2009 winner Rachel Alexandra better after life-threatening infection.
Oxbow gallops at Pimlico in Baltimore on Friday. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
She’s been featured in Vogue, is considered racing royalty, and beat all the boys at Preakness back in 2009. Rachel Alexandra won’t be participating in this year’s race, but she’s on the mend after suffering a life-threatening, post-birth infection. Fans of Rachel, who in 2009 became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85, were notified about their favorite mare’s dire condition via social media. But they’ll be glad to know her career isn’t over. “Running is not the word for it,” said Rachel Alexandra’s nurse. “She is breezing for the Belmont.”