When a little foal with a white upside-down exclamation point on her
forehead was born one morning in Kentucky, the heart of America's horse
racing region, problems mounted quickly. Rejected by her mother, the
filly would need to be accepted and nursed by another mare. As she grew,
the tall, knock-kneed girl remained skinny and scruffy, with paltry
muscles. Considered an "ugly duckling," she was unsuitable as a champion
racehorse, her owner proclaimed, and must be sold. But two days before
the sale, an examination revealed a medical condition--now she was
impossible to sell! What would become of this problem filly?
Alexandra the Great tells one of the greatest underdog tales in
American sports--the story of Rachel Alexandra, who grew up to become
one of the most remarkable racehorses in history. Despite dominating
every filly her age, her owner refused to let her compete against male
horses. When a new owner saw her potential and raced her against bigger,
stronger males, Rachel Alexandra thrived and went on to win the
Preakness, the first filly to do so in 85 years, and the Woodward, a
feat never before achieved by a filly. Having grown into a strong,
muscular, dominating athlete, Rachel Alexandra was named 2009 Horse of
the Year, broke records, graced the pages of Vogue magazine, and
showed people around the world exactly what it means to "run like a
girl."
Including vivid details gleaned from interviews with Rachel Alexandra's
owners, veterinarian, beloved jockey Calvin Borel, and more, Alexandra
the Great gives readers an exciting and emotional look at both the
humans and horses who pour their hearts and souls into the world of
Thoroughbred training and racing.
