Rachel Alexandra - Curlin Colt

The bay colt was born at 2:40 p.m. at Stonestreet Farm, near Lexington. He took his first steps 1 1/2 hours later. Stonestreet farm manager Gary Megibben said both mare and foal were doing well and that “Rachel is a natural mother, and took to the colt immediately.”

The colt is emblazoned with a white star and is said to resemble his mother.

“I am thrilled with the good news of Rachel’s safe delivery and health of the handsome colt that resembles her,” owner Barbara Banke said in the release. “For me and my children, this colt represents Jess’ dream – to raise and race the best. Co-owner Hal McCormick and I look forward to watching him develop and are excited to see him carry the Stonestreet silks as his Mom and Dad did before him.”

Jess Jackson and McCormick purchased Rachel Alexandra from owner-breeder Dolphus Morrison after her 20 1/4-length romp in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks. Jackson died in April 2011.

Rachel Alexandra, by Medaglia d’Oro and out of Lotta Kim, won five Grade 1 stakes in 2009 – the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell, and Woodward – on her way to a Horse of the Year title. Curlin won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2008 Dubai World Cup.

Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to bred this year to Bernardini, who covered 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta last year. That foal is due some time in April.

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2011 Breeders’ Cup Mile

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2011 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

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ELMONT, N.Y. – Mucho Macho Man, one of just three horses to have competed in all three Triple Crown races this year, is nearing a return to the races.

On Friday, Mucho Macho Man worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 over the Belmont Park training track. Working out of the starting gate, Mucho Macho Man was timed in fractions 22.87 seconds, 45.82, and 57.47 by New York Racing Association clockers. His work was timed from the 5 1/2-furlong pole to a half-furlong past the wire.

“He worked good, he looked great, he finished well,” trainer Kathy Ritvo said. “He hadn’t been to the gate for a long time, so we thought we’d bring him there.”

Mucho Macho Man finished third behind Animal Kingdom and Nehro in the Kentucky Derby. He then finished sixth in the Preakness and seventh in the Belmont Stakes. Mucho Macho Man was given time off and didn’t return to the work tab until mid-August. He worked four times from Aug. 12 through Sept. 2, but then got sick and Ritvo had to stop on him.

Friday’s move was Mucho Macho Man’s third breeze since Oct. 6. Though he is nominated to next Saturday’s Bold Ruler at Belmont Park, Ritvo said she would wait until Aqueduct to run the colt. There are several races in the first condition book for which Mucho Macho Man is eligible at Aqueduct, when that meet opens Nov. 4.

Last year, Mucho Macho Man finished second behind To Honor and Serve in both the Nashua and Remsen – both Grade 2 races at Aqueduct.

“We want to make sure he’s fit,” Ritvo said. “He’s been coming back from his breezes very, very well.”

Mucho Macho Man, Animal Kingdom, and Preakness winner Shackleford were the only horses to run in all three Triple Crown races.

Though he remains focused primarily on the Breeders’ Cup Classic, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday that he would likely pre-enter Uncle Mo in the $1 million Dirt Mile as well.

“We will probably pre-enter in the Mile as a second choice,” said Pletcher, who trains Uncle Mo for Mike Repole. “I suppose just as an insurance policy. There’s no harm in pre-entering him.”

Uncle Mo came out of his five-furlong breeze in 58.42 seconds on Sunday in good order, according to Pletcher.

“The great thing about that work, as strong as it was, he came back and tore up his feed tub that day and that night and has continued to thrive on it,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher also plans to pre-enter Aikenite in the Dirt Mile and the six-furlong Sprint and will analyze both fields to see which one best sets it up for Aikenite’s late-running style. Aikenite finished eighth in last year’s Dirt Mile and is coming off a nose loss in the six-furlong Phoenix at Keeneland.

“Ideally, seven-eighths is his best distance, so we’re trying to figure that out,” Pletcher said. “We just have to see how the races look like they’re going to be run.”

Trainer Marty Jones said Tres Borrachos would be pre-entered in the Dirt Mile but is not definite to run. Tres Borrachos gets his pre-entry and entry fees picked up by the Breeders’ Cup because he won the San Diego at Del Mar, a Win and You’re In race.

Jones said the horse also would also be nominated to the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill on Nov. 4. Tres Borrachos is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Goodwood.

Others expected to be pre-entered in the Dirt Mile on Monday are Caleb’s Posse, Irrefutable, Jackson Bend, Jersey Town, Shackleford, Tapizar, Trappe Shot, Twirling Candy, and Wilburn.

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With six Graded Stakes Races at Belmont Park on Saturday, an interesting theme has occurred in almost every race. It comes down to two top horses in each race. Here is a preview:

The feature race is the Jockey Club Gold Cup at a 1 1/4 mile. Stay Thirsty and Flat Out stand far above the others. Stay Thirsty has been on quite a roll, winning both The Travers and Jim Dandy, with a close 2nd in the Belmont Stakes in the slop; and it could be a wet track on Saturday. Flat Out has had back-to-back 2nd place finishes in the Grade 1 Woodward and Whitney, with a win before that in the Suburban over this same track. Who will win? Well, the last eleven winners of the JCGC have been 3 and 4 year olds. Keeping that in mind, Stay Thirsty is 3 and Flat Out is 5. Stay Thirsty is the pick to bring home the Gold Cup and could be a leading contender for Horse of the Year.

For the ladies, the Beldame is the feature. Leading Horse of the Year Candidate Havre de Grace has won four of five this year with only a nose lose to Blind Luck at a 2 lb disadvantage in the Delaware Cap. She will have only one serious rival in Royal Delta, who is coming off a great win in Alabama. Though Royal Delta could only manage 3rd in the CCA Oaks before that, she did break her maiden here over this surface. However, the pick here has to be the ultra impressive Havre de Grace, now 4. It has been nine years since a 3yo won this race, and that streak will continue.

The 1 mile Kelso features Jackson Bend, who has back-to-back wins with Beyers of 107 and 108, including a win in the Grade 1 Forego against Uncle Mo. Uncle Mo came back after a long illness layoff to get an impressive 2nd in the Grade 1 Kings Bishop. Yet, Mo is a 3yo and it has been twenty years since a 3yo has won this race. Therefore, the pick here will be the “on-fire” 4yo, Jackson Bend.

The most competitive race is the 6f Vosburgh. The BC Sprint winner Big Drama came off an eight month layoff to win in his return, but did get one of the lowest Beyers of his career in that race. He will have to beat Trappe Shot, and that will be tough. He is 3-3 lifetime at Belmont, with an 8 length romp in the mud two back, and 2 wins over a fast Belmont main track. All three of those wins were triple digits Beyers. Trappe Shot should make it 4-4 at Belmont.

The 1 1/2 mile Joe Hirsch on the turf features Cape Blanco. He is 2-2 since coming to the U.S. Both are Grade 1 wins, including the Man o’ War Stakes over the lawn here at Belmont. He has won on both yielding and good turf, so the surface condition should not bother him. The main challenger will be Winchester, who did win the G1 Sword Dancer at this distance his last out. In four starts at Belmont, he has never finished out of the exacta. But he is a 6yo, and a 6yo has never won this race. Cape Blanco is the pick.

The Flower Bowl on the lawn for the girls features Aruna, who has never been out of the exacta in six lifetime starts in the U.S. She races against Stacelita, who won the Grade 1 Beverly D last out. These two horses are very evenly matched, and it would be no surprise to see either horse win. A small edge to Aruna.

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