Clairiere outduels Travel Column to win Rachel Alexandra

Clairiere reeled in the favored Travel Column late down the stretch in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds on Saturday, earning 50 points on the Kentucky Oaks trail in the process.

The race earned the filly a measure of revenge over Travel Column, who beat her in the Nov. 28 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.

“I was pretty confident the whole race,” winning jockey Joe Talamo told TVG after the race. “As stuff would open up down the backside, she was able to pick her spots off little by little.”

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Curlin fell into last place off the break, while Off We Go led by six furlongs at the half-mile pole.

Travel Column, who went off at even money for trainer Brad Cox, made an outside move around the far turn to catch Off We Go and take the lead going into the stretch. From there, Clairiere, who came up the rail to get into a better position, overtook her to win by a short margin.

“Turning for home I was really really confident,” Talamo said. “Obviously I knew the filly in front of us is very talented, but she’s pretty talented as well.”

Splits for the 1 1/16-mile race were 23.73, 47.99 1:14.22 and 1:39.06. Clairiere’s winning time was 1:45.34.

The race earned Travel Column 20 Oaks points for the second-place finish, while Moon Swag and Littlestitious earned 10 and five respectively for finishing third and fourth.

Clairiere is a Stonestreet Stables homebred. She returned $6.60 for the win after going off at 2-1.