Hard to get past Positive Spirit in Rachel Alexandra

NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Rodolphe Brisset walked down the shed row of his Fair Grounds barn, went into a stall, and proudly removed the blanket from a filly to reveal a healthy coat and hearty, long-bodied physique. Brisset, one might say, was displaying a very positive spirit two days before the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes.

His entrant is named Positive Spirit, and in her 2-year-old finale she won the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct by 10 1/2 lengths. Brisset tried to give her a winter break at Payson Park in Florida. Positive Spirit had other ideas.

“She didn’t like it,” he said. “She wanted to train.”

So Brisset, like a good, sensitive horseman, acceded to his filly’s wishes. Positive Spirit has logged six workouts at Payson and stands a good chance to start her 3-year-old campaign like she ended her 2-year-old season.

Ten were entered in the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra, which awards 85 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points distributed 50-20-10-5 to the first four finishers, but morning-line favorite Chasing Yesterday didn’t ship from California. Bell’s the One got sick, and as of Thursday also was a likely scratch, according to trainer Neil Pessin. Trainer Wayne Catalano contemplated scratching Liora but decided his filly will start.

Liora has early speed, as does Serengeti Empress, who scored two blowout stakes wins last summer before a flat run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Trainer Tom Amoss has frankly said Serengeti Empress lacks full fitness for this start and is likely to need the race.

Molto Bella, in from Tampa for trainer Ian Wilkes, sharply won the Gasparilla Stakes over seven furlongs Jan. 19, but in her previous race was beaten more than 18 lengths by Positive Spirit. She could show speed from the rail and add fuel to what projects as a fiery pace.

Street Band earned a solid 77 Beyer Speed Figure winning a first-level allowance race, but won that start by only a nose and, barring further improvement, is a cut below a win contender. Eres Tu probably can’t win either, but her grinding style would suit a fast-paced race and she came forward to finish second behind Needs Supervision here last month in the Silverbulletday Stakes.

But it’s Need Supervision and, to a lesser extent, Oxy Lady who are best suited to challenge Positive Spirit. Needs Supervision stumbled slightly at the start of the Silverbulletday and raced wide on both turns. She won, trainer Jerry O’Dwyer said, despite probably not being at her physical peak five days after shipping by van from Maryland. Needs Supervision stayed at Fair Grounds afterward, has gained weight, and is set for improvement, her trainer believes.

Oxy Lady, trainer Jack Sisterson said, has done very encouraging work since coming to Fair Grounds to prepare for her first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Starlet on Dec. 8 at Los Alamitos, and her work times say as much. Previously, Oxy Lady won the Grade 3 Tempted at Aqueduct by five lengths.

Still, it’s hard not to circle back to Positive Spirit, a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. Positive Spirit needed a few starts to get her legs under her last season, understandable from a horse with scope whom her trainer believes will excel from nine to 10 furlongs. Positive Spirit doesn’t dazzle in morning work, but put her in company and she’ll swoop down at the furlong pole like a good horse – just the trip Brisset hopes the filly gets Saturday under Manny Franco.

“This one,” he said, pointing to the filly in the stall, “might be special.”