SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Rachel Alexandra has assembled one of the most impressive campaigns by a 3-year-old filly in the modern era. In winning four consecutive Grade 1 stakes - part of a 7-for-7 season thus far - Rachel Alexandra has destroyed her own sex while twice dominating the males of her generation.
In the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose, Rachel Alexandra set stakes records for margin of victory. She was the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years and just the second filly to win the Haskell Invitational.
But she has yet to meet a field with the quality and depth that she faces in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Seven older males, who have combined to win 23 stakes and bankroll $8.5 million, await the reigning queen of Thoroughbred racing in what may be the most anticipated race at this historic venue in years. The field includes Whitney winner Bullsbay, Stephen Foster winner Macho Again, Oaklawn Handicap winner It's a Bird, and the multiple group stakes winner Asiatic Boy. As a 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra gets in with 118 pounds, eight fewer than her seven older male opponents.
No filly or mare has won the Woodward, which will be run for the 56th time Saturday as part of a 12-race card that also includes the Grade 1 Forego for male sprinters. Both stakes are part of a pick-four wager with a guaranteed pool of $500,000. The races will be televised by MSG-Plus in a one-hour program, and also will be shown on TVG and HRTV.
"I think this falls in line with everything she's accomplished," said Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Rachel Alexandra since Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick purchased her May 7. "Lets hope it's another significant accomplishment on a very impressive resume. It's a tremendous opportunity. I feel fortunate for her to being doing this good right now."
Some of Rachel Alexandra's competitors feel she will need to be at her best to beat older males.
"I don't want to say she's great yet," said Marty Wolfson, who trains Woodward contender It's a Bird. "I grew up around Affirmed and Alydar, horses like that. Those are great horses. I cannot tag her great yet. She's a top filly. I've seen a lot of top fillies, too. My stepmother had Affectionately and Priceless Gem and horses like that. They were top fillies, but they weren't great horses. I think she's a top filly."
"I think it's definitely going to be her toughest test," said Eoin Harty, who sends out 2008 Woodward runner-up Past the Point against Rachel Alexandra. "I'm already a believer, but I'll be a true believer if she dominates this field like she has in the past."
Graham Motion, trainer of Bullsbay, said: "I think we got to hope she stubs her toe a little bit, but at the same time it is a very tall order for a 3-year-old filly to beat older horses. If there's ever one good enough, she could be the one."
Thus far, Rachel Alexandra has done it with a mix of speed and stamina that has kept her out of any trouble in her races. In the Haskell, she was a neck off the pace after six furlongs run in 1:09.92 and yet she still drew away from the field. Haskell runner-up Summer Bird came back to win the Travers easily last weekend.
"She's the best horse in the race," said Calvin Borel, who will ride Rachel Alexandra from post 3. "I know a lot of things can happen, but just watching [Summer Bird] run last week and what she accomplished beating that horse hands down, it's unbelievable. She's for real and she's doing good; that's the main thing."
There is some other speed in this field. Da' Tara, who won last year's Belmont Stakes on the front end, figures to go from the rail. Past the Point, who set the pace in last year's Woodward before succumbing to Curlin, also figures to be sent away from the gate from post 8.
"She actually is the speed of the race," trainer Nick Zito, who sends out Da' Tara and Cool Coal Man, said of Rachel Alexandra.
Wolfson said he wants It's a Bird to be up close to the pace as well. He pressed a fast pace before drawing clear to win the Oaklawn Handicap by six lengths and came back to win the Lone Star Park Handicap in similar fashion, both times with Julien Leparoux up. With Javier Castellano on It's a Bird in the Suburban, the horse was not on the pace and got discouraged, Wolfson said.
"I'm very happy Julien's back on him," Wolfson said. "He knows him very well. I wasn't so happy with the ride last time."
Bullsbay made an eye-catching move around the turn to tackle and pass Commentator in the Whitney. Motion initially thought about passing the race, but changed his mind when told by his exercise rider how well the horse was doing.
"He ran a huge race on this track," Motion said. "The implications of him running back to that race if he was to do that are so great."
Trainer Dallas Stewart shipped Macho Again back to his Churchill Downs stable following his second-place finish in the Whitney. But Macho Again was also doing too well to pass up this race.
"I really feel like Macho's on the top of his game," Stewart said. "It looks like his muscle and his weight have increased since the last race. His appetite's there, his energy's there, he'll have a good run."
Cool Coal Man won the Albert the Great Stakes by 12 3/4 lengths on Aug. 10. A repeat of that performance puts him in the hunt.
Asiatic Boy finished second in the Stephen Foster Handicap and Suburban, but missed the Whitney due to a temperature. Still, he won four group races in Dubai and finished second to Curlin in the 2008 Dubai World Cup.
The field:
Post position (program number)
1. (1) Da' Tara - Jose Lezcano - Nick Zito - 12-1
2. (2) Bullsbay - Jeremy Rose - Graham Motion - 6-1
3. (3) Rachel Alexandra - Calvin Borel - Steve Asmussen - 1-2
4. (1A) Cool Coal Man - John Velazquez - Nick Zito - 12-1
5. (4) Macho Again - Robby Albarado - Dallas Stewart - 8-1
6. (5) It's a Bird - Julien Leparoux - Marty Wolfson - 10-1
7. (6) Asiatic Boy - Alan Garcia - Kiaran McLaughlin - 10-1
8. (7) Past the Point - Edgar Prado - Eoin Harty 15-1
* Da' Tara and Cool Coal Man coupled