Travel Column Heads Rachel Alexandra Stakes

OXO Equine's Travel Column will attempt to begin her sophomore season the way she ended her juvenile campaign when she takes on seven other fillies in the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The Frosted  filly trained by Brad Cox won two of three races last season, scoring on debut at Churchill Downs in September and rallying after a crowded start to take the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) there in November. In between those two efforts she was third in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

"I loved her going into the (Golden Rod), I was concerned during the race, and I loved her even more after the race," Cox said. "It was a little bit of a worry. We saw it in the Alcibiades too, she breaks a little slow and had to make a premature move. But once she gets going, she's a really, really nice filly and she's shown it time and again."

Cox thinks highly enough of Travel Column to work her in company with his 2020 2-year-old male champion Essential Quality.

"She worked in tandem with Essentially Quality and has worked with him a lot and it's worked out well, they both get plenty out of it," Cox said. "She holds her own and for her to be able to do it with the 2-year-old champion colt says a lot. She gets you excited for sure."

Travel Column will break from post 8 under Florent Geroux.

Stonestreet Stables' homebred Clairiere also returns from the Golden Rod. After winning first time out in October at Churchill, she came running in the Golden Rod but was second one length behind Travel Column. The Curlin  filly trained by Steve Asmussen is the first foal out of Stonestreet's multiple grade 1 winner Cavorting. Joe Talamo will be aboard for the first time from the rail.

Travel Column and Clairiere picked up 10 and four points, respectively, on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks in the Golden Rod. The Rachel Alexandra, run at the same 1 1/16-mile distance, has even more points on the line with a scale of 50-20-10-5.

Clairiere is one of two fillies in the Rachel Alexandra that is Triple Crown nominated along with Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational, a winner in her first two starts at Woodbine, including the Glorious Song Stakes, and runner-up in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds. Mark Casse trains Souper Sensational, another Curlin daughter, who will be ridden by Declan Carroll from post 2.

Silverbulletday third-place finisher Moon Swag, a black-type winner in New Mexico before transferred to trainer Brendan Walsh, and fifth-place finisher Littlestitous, a runaway stakes winner at Delta Downs in December, will also return in the Rachel Alexandra. 

Last out allowance winners Becca's Rocket and Zoom Up will step up to stakes company for the first time in the Rachel Alexandra. Rounding out the field is Off We Go, second at the allowance level last out after running fifth in the Songbird Stakes in November at Keeneland.

Lothenbach Stables' homebred Charlie's Penny, winner of the Silverbulletday, will scratch from the race. Trainer Chris Block said Tuesday the filly will not run due to an injury, but that she is expected to make a full recovery.

MITCHELL: Charlie's Penny to Scratch Out of Rachel Alexandra

Entries: Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 13, 2021, Race 12

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:47 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Clairiere (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	Steven M. Asmussen	-
2	Souper Sensational (KY)	Declan Carroll	122	Mark E. Casse	-
3	Moon Swag (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Brendan P. Walsh	-
4	Off We Go (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Thomas M. Amoss	-
5	Becca's Rocket (KY)	Marcelino Pedroza	122	Scott Gelner	-
6	Zoom Up (KY)	James Graham	122	Thomas M. Amoss	-
7	Littlestitious (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	122	Thomas M. Amoss	-
8	Travel Column (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	-
9	Charlie's Penny (MN)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Chris M. Block	-