Horse of the Week

Rachel Alexandra

Rachel Alexandra foaled January 29th 2006 in Lexington, Kentucky at Heaven Trees Farm by Madaglia D’oro out of Lotta Kim is the 16hh Thoroughbred bay filly with a upside-down exclamation-point-shaped white blaze who wowed the American Racing world during her 3 year campaign.

 Rachel Alexandra who was named after the grandaughter of her breeder Dolphus Morrison was sold for an undisclosed sum, believed to be in excess of $10 million, to Stonestreet Stables & Harold T. McCormick, with billionaire Jess Jackson of Kendal Jackson Winery holding controlling interest.

Named Horse of the Year in 2009 Rachel Alexandra, Kentucky Oaks winner was the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years, and only the fifth to win the second jewel in the Triple Crown ever.

Racing career:

At 2:
Won Golden Rod S. (G2,CD,8.5F)
2nd Debutante S. (G3,CD,6F), Pocahontas S. (G3,CD,8F)
At 3:
Won Preakness S. (G1,Pim,9.5F), Kentucky Oaks (G1,CD,9F), Haskell Invitational S. (G1,Mth,9F), Mother Goose S. (G1,Bel,9F), Woodward S. (G1,Sar,9F), Fair Grounds Oaks (G2,FG,8.5F), Fantasy S. (G2,OP,8.5F), Martha Washington S. (OP)

At 4:
Won Fleur de Lis H. (G2,CD,9F),Lady's Secret S. (Mth,9F)
2nd La Troienne S. (G2,CD,8.5F), New Orleans Ladies S. (FG,8.5F),Personal Ensign S. (Sar,G1,10F)

Retired to stud at Stonestreet Farm with winnings of $3,506,730 Rachel Alexandra has recently given birth to her first foal, a colt by Curlin as yet unamed with his own FB page. Born 2.40pm 22nd January 2012 a video of the 125lb colt first steps can be seen on the Stonestreet Farm site:

Rachel Alexandra Curlin colt's first steps

And now the racing world waits to see if another champion has been born.

The horse that play's Joey in Spielberg's War Horse - Finders Key

One of the many equine stars in Speilberg's War Horse is the Thoroughbred Finders Key who not only performs as Joey but also, in one scene, as Joey's dam.

Finders Key, or Finder as he is known, was bred in California by James J. Lindsey, by the Roberto stallion Lindsey’s Roberto, he is out of the winning Key to the Mint mare, Thru the Keyhole but was unplaced  in three starts as a juvenile in 2002.

Finder then went on to act in the film Sea Biscuit and The Legend of Zorro by which time his trainer Bobby Lovgren had recognized Finder's amazing ability as an equine actor.

Lovegren says, “He is the best horse I’ve ever had. He’s truly amazing. The wilder looking things he’s so very good at—the fast things that make you believe the horse is scared or panicked. Those kinds of situations are very hard to train—the emotions—and he’s very good and believable at portraying them. He has so much animation and personality."

Recently Finder was dyed black to perform in an episode of CSI Miami and if you'd like to keep track of his acting career Finder has his very own Facebook page - Finders Key (Finder).