Brock Sheridan made a joke about Rachel turning all the boys’ heads when she walks into the paddock. He meant it in jest, but he’s got a point.
I blogged before about the mental edge Rachel’s size gives her in races. It didn’t occur to me that there’s another edge she has in today’s Woodward: she’s a girl.
I know, I know – that’s the big story angle we’ve all been talking about for weeks. But she’s in against seven boys, all horses – not geldings – so these are all horses who will be in the breeding shed for years to come. The only caveat is Past the Point, who happens to be a ridgling (he either has one testicle or only one that’s dropped enough to be palpated).
From working with some of the best at Three Chimneys, I can tell you that the statistic of stallions being able to smell mares from miles away is absolutely true (watching War Chant dance for hours was one of the highlights of my day).
And, like all men, boy horses are easily distracted by girl horses. They’re trained not to notice them in the mornings during workouts or in the barns, but all animals are hard-wired to mate and horses are no exception. So it’s fair to wonder if that will override some of the adrenaline of the day.
No girl likes to think she got ahead in the world based on anything but pure merit. But (in a moment of pure, unadulterated feminism) I say to Rachel: work it girl – knock their wraps off!
