Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) began 2009 as a filly with a future, but, by the time the dust had settled in September, she had rolled a hard eight, completed a campaign that sets a new standard for her division and outpointed the great Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) as Horse of the Year. She became the first three-year-old filly ever named Horse of the Year, and just the fourth distaffer to be so honored in the 39 years since the Eclipse Awards were unveiled in 1971. For Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen, it was an unprecedented feat as well–the first time connections have won three consecutive Horse of the Year awards with two different horses, with Rachel Alexandra following in the hoofsteps of Stonestreet's 2007 and 2008 hero Curlin (Smart Strike).
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