Horse Racing Betting - Rachel Alexandra is a horse for the ages

• Who: Thoroughbreds – Rachel Alexandra, Pyro

• What: Horse Racing Betting Results – The Woodward, The Forego

• Where: Saratoga

• When: Saturday, September 5th

In winning Saturday’s Woodward at Saratoga, 3YO filly Rachel Alexandra locked up the “Horse of the Year” title, and more importantly, took her place as one of the truly great racemares of all time. Her 2009 campaign is reminiscent of those put together by racing legends Twilight Tear in 1944 and Busher in 1945. In all three cases, these 3YO fillies beat top older males en route to year-end honors. Winners of The Woodward include Forego (4 times), Kelso (three times), Cigar (twice), Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Curlin...and now Rachel Alexandra. The filly paid $2.60 to win and topped a $12.20 exacta with second choice Macho Again (8.10-1) rounding out the ticket.

In Friday’s online betting article, I recommended making a token play on Rachel Alexandra to win. If you followed that advice, you’re just a few bucks richer, but more importantly, you’ve got a race to tell your grandchildren about. It was truly high drama, with the filly showing tremendous heart to fend off multiple challenges and prevail by a head.

In the Grade 1 Forego, I recommended a play on #1-Pyro at odds of 7-2 or better. Pyro came from last to earn his first Grade 1 score at odds of 4.10-1. The 4YO colt by Pulpit had a nice tuneup for The Forego when he finished second in minor stakes on the meet’s opening day. With the Godolphin Stable firing on all cylinders at the meet, this multiple graded stakes winner struck me as a live horse at attractive odds. Second and third-place finishers Kodiak Kowboy and Ready’s Echo also made strong closing moves as the speed collapsed in the stretch.

Overall, the weekend’s horse racing results were quite satisfying both aesthetically and financially in the racebook. Let’s hope for more of the same in the weeks leading up to The Breeders’ Cup. Happy gambling!

Pete Mitchell has been handicapping horses since his teenage years. He has been a professional horse player for many years, and came to BetOnline.com’s attention through multiple referrals from industry insiders/sportsbook owners. Pete is revered for his horse handicapping opinion and industry experts acknowledge his impressive career winning record. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.