Any doubt concerning this year's Horse of the Year title was put to rest Saturday afternoon at Saratoga with the victory by three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra in the Woodward Stakes versus older horses.

The lady, with Calvin Borel riding, accepted everything the seven males offered and turned them back in the 1 1/8 mile event. 'Rachel' went through the first quarter-mile in just over 22-seconds with 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara along side.

The second quarter-mile was just a little slower, but enough for Da' Tara to drop out of competition. 'Rachel' had the lead coming off the turn and entering the stretch. Macho Again and Bullsbay were to her outside and inside, respectively. The filly did not fold down the stretch. She dug in with Borel urging her on. The head victory was the smallest for 'Rachel' this year.

"She would never let him (Macho Again) go by her," Borel said Saturday. "Every time he went up to her, she would dig in again. Even galloping out, I said to Robby, 'You ain't going by us.' She is such a tremendous filly. He ran up to her three times and she kept giving me a little bit more.

"She's a champion. She's the reason we come here. We did a lot today. Today, we made history which nobody ever did it. It was a big (weight) off of me because I wanted to win this race really bad. It's like winning the Kentucky Derby. I knew she was good enough to do it and I had to go out there and not mess it up."

At this point in the season it's unusual for three-year-old colts to defeat quality handicap horses, but for a filly to win is unheard of.

"I thought she truly showed she was a champion today," trainer Steve Asmussen following the race. "I can't say enough, first of all, about Jess (co-owner Jess Jackson) and the guts they've shown by continuously putting out there and raising the bar with a tremendous filly. I'm just extremely proud to be associated with her. I'm proud of the whole team, (assistant trainer) Scott Blasi, (exercise rider) Dominic Terry, it was a very emotional win."

Jess Jackson has a bit of showman in him. He bought the filly after her win in the Kentucky Oaks and didn't hesitate to put her in the Preakness Stakes against colts and geldings.

She solidified her title as 2009 champion three-year-old filly with her easy win in the Mother Goose Stakes and then posted her second win versus the boys in the Haskell Invitational.

"I think she's something for the ages and she's certainly proven her mettle," Jackson noted on Saturday. "On the earlier question about her attitude, she is a fighter. After blazing those fractions and in the Haskell, she still won. And maybe this wasn't a pull-away victory, but if we run her again, the next one will be. She was, in my opinion, a little down today, but she still won and that's the courage and fight she has."

The fact that Jackson will not run Rachel Alexandra in the Breeders' Cup this year at Santa Anita has no bearing now on Horse of the Year.

"She's run more races than Zenyatta's run, and Zenyatta's a five-year-old," Jackson said during Saturday's post-race news conference. "You can't expect a youngster, she's only three and she just ran against older horses, to keep going all the time. You have to give them a break, and we'll talk that over very seriously."

This will be the third straight Horse of the Year honor for Jackson's Stonestreet Stable. Curlin received the honor in 2007 and 2008.

"For the owners, I want to thank Steve and Scott and Amy and all the crew," Jackson said, "the exercise (riders). We have a team that has been exceptional, particularly for her. And I've got to thank Calvin, he kept her out of trouble today."

Jackson has basically promised that 'Rachel' will run in 2010, with the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs the goal.

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