and came back to win the Monmouth Oaks by 4 1/4 lengths.
• Even Sara Louise, who was beaten 4 3/4 lengths by Rachel in last year's Golden Rod (gr. II), won the Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) at Saratoga in 1:09 3/5 in her 3-year-old debut.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...spa?source=rss

Yea, but she can't cook like Kat Kora and doesn't look like Jessica Alba!

[W2G]

Originally Posted by Imriledup

Thank you Jess Jackson. If it wasn't for him, this horse would never raced against the males, we would have been left wondering 'what if'.

No question, Jackson envisioned what she was capable of and made it happen. But here's another "What if". What if her previous connections refused to sell and kept her with fillies a bit longer? Would they eventually have caved to the deafening drumbeat from turf writers and fans to run her against the boys? Just maybe. Let's say they went Haskell-Travers, or at least one of the two. And then a dramatic hyped showdown with Zen in the BC to close her season. Pure speculation, but an appealing scenario.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Are you going to start a campaign to make her a Chef-De-Race?
I place her at or near the top of females running under classic distances.

[joanied]

"In the bloodhorse article Nerud said she is the greatest he has ever seen, and no doubt is better then Ruffian was."

You cannot discount what that man says...I agree 100%...
thanks for posting her 'stats', PA...

How can anyone doubt her greatness?

And I'll also jump in the say thank you to Jess Jackson.....I seriously doubt we'd be having these discussions about her if Jackson hadn't been able to buy her...thank you, Mr.J


Regardless of what she does or doesn't do in the future...Rachel will go down as one of the great ones and I can't express how fortunate I feel having been here to see her.

[SmartyLane]

I think she’s the best I’ve ever seen,” said 96-year-old racing legend John Nerud. “I don’t compare her to anyone. I’m not afraid to say she’s better than Ruffian, because she is. They sent two speed horses after her and made her go in :22 4/5, then they came after her one at a time and she put them all away. Those were tough older horses and they tried everything they could to get her beat and they couldn’t.”


This coming from the guy that has been around for years and trained or had ties to

Gallant Man
Dr. Fager
Intentionally
Ta Wee
Dr. Patches
Fappiano
Cozzene

And has saw more hall of fame horses in his 96 years then most of us will ever dream to.
His quote above proves all the naysayers in my opinion. She didn't beat anything etc. Every horse that ran at her in the Woodward got pulled away from. Calvin road her wonderfully.

[Hank]

Originally Posted by joanied

"In the bloodhorse article Nerud said she is

and no doubt is better then Ruffian was."

You cannot discount what that man says...I agree 100%...
thanks for posting her 'stats', PA...

How can anyone doubt her greatness?

And I'll also jump in the say thank you to Jess Jackson.....I seriously doubt we'd be having these discussions about her if Jackson hadn't been able to buy her...thank you, Mr.J


Regardless of what she does or doesn't do in the future...Rachel will go down as one of the great ones and I can't express how fortunate I feel having been here to see her.

Clearly Nerud meant best (3yo filly) as evidenced by the Ruffian comment.But knuckleheads will misconstrue this, sure as you're born.

[Hank]

Originally Posted by SmartyLane

I think she’s the best I’ve ever seen,” said 96-year-old racing legend John Nerud. “I don’t compare her to anyone. I’m not afraid to say she’s better than Ruffian, because she is. They sent two speed horses after her and made her go in :22 4/5, then they came after her one at a time and she put them all away. Those were tough older horses and they tried everything they could to get her beat and they couldn’t.”


This coming from the guy that has been around for years and trained or had ties to

Gallant Man
Dr. Fager
Intentionally
Ta Wee
Dr. Patches
Fappiano
Cozzene

And has saw more hall of fame horses in his 96 years then most of us will ever dream to.
His quote above proves all the naysayers in my opinion. She didn't beat anything etc. Every horse that ran at her in the Woodward got pulled away from. Calvin road her wonderfully.

I rest my case.

[Tom Barrister]

She may be the best dirt distaffer (although Ruffian fans would disagree), but to call her the best distaffer of all time would be ignoring such as Miesque, All Along, and Dahlia, all of whom successfully took on all comers on the turf.

[ghostyapper]

"I've never seen anything like him since I've been training," Baffert gushed Sunday. "Everyone's been waiting for the next Secretariat-type horse, and we got him. He's going to do it."