Rachel Alexandra Stakes

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 6 March 1982 as the Davona Dale Stakes over a distance of one mile and forty yards and was won by Windfields Farm's Laura North who was trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Grover G. Delp and ridden by jockey Ronald Franklin in a time of 1:42.

The event was named in honor of Calumet Farm's champion homebred filly Davona Dale, foaled in 1976 was U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly after winning the Grade I Kentucky Oaks and sweeping the New York Triple Tiara series: the Acorn Stakes, the Mother Goose Stakes, and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Davona Dale was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1985. Today Davona Dale continues to have an event named for her as the GII Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

The event became a preparatory event for the Fair Grounds Oaks and was scheduled after the Thelma Stakes (today known as the Letellier Memorial Stakes for two-year-olds held in December) which was run over the six-furlong distance.

In 1985 the distance of the event was increased to one and one sixteenth miles and the winner Marshua's Echelon also was victorious in winning both the Thelma Stakes and the Fair Grounds Oaks.

The following year Tiffany Lass repeated Marshua's Echelon achievements and then continued with her undefeated streak winning the GI Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the GI Kentucky Oaks. Although Tiffany Lass would not race in the second half of 1986 her performances were substantial enough to land her U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors for the year.

In 1999 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III.

In 2001, a year after Silverbulletday retired Fair Grounds track administration renamed the event to the Silverbulletday Stakes.

In 2002 running of the event Take Charge Lady equaled the track record in winning by lengths in a time of 1:42.09.

In 2003 the event was upgraded to Grade II status but this only was until 2005 when it was downgraded back to Grade III.

Due to the catastrophic damage caused by of Hurricane Katrina to the Fair Ground Race Course in 2005 the event was held at Louisiana Downs in 2006.

In 2010 Fair Grounds track administration renamed the event again to the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in honor of the 2009 American Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra. Rachel Alexandra had won the Fair Grounds Oaks in 2009 during her exceptional campaign that won her the Eclipse Award.

In 2016 the event was upgraded from Grade III to Grade II status. In 2020, the purse was increased to $300,000.

The Rachel Alexandra Stakes is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and has produced multiple winners of that race, including Monomoy Girl (2018), Serengeti Empress (2019) and Good Cheer (2025).

Records

Speed record:

• miles: 1:42.09 – Take Charge Lady (2002)

Margins:

• 11 lengths – Out of the Bid (1987)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Kenneth Bourque (1984, 1987, 1991)
• 3 - Ronald Ardoin (1993, 1994, 1998)
• 3 - Florent Geroux (2015, 2018, 2022)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 6 - Steven Asmussen (2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2020, 2021)

Most wins by an owner:

• 4 - Winchell Thoroughbreds (2005, 2009, 2014, 2020)

Rachel Alexandra Stakes – Fair Grounds Oaks double:

• Marshua's Echelon †(1985), Tiffany Lass †(1986), Prospectors Delite †(1992), Blushing K. D. †(1997), Silverbulletday †(1999), Shawnee Country ‡(2000), Take Charge Lady ‡(2002), Summerly ‡(2005), Untapable (2014), I'm a Chatterbox (2015), Farrell (2017), Good Cheer (2025) Notes: † Rachel Alexandra Stakes was known as the Davona Dale Stakes ‡ Rachel Alexandra Stakes was known as the Silverbulletday Stakes

Winners

Notes: § Ran as an entry

References

References

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3. "Tiffany Lass (KY)".
4. (2022). "Silverbulletday Career". Thoroughbred Database.
5. (16 February 2002). "Take Charge Lady In Charge at Fair Grounds". BloodHorse.com.
6. (2022). "RACHEL ALEXANDRA STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Database.
7. (29 September 2005). "Delta Downs' Race Meeting in Question".
8. "Finite headed for Fair Grounds Oaks".
9. "Good Cheer profile".
10. (15 February 2025). "2025 Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes Grade 2 - (race 13)". Equibase.
11. (17 February 2024). "2024 Rachel Alexandra Stakes presented by Fasig-Tipton Grade 2 - (race 13)". Equibase.
12. (18 February 2023). "2023 Rachel Alexandra Stakes presented by Fasig-Tipton Grade 2 - (race 12)". Equibase.
13. (19 February 2022). "2022 Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton Grade 2 - (race 12)". Equibase.
14. (13 February 2021). "2021 Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton Grade 2 - (race 12)". Equibase.
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