Rachel Alexandra to return to races in Mother Goose Stakes against fillies at Belmont Park

Rachel Alexandra will run next in Mother Goose

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra is heading to Belmont Park after all.

Co-owner Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Farms announced in a news release Wednesday that his filly will return to the track June 27 in the Mother Goose Stakes, nearly three weeks after Jackson decided to rest his star rather than run her in the Belmont Stakes.

Jackson was concerned then about whether she was being overextended, but he said he put those concerns to rest after watching her spirited workout Monday morning under the newly installed temporary lights at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“Rachel is rested, healthy and ready to run,” Jackson said.

Calvin Borel, the filly’s regular jockey, will ride the filly in the Mother Goose.

The sensational filly beat the boys in the Preakness for her sixth victory in a row, all with Borel aboard. The 1 1/8-mile Mother Goose for 3-year-olds will be her first race against fillies since she dominated in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill by 20 1/4 lengths.

Rachel Alexandra is expected to arrive at Belmont on June 23.

Jackson explained last month that the filly “deserves a well-earned vacation,” which is why he opted against a run in the Belmont, the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Had she run, it would have set up a rematch with Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and given Borel a chance to try for a personal Triple Crown aboard the filly. He won the Derby on Mine That Bird and the Preakness on Rachel Alexandra, then returned to Mine That Bird for the Belmont, finishing third.

Borel was in Frankfort, Ky., on Wednesday, lobbying for lawmakers to approve video gambling at the state’s tracks as a way to boost racing purses.