The 2009 Preakness Stakes was the 134th running the historic race on May 16, 2009, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, Rachel Alexandra, a filly, took first place.
Favorite Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier, had to hold off a late charge. To win the Preakness, she became the first filly, as the favorite.
Rachel Alexandra, from a $1.1 million purse, earned a first prize of $660,000.
As Asmussen’s, Curlin finished second to a filly the last time a filly won a Triple Crown Race (Rags to Riches, 2007 Belmont Stakes), for him winning with a filly was sweet.
Calvin Borel, who rode, two weeks earlier winner Mine That Bird, rode Rachel Alexandra this time. On two different horses, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. At the Preakness, it was Borel’s first win.
At the Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2009, Borel rode 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird to victory, a day after winning the Kentucky Oaks abroad Rachel Alexandra. By winning the Derby-Oaks combo in the same year, he became the seventh jockey to do so. To participate in and win the Preakness, Rachel Alexandra became the first Kentucky Oaks winner.
In the race, Mine That Bird had a slow start. His second place finish put an end to any chance of a Triple Crown, extending the Triple Crown drought to 31 years.
12 colts and 1 filly participated in the race. Mine That Bird (6-1), Friesan Fire (6-1), Pioneer of the Nile (5-1) and Rachel Alexandra (8-5) were the favorites. The four favorites were given postpositions of 13, 9, 5, and 2 respectively. From the 13th post, Rachel Alexandra became the first horse to win the race.
The other two favorites didn’t finish in the same strong manner as finished by Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra. Friesan Fire, trained by J. Larry Jones and Pioneer of the Nile, trained by Bob Baffert finished 10th and 11th positions respectively. Musket Man was in the third place and finished a half-length behind Mine That Bird.
Nielsen rating since 1990 was the second best. Attendance of more than 35,000 at the event plummeted.