Superstar Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to capture the $1,100,000 Preakness S. (G1) in 85 years on May 16th, defeating her male rivals in impressive fashion in the 1 3/16-mile Classic at Pimlico to take her place in the history books.

Under regular rider Calvin Borel – who opted to ride the filly over Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird – Rachel Alexandra broke well from the far outside and set the pace alongside Big Drama. The fractions were honest and several high profile colts stalked in close range throughout. But as they came off the far turn, Medaglia d’Oro’s sensational first-crop filly disposed of the majority of those colts and opened up on the field in midstretch.

Mine That Bird commenced a rally from the rear to be a fast-closing second on the far outside, but the filly was best. She bounded across the wire the winner by a length, stopping the clock in 1:55.08 over a fast track in Baltimore. Rachel Alexandra paid $5.60 to win as the 9-5 favorite in the 13-horse race, where she was the lone filly. The last filly to beat the boys in the Preakness was Nellie Morse back in 1924.

“She's the greatest racehorse I've been on in my life,” said Borel.

Trained for the first race by Steve Asmussen for new owners Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick, Rachel Alexandra won the second leg of the Triple Crown just two weeks after her 20 ¼-length romp in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The long-striding bay filly moved her record to 8-2-0 from 11 starts with earnings of $1,618,354, and she won her second consecutive Grade 1 and fifth overall graded stakes. Out of the Roar mare Lotta Kim, she was bred in Kentucky by her former owner Dolphus Morrison.

Second-crop sire sensation Medaglia d’Oro enjoyed another stellar weekend in some of the country’s biggest racing events, as his Rachel Alexandra not only made history with her Preakness win but his daughter Payton d’Oro captured the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico the day prior. Both star 3-year-old fillies from Medaglia d’Oro’s debut crop at stud, Payton d’Oro and Rachel Alexandra combined for the rare sweep of the two coveted local stakes events for 3-year-olds.