Fair Grounds: Samantha Nicole, full sister to Rachel Alexandra, finishes second in debut

Samantha Nicole, the 3-year-old full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, finished second in her career debut Sunday at Fair Grounds.

The first foal from the mare Lotta Kim to race since Rachel Alexandra, Samantha Nicole went off as the 1-2 favorite in Sunday’s fourth race. Keyed up in the paddock, Samantha Nicole hit the gate as she broke and lunged at the start, spotting the leaders several lengths into the first turn, and the running position she took up – last in a five-horse field – turned especially disadvantageous when the early pace slowed to a crawl.

The half-mile split in the maiden race at one mile and 70 yards went in a glacial 51.04 seconds, and though Samantha Nicole found a decent stride on the far turn and passed three horses, she proved no match for third-time starter Handmade, who dashed away to win by 6 1/2 lengths.

Samantha Nicole, by Medaglia d’Oro, is trained by Steve Asmussen for owners Stonestreet Stable and George Bolton. Bred by Dolphus Morrison, who bred Rachel Alexandra and owned her through her 20 1/4-length win in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks, Samantha Nicole was purchased for $700,000 as a yearling of 2012.

Rachel Alexandra also lost her debut, finishing sixth in a maiden race going 4 1/2 furlongs in May of her 2-year-old season. Samantha Nicole, obviously, was much slower to make the races and appears at this point to lack the natural speed that Rachel Alexandra brought to her races.