Travel Column, Clairiere hook up in Rachel Alexandra Stakes
By: Laurie Ross, Pedigree Power
The competition for 2021 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points heats up with the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G3). The contest ups the stakes to 50 points to the winner, with a 20-10-5 tier to second through fourth place.
The Rachel Alexandra Stakes, named for the 2009 Champion 3-year-old Filly and Horse of the Year, is the second of three Kentucky Oaks prep races held at the Fair Grounds. The listed Silverbulletday Stakes and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) are the others. Three fillies have completed the Rachel Alexandra Stakes/Kentucky Oaks double in the last decade, and two Rachel Alexandra winners finished third in the Oaks.
The 1 1/16-mile contest initially attracted nine 3-year-old fillies; however, Silverbulletday Stakes, heroine Charlie’s Penny was scratched due to a small bone fracture. She is expected to return to training after a three-month layoff.
The Rachel Alexandra Stakes is led by the Golden Rod (G2) winner and runner-up, Travel Column and Clairiere. The Silverbulletday Stakes, runner up Souper Sensational, and third-place finisher Moon Swag will stretch to two turns for the first time.
Let’s take a closer look at the fillies.
TRAVEL COLUMN (Frosted - Swingit, by Victory Gallop) is the only graded stakes winner in the field. The pretty gray filly won the Golden Rod Stakes despite a slow start and being bottled up in the stretch. Once she got clear, she ran down Clairiere to win by a length. The Brad Cox trainee is making her 3-year-old debut in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Two of the last three winners, including Cox’s Monomoy Girl (2018), won this race off a layoff.
Travel Column is bred to handle nine furlongs and farther. Her half-brother Neolithic is multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed at nine and ten furlongs. Their dam Swingit is a multiple stakes-winning turf miler.
CLAIRIERE (Curlin - Cavorting, by Bernardini) looked home free in the Golden Rod until the more experienced Travel Column passed her within a furlong of the wire. Her trainer, Steve Asmussen, conditioned last year’s Rachel Alexandra heroine Finite.
Clairiere, a daughter of Curlin, is the first foal out of the multiple Grade 1 winner, Cavorting. The mare earned $2,063,000 in 13 starts from six to nine furlongs.
SOUPER SENSATIONAL (Curlin - Kateri, by Indian Charlie) put forth a reasonable effort in her switch from Polytrack to the Fair Ground’s dirt to finish second in the Silverbulletday Stakes after a wide trip. She appeared once-paced through the stretch but owns a 101 late-pace speed figure, the highest in the field.
Souper Sensational’s dam is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Tiz Miss Sue and 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Bulletin.
MOON SWAG (Malibu Moon - Yara, by Put It Back) finished third in the Silverbulletday, bested by four lengths, although she made up ground on Souper Sensational.
Moon Swag’s full brother Heavy Roller hit the board in a pair of stakes at Assiniboia. However, their dam is a Grade 2 winning miler, and this is the family of Healthy Addiction and her accomplished daughter My Sweet Addiction, both Grade 1 winners. Moon Swag should appreciate the extra distance here.
ZOOM UP (Upstart - Open Agenda, by More Than Ready) is ready to do just that after beating winners by a handy two lengths in an Allowance Optional Claimer in her last start. Her Brisnet speed figures are moderate, but it’s time for this Tom Amoss trainee to test the graded stakes waters.
The daughter of Razorback Handicap hero Upstart is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed turf sprinter What'sontheagenda.
OFF WE GO (Air Force Blue - Conquest Strate Up, by Not Bourbon) is the second of a trio of Rachel Alexandra Stakes fillies conditioned by Tom Amoss. Off We Go closed in the slop in her last start to miss by 3/4-length. She passed the pacesetter after the wire. The extra distance should suit Off We Go, but her speed figures are on the low side.
By European Champion 2-year-old out of a stakes-winning turf sprinter, one would think Off We Go would have a promising future on turf. She may wind up there eventually. Off We Go’s second dam is a half-sister to Horse of the Year and prominent sire Curlin.
LITTLESTITIOUS (Ghostzapper - Broadway Play, by Quality Road) (6/1). The Tom Amoss trainee showed speed and fade in the Silverbulletday and faded to fifth. It was the first time she’s finished out of the money in her six-race career. So did she regress after her huge ten-length victory in the My Trusty Cat Stakes at Delta Downs, or is she out of her league?
Littlestitious is bred to progress with maturity and should love the extra distance. Her dam is a half-sister to Broadway Empire, a multiple Grade-3 winner at 1 1/8-miles and 1 1/36-miles.
BECCA'S ROCKET (Orb - Idoitmyway, by Unbridled's Song) brings her game on every surface. She’s a winner over turf and mud and has finished second on dirt. The free-running filly tuned up for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes with a 3/4-length victory at a mile over Sam Houston’s turf course. She graduated at the Fair Grounds last year with a 4 1/4-length victory in the slop. Becca's Rocket
Becca's Rocket is a half-sister to a trio of stakes earners, the winning sprinter Star Student, Grade 2-placed turf miler Another Time and stakes-placed turf miler Muchmorethanthis.
Becca's Rocket does her best work on the front end. She’ll try to take them gate to wire in her 2-turn debut. Definitely a speed/fade candidate. She may be joined on the front end by Zoom Up, with Littlestitious not far behind. Travel Column, Off We Go, and Souper Sensational have tactical speed. Joe Talamo takes over the reins on Clairiere, and she may show a little more zip from post 1.
#1 CLAIRIERE (5-2)
#8 TRAVEL COLUMN (2-1)
#2 SOUPER SENSATIONAL (8-1)
#3 MOON SWAG (#15-1)
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