Rachel Alexandra 1-9 in the Woodward

I'm sitting here in the Del Mar press box, there are about 15 minutes before the $750,000 Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga and a 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra, is 1-9 to beat older males in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Unbelievable.

Now, I'm as big a fan of Rachel as the next person, and I realize some of that money is from fans who just want to bet two bucks on the filly for a souvenir ticket, but 1-9? I mean, she's trying to do something that hasn't been done since 1944 -- beat older males on the dirt in a Grade 1 race.

Earlier this week, Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, which is running Macho Again in the race, talked about Rachel and the challenge she faces today.

"We know we're going to have to show up with our 'A' game if we want to beat her, but it's a different pool, running against older horses and the boys," he said. "I'm not saying she can't win in the deeper waters, but it is a different pool than against straight 3-year-old colts.

"So we'll see what happens, and we know that Saratoga is known as the graveyard of favorites. We hope we're in a spot where in 20 or 30 years they're talking about this race in 2009."

For racing, I hope she does it. I hope she wins. But she's by no means a 1-9 shot. If she wins today, it will be her greatest accomplishment. They're going to all be gunning for her and she's going to have to earn it. Everyone now wants to ride, train or own the horse that beats Rachel Alexandra. She's got a huge target on her back.