Rachel Alexandra's two-turn campaign

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Here's how her Beyer's stack up against the fastest editions of the races she has run around two-turns.

I use Beyers because they are superior at comparisons like this. Sheet figures will have claimers from this era running way faster than Sunday Silence and Alysheba.

Obviously, a figure is only going to tell you how good a performance was without the aid of key circumstantial factors like pace, trip, etc etc.

* Golden Rod:

RA Beyer: 99

Best this decade besides RA: no Golden Rod winner has run better than Sara Louise's 91

Best since '92: Silverbulletday 104.

Result: RA beats any Golden Rod field this decade by the 4.75 lengths she beat Sara Louise by. Silverbulletday won the Golden Rod by 10 lengths - she beats RA by 3 lengths.


* Martha Washington:

RA Beyer: 100

Best this decade besides RA: Eight Belles 96

Best since '92 besides RA: Eight Belles 96

Result: RA beats Eight Belles by 2.5 lengths


* Fair Grounds Oaks:

RA Beyer: 103

Best this decade: Take Charge Lady 107

Best since '92: Take Charge Lady 107

Result: RA runs 2nd beaten 2.25 lengths to TCL.


* Fantasy:

RA Beyer: 101

Best this decade besides RA: Eight Belles 99

Best since '92: Blushing KD 110

Result: RA beats Eight Belles by a length. RA runs 2nd beaten 5.5 lengths to Blushing KD.

The year Blushing KD won the fantasy .. Ajina was 3rd beaten 14 lengths in a field of 5. Ajina later won that years BC Distaff and was voted champion 3yo filly. Blushing KD won the KY Oaks over a super field next out. She died after her Monmouth win.




* Kentucky Oaks:

RA Beyer: 108

Best this decade besides RA: Rags to Riches 104

Best since '92 besides RA: Silverbulletday 107

Result: RA beats Rags To Riches by 2 lengths. RA beats Silverbulletday by a half length


* Preakness Stakes:

RA Beyer: 108

Best this decade: Smarty Jones 118

Best since '92 besides RA: (Smarty Jones & Silver Charm 118)

Result: RA finishes 2nd beaten 6.75 lengths behind Smarty Jones - but comfortably ahead of Rock Hard Ten and Eddington.

RA finishes 5th by 6.75 lengths behind Silver Charm, Captain Bodgit, Free House, and Touch Gold .. while a few lengths ahead of Frisk Me Now and Concerto.


* Mother Goose:

RA Beyer: 111

Best this decade besides RA: Fleet Renee 105

Best since '92 besides RA: Lakeway 106

Result: RA beats Fleet Renee by 3.75 lengths and Lakeway by 3 lengths.


* Haskell:

RA Beyer: 116

Best this decade besides RA: Any Given Saturday 113

Best since '92 besides RA: Holy Bull 115

Result: RA beats AGS by 1.75 lengths. RA beats Holy Bull by a half.


* Woodward:

RA Beyer: 109

Best this decade: Lawyer Ron 119

Best since '92: (Formal Gold 125 & Bertrando 125)

Result: RA finishes 2nd by 6.5 lengths to Lawyer Ron.

RA finishes 2nd beaten 10 lengths to Bertrando .. while 3.5 lengths clear of Devil His Due in 3rd. RA finishes 4th beaten 10 lengths to Formal Gold, Skip Away, and Will's Way.


From a sheer figure standpoint ... her record is 9-6-3-0 against the fastest editions this decade.

Wins coming against Sara Louise, two against Eight Belles, Rags To Riches, Fleet Renee, and Any Given Saturday. Defeats coming to Take Charge Lady, Smarty Jones, and Lawyer Ron.

Since '92 her record is either 9-4-5-0 or 9-4-3-0 .. depending if you want to use the Smarty Jones and Bertrando races - or the Silver Charm and Formal Gold races.

Just food for thought. Obviously if you took the slowest editions of each race - you can have her killing just about every field but the Woodward. She'd have Prarie Bayou by almost 7 lengths in the Preakness.