What They're Saying About Rachel And The Bird

Andrew Beyer, Washington Post
Borel's performance at Pimlico on Saturday may have looked relatively undramatic, but his tactical perfection more than accounted for the one-length margin by which the filly beat Mine That Bird.

Gary West, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Everybody knew she was a stunning, wasabi-up-your-nose, once-in-a-lifetime filly, and now she’s a jewel thief, too.

Rachel Alexandra won Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, the second of horse racing’s Triple Crown jewels. She beat the "boys" and befuddled the doubters, she dispelled the skepticism as if it were an annoying fly, and she gave horse racing a resplendent moment. She has her jewel, and so now she can pursue a larger prize: the golden Eclipse Award symbolic of being Horse of the Year.

Beth Harris, AP Racing Writer
Girls rule! The best 3-year-old in the land just happens to be a filly named Rachel Alexandra.

Calvin Borel - Rachel Alexandra Jockey
"She had to struggle the last 40 yards, I had to hit her twice. She couldn’t get into the rhythm. God knows how good she is."

Steven Asmussen - Rachel Alexandra Trainer
"The race didn’t unfold like we expected and she still won a classic,”

Jess Jackson - Rachel Alexandra Owner
"It will depend on her," he said of the Belmont. "The horse always tells you whether they're ready. ... We'll wait for three, four days, see how she comes out of the race. Then we'll give her the same scrutiny we did with the vets.

"Would we love to run? Yes. Could she win? We think so. We've already shown she can run with the colts."

Mike Smith - Mine That Bird Jockey
"If we could have gone another sixteenth of a mile, I think he would have tackled her. On the backstretch, I tried to duck back in, but there was a lot of traffic. ... [Rachel Alexandra] beat the greatest colts in the country today. You have to take your hat off to her. I thought she'd come back to me, but she kept on going."

John Pricci - Horse Race Insider
As it turns out, it was (Rachel Alexandra). And here comes the Derby winner on the far outside! Are you kidding me?

Could it possibly have gotten any better than this?
Brock Talk Note: Read John Pricci's Column under "Other Horse Racing Links"