What Next for Rachel & Bird?

Fans of horse racing could not have asked for a lot more from the Preakness Stakes. Super filly Rachel Alexandra wins the Middle Jewel of Triple Crown and holds off a late charge from Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Will this be a new budding rivalry?

What makes this potential new great rivalry it is not just two great horses. It is two stars of different genders which rarely cross paths.

There have been races where males and females have met but not often during the Triple Crown. The last time the rivarly lasted more than one race was in 1988 when Winning Colors, a filly, and Forty Niner went head-to-head twice. The two ran first and second in the Derby. But the rivarly spilled over in the Preakness when the two dueled each other into defeat as the filly finished third and Forty Niner was seventh.

Chances are Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird won't face each other much more in their careers, but the Belmont Stakes does remain a possibility for both. Mine That Bird's trainer, Chip Woolley, has already committed to run in the 1 1/2 miles "Test of Champions" but what of the filly?

Neither trainer Steve Asmussen nor majority owner Jess Jackson committed to the Belmont but how much fun would it be to see the Derby winner and Preakness winner slug it out in New York?

The temptation for the "Rachel crew" will be great. Jackson, who scored points among racing fans when he kept two-time Horse of the Year Curlin in training after his 3-year-old season. The chestnut colt ammased wins in the Preakness and the Breeders' Cup Classic and earned Horse of the Year honors; then came back and won the Dubai World Cup among others and notched his second Horse of the Year honor.

For those that might be worried about Rachel getting "burned up" early in the Belmont by some other speed horses, there aren't many left in the potential field who could push her early. Quality Road and Chartiable Man could be those obstacles but neither trainer has committed to the 1 1/2 mile race yet.

Racing, as always, needs some good news and attention. What happened today at the Preakness was a huge help but it will be very short lived if it's the last time we see the Derby and Preakness square off.

But Jackson has to do what is right by the horse and if she comes back feeling good, then he oughto to run Rachel in the Belmont. Rags to Riches proved a filly can win the "Test of Champions" and it would certainly cement Rachel's place as the one of the best horses of all-time with a Belmont victory.

Stay tuned over the next few days but we might just have a new rivaly we haven't seen in racing for some time.