Rachel Smokes Mother Goose

For a brief second, it looked like Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra might be in for a tough race, but on the far turn jockey Calvin Borel asked his filly for run and with an explosive move she quickly opened up for an authoritative 19 1/4-length win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose.

The Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Medaglia d’Oro shattered two Mother Goose records – the margin of victory and final time, 1:46.33. The previous record for time was held by Lakeway (1994, 1:46.40) and the margin belonged to the great Ruffian (13 ½ lengths, 1975).

In front of a crowd of 13,352, Malibu Prayer and Flashing dueled through torrid fractions of :22.57 for the quarter and :44.66 for the half while Rachel Alexandra waited patiently three lengths off the lead. As the field moved around the far turn, Borel called on his filly, split horses and made the lead at the top of the stretch. Then under minimal urging from Borel, the bay filly rolled to the easy victory.

“I can’t say enough about Calvin Borel’s ride,” said Asmussen, who saw his star filly pay $2.10 for the $2 win. “They took it right to her with 44 and change, the 1/9 shot, and all the pressure in the world. He just let them go about their business and did what’s best for her and he needs to keep doing that.”

Rachel Alexandra’s record now stands at 9-2-0 in 12 career starts and has rattled off seven straight victories, all stakes races. Her career earnings now stand at $1,798,354.

“She's a racehorse, this is a racehorse,” Borel said. “Believe me, she's not normal, I'm telling you, she's unbelievable. I nudged (her) on the turn for home around the quarter pole but that was it. To make sure she'd get something out of it and do something for me. She is, I don’t know, like a Secretariat or a Seattle Slew. I’ve never been on one like that in my life. ”

Malibu Prayer finished second and Flashing was third. With the late scratches of Don’t Forget Gil and Hopeful Image, it left a field of three.

Star Studded Saturday

With the Triple Crown firmly in the rear view mirror, the focus of racing has become more scattered until next month when the star-studded race meets of Saratoga and Del Mar get underway.

At least for one day, that changes when the two best fillies in the country put their hooves back on the track Saturday. (Ironically, their respective races will run within 15 minutes of each other.)

Leading off the action is Rachel Alexandra, who is making her long awaited journey to New York. The trip to Belmont is three weeks later than some were hoping as many fans were hoping to see the Preakness winner run in the final jewel of the Triple Crown.

She will face four others in Belmont's Mother Goose (5:17 pm EDT, Broadcast on MSG+) and will be one of the biggest favorites we will see all year. It is undoubtedly her race to lose and for the few fans that will show up at Belmont, it will be a chance to see a superstar.

On the West Coast, the unbeaten Zenyatta makes her second start of 2009 when she squares off against seven others in the Vanity Handicap (5:30 EDT) . The competition apparently isn't afraid of her lofty 10-for-10 record.

On a teleconference Wednesday, Rachel's owner, Jess Jackson, said his star will not run in this year's Breeders' Cup, which is slated to be run at Santa Anita. Jackson said he does not care for Santa Anita's "artificial dirt" surface and does not want to risk diminishing her star status.

He cited his two-time Horse of the Year Curlin's struggles in California last year as a prime example of why not to run at the Breeders' Cup.

It's another potential black eye for the sport as one of the best horses in the country is being kept on the sidelines during racing's championship weekend. It also likely deprives fans the only chance of seeing Rachel battle Zenyatta.

If you have a chance to go to Belmont or Hollywood on Saturday, go for it. Seeing horses of this caliber is rare and there are likely just a few races left in their respective careers.

Proud Parents in Queen's Plate

On a day in which typically brings families together, Father's Day at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto saw a horse emerge as a star which would make both of his high profile parents proud.

Eye of the Leopard, who was close to the lead the entire race, needed the entire stretch to catch Mr. Foricos Two U for a hard fought neck victory in the $1,000,000 (Canadian) Queen's Plate for three-year-olds.

"It went pretty well for me," said winning trainer Mark Frostad. "I was worried at the sixteenth pole if we were going to get there but (jockey) Eurico (Da Silva) persevered. He was closing every stride. I was worried the other horse (on the rail) wasn't shortening stride but he just got there."

The race, which is known by some as the Kentucky Derby of Canada, has produced some well known horses in North America over the years including champions Northern Dancer and Awesome Again.

Eye of the Leopard, who is a son of A.P. Indy and 3-year-old Canadian filly champion Eye of the Sphynx, was sent off as the 2-1 favorite off his win in the Plate Trial last month. The colt, who is now a perfect 3-for-3 in his native Canada, has thrived since Frostad added blinkers after his disappointing eighth place finish at Keeneland in April.

Eye of the Leopard is owned and bred by the legendary Sam-Son Farm of Canada which earned its fifth win in this prestigious race.

"He was so professional and relaxed," Da Silva said. "I just rode him the best I could and he dug in and dug in...This means a lot. This is the most important race for Canadians and for me too. Now I am Canadian."

The two fillies in the Queen's Plate also ran great. Milwaukee Appeal and Tasty Temptation ran third and fourth.

Up next in the Canadian Triple Crown is the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.

"If he comes back well, there's no reason we won't go on with him," Frostad said. "There is still room for improvement."

The King Is Back

Jockey Calvin Borel was on top of the racing world when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness stakes last month. After a questionable ride in the Belmont aboard Mine That Bird, Borel seemed to lose a little bit of that luster.

In the Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill on Saturday, the "King of the Rail" reclaimed his throne when he guided Miss Isella through the tightest of holes to victory.

When you watch the race at first, you wonder how Borel guided the gray filly through the eye of the needle. And when you watch the head on replay, you marvel at the skill in which he operates.

Very few would have the stones to put any horse in a tight spot but Borel appears to do it with such confidence and ease, you wonder how he doesn't win every race.

There will certainly be many races in which Borel makes some questionable decisions but on this day and in that race, he left little doubt who owns the rail. Calvin Bo-Rail himself.

Dunkirk Injured

Belmont Stakes runner-up Dunkirk (right) came out of the race with an injury that will put him on the sidelines at least until the Fall.

The regally bred of son Unbridled's Song suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture of the left hind cannon bone. Trainer Todd Pletcher said the gray colt will have surgery this morning and is expected to make a full recovery and return to the races.

The surgery will be performed at the Ruffian Medical Equine Center in Elmont, NY.

His runner-up performance was impressive considering he set the pace and battled back after being passed by Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird at the top of the stretch. Now that we know he injured himself during the race, it was an even more incredible performance.

There was never any doubt the horse had talent and ability. Certainly his $3.7 million price tag is a great example. But I will be curious to see when he does come back, if he can regain the form he had before the injury.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

Heartbreak Hotel Still Open

Earlier this week, I wrote on the "The Rail" that the Belmont Stakes could easily be renamed The Heartbreak Hotel. I was hopeful that Mine That Bird would not take up residence at said establishment, but jockey Kent Desormeaux had other ideas.

Desormeaux (left), a two-time resident of The Hotel with Real Quiet (1998) and Big Brown (2008), made a beautifully timed move with Summer Bird to wear down both Mine That Bird and Dunkirk in the final furlong.

"Last year's Belmont was like swallowing a spoon sideways," Desormeaux said. "I didn't think he could lose."

The irony for Desormeaux was he had never ridden Summer Bird but learned his lesson from his two major disappointments. In addition, there was no pressure on the Louisiana native as his mount was one of the longest shots coming into the race.

That carefree attitude combined with winning three races earlier in the day was just the elixir that Desormeaux needed to exorcise his Belmont demons.

Desormeaux ensured that his fellow Louisiana native, Calvin Borel, would have the same Belmont nightmares that he suffered with over the years as he kept Mine That Bird off the rail in the early going.

"I actually was thinking if Borel was going to beat me, he was going to have come around me," Desormeaux said. "It's a Louisiana life-long lesson."

Borel guided Mine That Bird wide on the far turn as opposed to his customary Calvin "Bo-Rail" ride. That move inevitably compromised Mine That Bird's chances down the grueling Belmont stretch.

It has been 31 years since we've seen a Triple Crown winner and you would think we are overdue for one. At this rate, I might be collecting Social Security before we see a Triple Crown winner.

And the Heartbreak Hotel needs a break. It's already overflowing with residents.

Borel Cost Himself the Crown

Calvin Borel should be a Hall of Famer. There is no doubt about that. His ride in the Kentucky Derby was among his best. But today's Belmont proved to be one of the biggest debacles of his 30,000-plus race career.

Looking for racing immortality, Borel guided Mine That Bird to the back of the pack in the early running of the race, which was a great move; in fact his last smart action of the race.

Surprisingly, Dunkirk was on the lead through the early parts of the race and, even though he was only 11 lengths off the lead, Borel elected to move Mine That Bird to the outside. But this is a horse who sees daylight and runs for it, so a move like that (with only half the race in the book) was very dangerous.

Mine That Bird collared the leaders on the far turn and was in the lead at the top of the stretch. One small problem: he still had a quarter of a mile to go (compare this to the Derby, where he wasn't on the lead until they were halfway down the stretch).

Now Borel has to get his horse down the long Belmont stretch and Mine That Bird was running out of gas quickly. And, he used up even more energy by running on the outside as opposed to Borel's customary spot along the rail.

Summer Bird, who was very patiently ridden by Kent Desormeaux, took advantage of the tiring horses and mowed down Mine That Bird and Dunkirk inside the final eighth of a mile and cruised home.

That was the move Borel should have made and it was there for the taking.

"I thought I had it won when I got the quarter pole," Borel said. "No excuses. He ran his eyeballs out. He took me a little earlier....I might have let him get up earlier but I wasn't going to take the race out of him. Turning for him, I thought I was home free."

Those were similar comments that Desormeaux made when Real Quiet was beaten a nose by Victory Gallop in 1998. Desormeaux played the Victory Gallop role on Saturday and it proved to be a magic formula.

Was not riding at Belmont at all this week a factor? Maybe. It certainly didn't help.

But, the bottom line is that Borel could have and should have gone to the inside and timed his move better. If so, we would likely have seen a Calvin Crown. Now, we have yet another upset in the Belmont and racing goes without a Triple Crown of any sort.

Belmont Time - Analysis and Picks

The talk and the Triple Crown is just about over and the Belmont Stakes is at hand.

Here is a look at the field of 10 (and their record):

1) Chocolate Candy (10-4-2-1) - Been off since running fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Has the ability to be close to the lead which will be a big benefit with the speed holding at Belmont today. He's been training in NY for five weeks so he should be acclimated to the Belmont surface. Don't like the fact that he's just 8-1 to but if he likes "traditional dirt", he will be in the thick of it.

2) Dunkirk (4-2-1-0) - After disappointing (11th place) as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher appears to have the regally bred colt ready for this race. Jockey John Velazquez, Pletcher's regular rider, will ride him for the first time. Today he will look to validate his $3.7 million public auction price. Very dangerous here.

3) Mr. Hot Stuff (8-1-0-3) - The full brother to Colonel John has been a disappointment this year. He was 15th in the Derby in his first start on "real dirt" and will need a quick pace in front of his if he has any chance. The big plus for him is that he gets the services of Edgar Prado. Not likely to win here.

4) Summer Bird (4-1-0-1) - The "buzz horse" of Belmont Week is another horse who will be flying late. He also will need a quick pace in front of him but he has lots of talent and showed when he was third in the Arkansas Derby. He gets blinkers on for the first time which may move him closer to the lead and gets a big rider switch from Chris Rosier to Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux. If he's closer early in the race, he has a big shot.

5) Luv Gov (11-1-3-1) - A horse the probably doesn't belong in the Belmont. Just one win and never beaten these kind of horses. Pass.

6) Charitable Man (4-3-0-0) - The value of the Belmont, the colt has never lost in three starts on "real dirt" and is 2-for-2 at Belmont Park. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin won this race in 2006 with Jazil and is very, very dangerous here.

7) Mine That Bird (10-5-2-0) - What more can you say about this colt? The Derby winner and Preakness runner-up has become such a great story continues to get better with each start. Jockey Calvin Borel is looking for racing immortality trying to win the Triple Crown on two different horses in the same year. The key will be is where Borel places the horse early in the race. He can't be to far back or to close. I would love to see him win and has a great shot to give Borel a "Calvin Crown."

8) Flying Private (12-1-4-0) - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won four Belmonts and turned this colt around after running last in the Derby. Was a troubled fourth in the Preakness but will need to improve more to be a factor here. Watch later in the year.

9) Miner's Escape (7-2-0-0) - Trainer Nick Zito has become the "Crown Killer" after stopping two Triple Crowns in the past five years. This horse's best shot will be to repeat what stablemate D'Tara did last year. Go to the front and steal the race. If he doesn't do that, he has no shot. But counting out Zito is tough in the Belmont is tough.

10) Brave Victory (9-2-2-1) - Zito's other horse in the Belmont will need a good trip to have any shot. Since he's on the outside, he will need to stay out of trouble and the best chance may be to drop back, like he did when he finished third to Charitable Man last month.

I will be rooting for Mine That Bird as it would be a great story in sports. Charitable Man is the best value of the race since he's 5-1.

Picks:
7) Mine That Bird
2) Dunkirk
6) Charitable Man
1) Chocolate Candy

Belmont Update - 5:00 p.m.

Calvin Borel was just interviewed on ESPN and was asked about not riding at all before the Belmont and he seemed at ease with his decision saying that he's stayed in shape and has kept busy. He also deflected some of that decision to his agent, Jerry Hissam. He certainly will leave himself open to criticism if he loses a close race in the Belmont.

As for an update on the odds, Mine That Bird is still hanging in at even money while Chocolate Candy if floating up to 8-1. He should be at least 10-1.

Charitable Man remains at 5-1 looks to be a good value as he loves Belmont and traditional dirt. Dunkirk remains steady at 6-1.

But, someone, please explain to me why Luv Gov is just 20-1. There's always someone who is way overbet in races and he is one of those horses. Flying Private is by far trainer D. Wayne Lukas' best shot.

New Star?

Trainer Todd Pletcher knew that his $1.7 million public auction purchase of last February had a lot of talent but Munnings had always flopped in the big races. In Saturday's Woody Stephens, the chestnut colt finally realized his ability with a super impressive 5 1/4-length victory over Everyday Heroes.

I am not sure that Munnings will give the likes of Mine That Bird and the other elite 3-year-olds a challenge at longer distances but at a mile or less, he could be tough colt to beat. This race should also be a confidence builder for a horse that was second in two of his three last starts.

The big disappointment in the Woody Stephens was Hull. He was a perfect 3-for-3 coming in but only managed a fourth place finish.

Belmont Update - 3:45 p.m.

The first big upset of the day of Belmont day happened in the 7th race when champion female turfer Forever Together was upset by Diamondrella in the Just a Game.

The next race on the card, The Woody Stephens, will showcase some of the up and coming 3-year-olds that were not ready or good enough to make the Triple Crown. Horses to watch in the race include Munnings, who cost $1.7 million at auction two years ago, This Ones for Phil, trained by Rick Dutrow who is best known for Big Brown's Triple Crown run of last year, and the undefeated (3-for-3) Hull.

As for the Belmont odds, the only change is Chocolate Candy drifting up to 7-1.

Mine That Bird is still even money, Charitable Man is 5-1 and Dunkirk 6-1.

The big mystery is how Luv Gov is 20-1. A horse who is 1-for-11 lifetime was a well beaten eight in the Preakness should be at least 50-1.

Belmont Update - 3 p.m.

With a 3 1/2 hours to go before the Belmont, the betting public has firmly backed Derby winner Mine That Bird.

The son of 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone is standing at even money. He might be a tad over bet but hard to doubt him now after the Derby and Preakness.

Second choice is Charitable Man - 5-1. I thought he might be a shorter price since he has never lost at Belmont (2-for-2) or on conventional dirt (3-for-3).

A pair of horses are tied for third choice at 6-1; Dunkirk and Chocolate Candy. Dunkirk's odds make sense but Chocolate Candy is over bet. He was 10-1 in the morning line and has never won “real dirt”.

The interesting next one on the list is Summer Bird. He is 11-1 and is become the “buzz horse” of Belmont Week. Before you get sold on him, remember he has only won one race in his career and is going to be far back early.

Happy Belmont Day

Things are in full swing at Belmont Park as we are already four races into the 13-race event. Of course, the Belmont is the 11th race on the card.

After a huge deluge yesterday afternoon, the skies have partially parted and the sun is very slowly coming out. The track is good so there is a little moisture left over and the turf is soft.

A lot of the talk in the Press Box is centered on Derby winner Mine That Bird and his jockey, Calvin Borel. A lot of the writers, including yours truly, are still wondering why Borel elected not to ride any horses before the Belmont. In fact, he bailed off the one horse he was slated to ride (5th race - Tobruk).

Going into the day, Mine That Bird was the 7-5 favorite and Charitable Man was the 8-5 second choice.

I will be back all day with lots of odds updates and a closer look at the Belmont field.

Where's Calvin?

On big race days like the Belmont Stakes, the races leading up to the headliner are almost always great. And no great race card is complete without all-star jockeys. However, there is one big name virtually missing from the riding roster on Saturday.

Calvin Borel, looking for racing immortality on Saturday in his quest for a Triple Crown, elected to ride in just one race outside Mine That Bird in the Belmont, the fifth race on the card, a turf race.

It's a questionable call for Borel not to ride in any dirt races before the Belmont. Since 2000, he has only ridden in four races at Belmont so he certainly is not familiar with the track. It certainly wouldn't take Borel long to understand the nuances of "Big Sandy" but why sit out any dirt races on Belmont Day.

We all know that racing can come down to split second decisions and we've seen how crucial those choices are in the Belmont. The most recent example was in 1998 when jockey Kent Desormeaux jumped the gun early with Real Quiet, moved a little prematurely and lost the Triple Crown by a gut wrenching nose to Victory Gallop in 1998.

Borel has made some really good ones over the past few years but to sit on the sidelines could be a disservice to the fans, trainer Chip Woolley and himself.

It's not to say that Borel had an opportunity to ride in every race on Saturday. And only he and his agent would know how many mounts were offered to them.

But for Borel to ride more often on Belmont day would have given the fans more to root for and given the new ambassador of racing some much needed exposure in the biggest media market in the country.

To Borel's credit, he's frequently made himself available to the media and is slated to make two high profile appearances in the next couple of days: the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning and David Letterman on Friday night.

The bottom line is this - if Borel continues his hot and masterful riding as of late, none of it will matter. (He has won 30 percent of his races since May 11.) He will be in the winner's circle on Mine That Bird celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.

Let's hope he stays white hot and won't pay the price for not getting familiar with a track that has turned so many Triple Crown dreams into nightmares.

Final Bird Move

Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird got in his final workout before Saturday's Belmont Stakes at Churchill Downs this morning.

The son of 2005 Belmont winner Birdstone worked a half-mile in :50 under jockey Calvin Borel. Even though that work wasn't all that fast, Borel could not be more confident.

"We're gonna win, no questions asked," he said

Trainer Chip Woolley was also thrilled with the workout.

"I think we are in good shape going into the Belmont," Woolley said. "The horse is doing good and probably training better than he did going into the Derby."

There certainly is reason for optimism in the "Bird Camp" and for Borel to win his own personal Triple Crown would be one of the best stories of the year.

But the Belmont has shattered lots of dreams in the past few years. (See Big Brown for the latest example.) And running in three of the biggest races of the year in five weeks is grueling.

Let's hope that Mine That Bird is resilient enough to grind out one more win to carry Borel into racing immortality and give a publicity shot in the arm that racing REALLY needs.

Also working today was Chocolate Candy. The fifth-place finisher in the Derby went a half-mile in :50.25. The son of Candy Ride has been training at Belmont Park for the past month.

Two of Mine That Bird's chief rivals worked Sunday at Belmont Park. Charitable Man went a half-mile in :49 and Dunkirk worked the same distance in :49.57.

Charitable Man is 3-for-4 lifetime and is a perfect 2-for-2 at Belmont Park. Dunkirk, trained by Todd Pletcher, hasn't run since his 11th place finish in the Derby.

Photo courtesy of Reed Palmer/Churchill Downs