Rachel Alexandra recovering from difficult birth
BY RICHARD LINIHAN Horse Racing
Saturday, February 16, 2013
2/16/13 at 5:13 AM
RACHEL ALEXANDRA, the 2009 Horse of the Year, delivered her foal, a filly by Bernardini on Tuesday, two days before Valentine's Day.
The foal had a little white splash marking on her forehead that was almost the shape of a heart.
But in this foaling process, Rachel Alexandra had complications that have her condition listed as "serious" at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.
The 7-year-old mare by Medaglia D'Oro had surgery to repair her small colon which was bruised during the birthing process.
Part of the colon was removed and the remaining two sections were re-attached.
After the early morning birth Tuesday, Rachel Alexandra began to show signs of distress Wednesday afternoon. Her abdomen was filling with fluid and staff at the farm thought she might have an infection.
The part of the colon removed did have a bacterial infection and a portion of the intestinal wall was compromised.
Rachel Alexandra was back on her feet Thursday, but was receiving antibiotics by IV, fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs.
The foal was sent to Stone-street Farm where she is doing fine with a nurse mare.
The filly weighed 140 pounds at birth, on the large side, and that may have caused the complications but that could not be confirmed.
Tiz Miz Sue favorite at Oaklawn: Saturday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., last year's Azeri Stakes winner at the Spa, Tiz Miz Sue, is the prohibitive favorite in the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes. The Steve Hobby-trained mare also finished third last year in the Grade 1 $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn.
Some of the players in this year's renewal of the Bayakoa include She's All In, owned by Tulsa doctor Robert Zoellner, and Don't Tell Sophia, winner of the $75,000 Pippin Stakes this winter.
Tiz Miz Sue was made a strong 3-2 favorite in the morning line.
Zoellner's She's All In most recently finished fourth in the $400,000 Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.
Tiz Miz Sue has been off since October, finishing fifth in her final race of 2012 on Polytrack at Keeneland.
Hobby said she should return to form back on the regular dirt surface of Oaklawn.
Her best race of 2012 may have been one she lost. Tiz Miz Sue was second in the Delaware Handicap to Royal Delta, one of the best fillies or mares in the world.
Hobby said he will be taking the blinkers off Tiz Miz Sue for this race because she has been working so well without them. The former mainstay at Remington Park in Oklahoma City entered Friday's races needing only two more wins to reach the 1,000-victory milestone in his career.
Borel returns: Three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel enters Saturday's card at Oaklawn one win shy of 5,000 for his riding career. It will be the first time Borel has been in the irons in 2013. He has been nursing a broken bone in his left wrist. He broke it a few days before the meet began.
Borel, who won the Derby aboard Street Sense, Mine that Bird and Super Saver, has two mounts on Saturday's card - in the third and sixth races.
Remington meet opens: Remington Park opened for training races for its upcoming quarter horse meet this week. Coronado Cartel won the first training race and the fastest one of the day on Thursday.
He went 250 yards in 13.45 seconds. That was good enough for a speed index of 81 under jockey Jimmy Brooks.
Coronado Cartel resides in perennial top trainer Eddie Willis at Remington Park.
The meet starts March 8 and runs through June 2 this year and is the 25th anniversary of horse racing at the Oklahoma City track.
Remington Park also will begin their free on-line handicapping contest opening week - the Remington Park High Q Test. The top 10 finishers during the contest will win cash, including $500 to the person who picks the most winners.
Original Print Headline: Rachel Alexandra treated for difficult birth
Richard Linihan is marketing director for Fair Meadows of Tulsa.
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