The Rachel Alexandra Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at a distance of one and one sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in February at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event currently offers a purse of $300,000. History

The inaugural running of the event was on 6 March 1982 as the Davona Dale Stakes over a distance of one mile and forty yards and was won by Windfields Farm's Laura North who was trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Grover G. Delp and ridden by jockey Ronald Franklin in a time of 1:42.

The event was named in honor of Calumet Farm's champion homebred filly Davona Dale, foaled in 1976 was U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly after winning the Grade I Kentucky Oaks and sweeping the New York Triple Tiara series: the Acorn Stakes, the Mother Goose Stakes, and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Davona Dale was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1985. Today Davona Dale continues to have an event named for her as the GII Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

The event became a preparatory event for the Fair Grounds Oaks and was scheduled after the Thelma Stakes (today known as the Letellier Memorial Stakes for two-year-olds held in December) which was run over the six-furlong distance.

In 1985 the distance of the event was increased to one and one sixteenth miles and the winner Marshua's Echelon also was victorious in winning both the Thelma Stakes and the Fair Grounds Oaks.

The following year Tiffany Lass repeated Marshua's Echelon achievements and then continued with her undefeated streak winning the GI Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the GI Kentucky Oaks. Although Tiffany Lass would not race in the second half of 1986 her performances were substantial enough to land her U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors for the year.

In 1999 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III. For the first running as a graded event, the US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Silverbulletday from 1998 entered and began her three-year-old campaign in the event. Starting at short odds of 1/10 Silverbulletday faced seven other fillies and won the event by lengths. Silverbulletday would go on to win another seven more events of which four were Grade I and be crowned US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1999.

In 2001, a year after Silverbulletday retired Fair Grounds track administration renamed the event to the Silverbulletday Stakes.

In 2002 running of the event Take Charge Lady equaled the track record in winning by lengths in a time of 1:42.09.

In 2003 the event was upgraded to Grade II status but this only was until 2005 when it was downgraded back to Grade III.

Due to the catastrophic damage caused by of Hurricane Katrina to the Fair Ground Race Course in 2005 the event was held at Louisiana Downs in 2006.

In 2010 Fair Grounds track administration renamed the event again to the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in honor of the 2009 American Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra. Rachel Alexandra had won the Fair Grounds Oaks in 2009 during her exceptional campaign that won her the Eclipse Award.

In 2016 the event was upgraded from Grade III to Grade II status. In 2020, the purse was increased to $300,000.

The Rachel Alexandra Stakes is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and has produced multiple winners of that race, including Monomoy Girl (2018), Serengeti Empress (2019) and Good Cheer (2025).

Records Speed record: miles: 1:42.09 – Take Charge Lady (2002)

Margins: 11 lengths – Out of the Bid (1987)

Most wins by a jockey: 3 - Kenneth Bourque (1984, 1987, 1991) 3 - Ronald Ardoin (1993, 1994, 1998) 3 - Florent Geroux (2015, 2018, 2022)

Most wins by a trainer: 6 - Steven Asmussen (2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2020, 2021)

Most wins by an owner: 4 - Winchell Thoroughbreds (2005, 2009, 2014, 2020) 4 - Godolphin (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)

Rachel Alexandra Stakes – Fair Grounds Oaks double: Marshua's Echelon †(1985), Tiffany Lass †(1986), Prospectors Delite †(1992), Blushing K. D. †(1997), Silverbulletday †(1999), Shawnee Country ‡(2000), Take Charge Lady ‡(2002), Summerly ‡(2005), Untapable (2014), I'm a Chatterbox (2015), Farrell (2017), Good Cheer (2025)

Notes:

† Rachel Alexandra Stakes was known as the Davona Dale Stakes

‡ Rachel Alexandra Stakes was known as the Silverbulletday Stakes

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Fair Grounds – Rachel Alexandra Stakes2026Bella BallerinaTyler GaffalioneBrendan P. Walsh Godolphin Racing miles1:43.38$289,000II 2025 Good CheerLuis Saez Brad H. Cox Godolphin Racing miles1:44.12$282,000II 2024Tarifa Flavien Prat Brad H. Cox Godolphin Racing miles1:45.28$291,000II 2023Pretty Mischievous Tyler Gaffalione Brendan Walsh Godolphin Racing miles1:45.15$291,000II 2022Turnerloose Florent Geroux Brad H. Cox Ike & Dawn Thrash miles1:44.22$300,000II2021ClairiereJoseph TalamoStonestreet Stables miles1:45.34$300,000II2020FiniteRicardo Santana Jr.Steven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds, Thomas J. Reiman, William Dickson & Deborah A. Easter miles1:43.97$294,000II2019James GrahamThomas M. AmossJoel Politi miles1:44.74$198,000II2018Monomoy GirlFlorent GerouxBrad H. CoxMicheal Dubb, Monomoy Stables, Elkstone Group & Bethlehem Stables miles1:43.26$196,000II2017FarrellChanning HillWayne M. CatalanoCoffeepot Stables miles1:44.09$196,000II2016Venus ValentineCorey J. LanerieThomas M. AmossRosemont Farm miles1:45.24$200,000II2015I'm a ChatterboxFlorent GerouxJ. Larry JonesCarolyn & Fletcher Gray miles1:44.10$175,000III2014UntapableRosie NapravnikSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:43.64$196,000III2013Unlimited BudgetRosie NapravnikTodd A. PletcherRepole Stable miles1:45.38$200,000III2012Summer ApplauseRobby AlbaradoW. Bret CalhounGillian S. Campbell, R Group & Greenwood Lodge Farm miles1:43.30$194,000III2011KathmanbluJulien R. LeparouxKenneth G. McPeekFive D Thoroughbreds & Wind River Stables miles1:45.13$147,000IIISilverbulletday Stakes2010Jody SlewMiguel MenaW. Bret CalhounMartin Racing Stable & Dan Morgan miles1:45.80$145,500III2009War EchoShaun BridgmohanSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:45.20$150,000III2008Indian BlessingGarrett K. GomezBob BaffertPatti & Hal J. Earnhardt III miles1:43.75$196,000III2007Appealing ZophieJohn R. VelazquezSteven M. AsmussenHeiligbrodt Racing Stable miles1:44.13$200,000IIIAt Louisiana Downs2006BaghdariaM. Clifton BerryW. Bret CalhounWayne Sanders & Larry Hirsch miles1:46.07$269,200IIIAt Fair Grounds2005Summerly Donnie MecheSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:43.79$150,000III2004Shadow CastRobby AlbaradoNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish III miles1:46.82$150,000II2003Belle of PerintownCalvin H. BorelEddie KenneallyKenneth Mahler & Jamie Schloss miles1:44.48$150,000II2002Take Charge LadyJon CourtKenneth G. McPeekSelect Stable miles1:42.09$150,000III2001LakenheathCorey J. LanerieGene A. Cilio James B. Tafel miles1:46.09$125,000IIIDavona Dale Stakes2000Shawnee CountryDonnie MecheD. Wayne LukasOverbrook Farm miles1:45.11$125,000III1999SilverbulletdayGary L. StevensBob BaffertMichael E. Pegram miles1:44.36$125,000III1998Cool DixieRonald D. ArdoinLouie J. Roussel IIILouie J. Roussel III miles1:43.38$125,000Listed 1997Blushing K. D.Lonnie MecheSam B. David Jr.James P. & Sue V. Burns miles1:42.48$100,000 Listed 1996Up DipCurt C. BourqueAlbert Stall Jr.Mike G. Rutherford miles1:44.61$62,725 Listed 1995Louie J. Roussel IIILouie J. Roussel III miles1:44.42$43,125 1994PlaycallerRonald D. ArdoinThomas M. AmossMike G. Rutherford miles1:44.31$51,823 Listed 1993Bright PennyRonald D. ArdoinWilliam Badgett Jr.Arthur I. Appleton miles1:44.80$31,825 1992Prospectors DeliteBobby J. Walker Jr.Neil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish III, James Elkins & Temple Webber, Jr. miles1:43.80$31,700 1991Nalees PinKenneth BourqueLarry Robideaux Jr.George Waggoner miles1:46.50$31,775 1990WindanseaRandy RomeroLee J. RossiCarl Maggio miles1:46.40$27,600 1989Exquisite MistressCalvin H. BorelJoseph E. BroussardJoe Ladnier & Carson Kimbrough miles1:46.80$26,675 1988False GlitterShane P. RomeroLouie J. Roussel IIILouie J. Roussel III miles1:47.40$28,450 1987Out of the BidKenneth BourqueBud Delp Hawksworth Farm miles1:47.20$37,900 1986Tiffany LassRicky FrazierLazaro S. BarreraAaron U. Jones miles1:46.00$39,900 1985Marshua's EchelonRonald J. FranklinNoxie Romano Jr.Joe & Jean Pizzitola miles1:45.20$47,250 1984Texas Cowgirl NiteKenneth BourqueCharley S. Staples1:42.00$29,050 1983DupedJulio C. EspinozaDonald R. WinfreeJames J. Devaney1 mile & 40 yards1:43.00$23,500 1982Linda NorthRonald J. FranklinBud DelpWindfields Farm1 mile & 40 yards1:42.80$22,950

Notes:

§ Ran as an entry

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races Road to the Kentucky Oaks

References