Some Preakness sidelights

Well, Rachel Alexandra sure proved she's the real deal, becoming the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years. And the thing is, she did it while pressured the whole way and without a breather. She stared the boys in the eyes and withstood their best shots, prevailing by a length after setting some swift fractions.

I wrote earlier that I thought she could take this field gate to wire, but that if Big Drama wanted the lead she could lay second like in the Kentucky Oaks and then make her move turning for home. This time, Calvin Borel took the lead and set splits of 23.13 seconds and 46.71 seconds -- all while being pressured the whole way by Big Drama, the colt a lot of people in the know thought had a shot to win the race. But it was Big Drama who blinked, finishing fifth as Rachel Alexandra opened a four-length lead in the stretch and held off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird for the victory -- her sixth consecutive stakes win.

Some observations:
(1) Mine That Bird might just be a better horse than I and many of my contemporaries were willing to admit going into the Preakness. I didn't think he'd hit the board, much less run the game second that he did. But somewhere between Sunland Park and Churchill Downs, this guy found his stride. He's earned my respect now.
(2) Pioneerof the Nile ran like a tired horse. Fourth after the first quarter mile, he was fifth after four furlongs and then faded to finish 11th. He was eased by jockey Garrett Gomez in the late stages, beaten about 26 lengths. I'd be surprised if trainer Bob Baffert tries the Belmont in three weeks.
(3) In a TVG interview about three hours before the race, trainer D. Wayne Lukas told Ken Rudolph and Matt Carothers that bettors should include his horses, long shots Luv Gov and Flying Private, on the bottom half of superfectas. Well, viewers who listened might have been rewarded when Flying Private, at 25-1, closed from 10th to finish fourth and complete a $2,903.80 super. If you liked Mine That Bird to follow his Derby shocker with another big effort, that was not a difficult super to tab if you included Lukas' colt on the back end.
(4) Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem was a threatening fourth after six furlongs but had nothing for the stretch and finished sixth. I'd be less surprised if trainer Gary Stute runs the colt in the Belmont than I would be if Baffert runs Pioneerof the Nile, but I still don't think he'll run.
(5) Will Rachel go in the Belmont? Before the race, owner Jess Jackson said it all depended on how taxing the Preakness was on the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro. Jockey Calvin Borel said she didn't even like the track and still won, that he felt he had it all the way, even with Mine That Bird closing well on the outside, but the official chart says she was all out to win. Still, Gary Stevens said on NBC immediately after the race that she didn't look tired in the winner's circle.
(6) If Rachel skips the Belmont, you might want to get an early bet down on Charitable Man, an impressive winner of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park last weekend. He already showed he likes the track, he's fresh, he's bred to go 1 1/2 miles and he's talented enough to win.
(7) After today, it's my guess that Mine That Bird, Musket Man, Flying Private, Big Drama, Terrain, Luv Gov and Charitable Man are good bets to run in the Belmont, along with some other assorted newcomers. If Rachel doesn't go, well, it looks like a wide open Belmont and there will be a few other fresh faces who will try the final leg of the Triple Crown series.