Rachel Alexandra

It was back in the late seventies and early eighties, well before Steve Asmussen had his trainer's license, that the foundation was being set for what was to become a historic career. He was studying under his parents, Keith and Marilyn Asmussen, the multi-talented Texas-based team that did a little bit of everything, including breaking dozens of babies that would go on to stardom on the racetrack. Their youngest son, just a teenager then, saw what it took to be successful, the can't-miss combination of hard work, skill, devotion to...

Don't get me wrong. I respect Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). She's right up there among the best fillies and mares to compete in any of our lifetimes. But there was something routine about her victory in Sunday's GIII Bayakoa S. at Oaklawn Park. It was the 16th chapter in what has essentially been the same story from the start. In 15 of her 16 races, she has crossed the wire first, always against fillies and mares while winning in a manner better described as professional rather than breathtaking. There were some...

Last week's major development was the win by Clairiere (Curlin) in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, where she won a hard-fought decision over Travel Column (Frosted). With the victory, she has jumped up to the No. 2 spot in our rankings. She also becomes the third daughter of Curlin to make it into the Top 10 and a fourth, Millefeuille (Curlin), is knocking on the door for the Bill Mott stable. The other big change this week is that Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) drops out. While the connections...

Turn the clock back a dozen years and recall when a fledgling filly parlayed a November win in the GII Golden Rod S. into a torrid nine-stakes win streak that culminated in Horse of the Year honors. That filly, of course, was Rachel Alexandra. Now it's 2021, and the Fair Grounds annually honors Rachel Alexandra's brief (one win, one second) tenure in New Orleans with a Grade II stakes race in mid-February. Saturday's edition just so happened to feature the one-two fillies from the Nov. 28 Golden Rod S. at...

Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra carried the famed burgundy and gold silks of Stonestreet Farm to six victories, four of which were Grade Is, including the GI Preakness S. and GI Woodward S. So, it was only fitting that another filly carrying the colors of Barbara Banke's operation, Clairiere (Curlin), won that Horse of the Year's namesake Grade II race at the Fair Grounds Saturday. The event, which produced GI Kentucky Oaks winners in 2018 and 2019, offered 50 points towards this year's run for the lillies. Clairiere rallied strongly...

Unable to have its annual fundraiser this year, Blue Grass Farms Charities is hosting a virtual charity auction that starts Thursday, Oct. 29 at noon EST. Bidding will be open through Sunday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Featured items include halters worn by Justify, American Pharoah, Rachel Alexandra, Swiss Skydiver and more. Text BGFC to 76278 to register and receive communications on this inaugural auction or click here for a preview starting Monday at noon.

5th-Gulfstream West, $36,000, Msw, 10-25, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:38.80, sy, 3 lengths. GLADYS (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--Lotta Kim {SW & GSP, $146,485}, by Roar) met trouble at the start of her career and sprint debut here Sept. 18, never getting into the mix and finishing eighth. Sent off at 11-1 for her route bow, she was a stalking fourth behind Beyond Heavenly (Uncle Mo), who set  moderate early splits. Angled out several paths wide at the three-sixteenths pole, she took over in the stretch and ran clear to graduate by...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $63K, Msw, 6f, 2yo, f, 1:00 p.m. ET Shadwell Stable's ZAINALARAB (War Front) will get both her racing career and the Belmont fall meet underway Friday when facing five other juvenile fillies in this sprint. Bought for $1 million even at Keeneland September, the bay is the first foal out of GSW Delightful Joy (Tapit), a half-sister to GSW Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}) and 113 Beyer-earning SW Seymourdini (Bernardini). Trained by Chad Brown, she shows a steady worktab going back to mid-July at...

Karl and Cathi Glassman's Restofthestory became the first winner for her freshman sire Jess's Dream (Curlin) with a dominant score at Gulfstream Friday. Purchased for $95,000 at the OBS Spring Sale after breezing in :21 2/5, she finished second in her Aug. 8 unveiling here and was hammered down to even-money favoritism to improve this time. Seizing the early advantage, the dark bay ticked off splits of :22.54 and :46.15, cruising home to win as she pleased by 5 3/4 lengths. Mastering Bela (Cairo Prince) completed the exacta. Jess's Dream...

Wooderson (Awesome Again--Lotta Kim, by Roar), a half-brother to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), will enter stud at Burdette Thoroughbred Farm in Arkansas in 2021. The deal was brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock. Bred by Dede McGehee's Heaven Trees Farm, Wooderson was a $400,000 purchase out of the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, the co-highest priced yearling for his sire in 2016. Trained by Todd Pletcher for Let's Go Stable, the bay was a three-time winner from 10 starts, including a runner-up effort to future MGISW...

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen surpassed Dale Romans as the winningest trainer in the history of Churchill Downs Friday, sending out Drop Dead Gorgeous (Strong Mandate) to win the opening race on the program. The victory was his 738th at the historic Louisville oval. "If anyone knows American horse racing, they know what Churchill Downs means to the sport," Asmussen said. "This is a very significant honor. I know the people who have been in this spot before, and been here consistently, and for us to have won the most...

This is the second installment in a series highlighting racetrack photographers. We'll be asking about the most memorable horses, races, and people they've viewed through the lens and talking about how the craft of equine imagery has evolved. Each time we profile a photographer, TDN will feature their hand-selected favorite shots in multiple editions throughout the week. Members of the Coglianese family have been photographing horses at New York racetracks since the early 20th Century. Bob Coglianese, 85, first started shooting horse races in 1952 under the tutelage of an...