Rachel Owner Says No Breeders' Cup

Blackberry Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra (photo to left) will not race in the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships according to her co-owner Jess Jackson. During a media teleconference held Wednesday in preperation for the $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes this Saturday at Belmont Park, Jackson said he will not race the filly on an artificial surface. The Breeders' Cup will again be held at Santa Anita in Southern California which races on a "Pro-Ride" artificial surface on the main track as opposed to natural dirt.

Jackson is also a part owner of Curlin, the 2008 Horse of the Year who finished his career as the favorite in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Jackson also said that there is a very good chance the Rachel Alexandra will race next year as a 4-year-old and that he would love to race against 2008 Champion Zenyatta, just not on a synthetic track.

In honor of the Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Belmont Park will be offering free admission for women and giving away 10,000 pink bracelets embossed with Rachel Alexandra's name. Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, have said that they will donate a portion of the filly's earnings to the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer.

Rachel Alexadra is set to be heavily favored in the Mother Goose while facing only three other rivals including grade 3 Nassau County Stakes winner Flashing; grade 3 Florida Oaks winner Don't Forget Gil; and Malibu Prayer, who has won her last two races by wide margins.

On Monday at Churchill Downs, Rachel Alexandra completed preparations for the Mother Goose, a one-turn race run at nine furlongs, when she worked four furlongs in 49.80 seconds over a fast main track. Exercise rider Dominic Terry was aboard for the morning work but Calvin Borel will ride Rachel Alexandra for the seventh consecutive time in the Mother Goose.

Jackson said no plans have been made for Rachel Alexandra following the Mother Goose, but indicated that he is considering running her against her male counterparts again in either the grade 1 Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 or the grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga in late August.