Running Rachel In Belmont Is Crazy

Jess Jackson, I assume, is an egomaniac. He slapped his name on his wines (Kendall-Jackson), and it appears he's not happy out of the limelight in racing, now that his champion Curlin is retired.

So he bought Rachel Alexandra for a bundle and ran her on just two weeks rest in the Preakness and beat the boys.

Now they're getting her set to run again in just three weeks in the most grueling race of all, the mile and a half Belmont Stakes.

The problem is: she's "exhausted," according to what jockey Calvin Borel said Sunday morning after the Preakness. She was definitely tiring at the end of the race, which could be the result of her lack of rest between races.

These days trainers rarely run a horse with less than a month between races, if not more. If she runs in the Belmont on June 6, it will be her fifth race in nine weeks, or an average of one every 13 days. That's too much for just about any horse to survive.

And it's not like nobody is going to challenge her in the Belmont. Fresh shooters will be coming out of the weeds to take her on.

Remember Smarty Jones? He lost to Nick Zito's Birdstone, costing Smarty the Triple Crown. Winning jockey Edgar Prado was almost apologetic for his winning ride.

After her performance in the Preakness, Rachel Alexandra is crying out for a break. But I don't expect Jackson to give her one. He needs to have his name in the papers. If she can stand up, she'll be entered in the Belmont.

So don't be shocked if America gets its heart broken again.

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