(Originally published in the April 30, 2011 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine . Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column. ) By Eric Mitchell - @EJMitchellKy on Twitter Thoroughbred racing took a major hit last week with the passing of Jess Jackson, as provocative...

I guess it was too much to hope for to have Rachel Alexandra retire in a normal manner. Nothing about her retirement makes any sense, with only another rhetoric-filled and oddly timed press release from Jess Jackson to go by. It looks, at least on the surface, as if Rachel started the year running when...

My initial reaction upon hearing the news that Rachel Alexandra had been retired was not one of surprise. I think most of us that have followed her bizarre campaign were half expecting her not to make it to the Breeders' Cup anyway. No, my initial instinct was not surprise. It was disappointment--disappointment...

There has been quite an uproar over the announcement that Rachel Alexandra will run in the non-graded Lady’s Secret Stakes instead of the grade I Ruffian Handicap at Saratoga the following week. Although one can only speculate what their thinking is, here are some possibilities, going so far as to look...

So let me make sure I have this right: The connections for Rachel Alexandra, the reigning Horse of the Year, have decided to bypass the Stephen Foster for the Fleur de Lis. Both races are the same day at 1 1/8 miles. The grade I Foster includes a solid field of older males, including Blame, Battle Plan...

“The queen is dead. Long live the queen.” OK, so it’s not quite as dramatic as Charles VII’s ascension to the throne of France following the death of his father. But the way people are talking, one would think Queen Rachel has abdicated her throne after only two months and a “shocking” defeat at the...

When Oaklawn Park owner Charlie Cella announced he would ante up $5 million in an attempt to lure Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta to the April 3 Apple Blossom (gr. I) we all knew it was a longshot at best. Everyone wondered aloud, “How can Rachel be ready by then?” On Feb. 10, Jess Jackson, co-owner of...

(Originally published in the January 23, 2010 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine . Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column. ) Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta couldn’t share Horse of the Year honors, but the fans of both outstanding females should be thrilled. Not only...

Rachel Alexandra is blazing a path that no other 3-year-old filly has in modern history. She has already beaten her male peers in the Preakness and Haskell, and will now try to defeat older males in the Woodward. She is an amazing racehorse and a blessing for Thoroughbred racing during a tough time....

Jess Jackson has made his first decision: No Alabama for Rachel Alexandra. So what, you might say. That wasn't the place to run her anyway. Well, I believe that's just where she should have run. Yes, I know that race would have proven little, and that she has transcended 3-year-old filly competition...