GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Mother Goose Stakes, horse racing, Rachel Alexandra, streaming video
Rachel Alexandra (daughter of Medaglia d'Oro), running away with the
2009 Kentucky Oaks (Grade I; three-year-old fillies)
under the guidance of Jockey Calvin Borel.
Image: David J. Phillip [larger view].
I have been keeping my eye on the amazing filly, Rachel Alexandra, who wowed the public by beating the boys as she won the Preakness Stakes last month. Yesterday, at Belmont Park in New York, Rachel Alexandra did it again. This time, she won the Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, setting not one, but two records in the process: her time of 1:46.33 was a record for the 1 1/8 mile race and her margin of victory of 19 1/2 lengths was the largest ever -- and she was being eased up during the last 1/8th of a mile, too. At the end of the race, her two competitors, Malibu Prayer and Flashing, looked like they were walking.
Moments later on the west coast of the United States, the brilliant unbeaten five-year-old mare, Zenyatta, won her 11th consecutive race by 2 1/2 lengths in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. She covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.15 while carrying an astounding 129 pounds, compared to Rachel Alexandra's 121 pound weight. Since Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta have both run out of age-class competitors, there is talk of the two horses meeting in a race later in the season, perhaps in the middle of August.
Zenyatta's Vanity Handicap victory was highlighted by the owners inviting two of her fans from the crowd into the winner's circle with their mare;
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Comments
She has an amazing amount of giddyup at the end of these races, doesn't she? Overdrive. She would have broken records in The Oaks too if Borel hadn't eased up. He was waving at the crowd and stroking her neck long before they hit the finish, and still won by over 20 lengths, if memory serves. A wonderful horse, and a great jockey too. rb
Posted by: arby | June 29, 2009 3:08 PM