Horse Racing News by Claire Novak

Veterinarians at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington remain pleased with the progress of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra following her abdominal surgery resulting from foaling complications Feb. 13.

A 135-1 shot took the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Feb. 23, Matthew W. Bryan's Ive Struck a Nerve closing late in the furlong grounds and catapulting himself onto the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Optimizer hopped at the break of the $150,000 Fair Grounds Handicap but drew clear in the end, earning his second straight victory at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Feb. 23.

Lee Lewis' Live Lively was making her stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2, $245,000 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park.

When trainer Larry Jones brought owner Brereton Jones' homebred Mark Valeski to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the Jan. 19 Louisiana Handicap, it was the first start in almost eight months for the Proud Citizen runner.

Super Ninety Nine rolled to an 11 1/4-length win in the Southwest Stakes for Susan and Charles Chu's Tanma Corporation, muddling the 3-year-old picture even more as the top three finishers from the Smarty Jones Stakes finished off the board.

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Starformer continued to shine in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes Feb. 16, cruising to 3 1/4-length victory as much the best over seven other older fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park.

Few want anything to do with Besilu Stable's 5-year-old champion Royal Delta as she preps for a start in the $10 million Dubai World Cup with a Feb. 17 run in the $100,000 Sabin Stakes.

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year who foaled a Bernardini filly Feb. 12, is in serious condition after undergoing surgery Feb. 13, according to owner Barbara Banke.

The second foal out of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra was born Feb. 12 at Stonestreet Farms near Lexington, Stonestreet representatives confirmed that afternoon.