Morry Gash / AP

Calvin Borel rides Rachel Alexandra to a record victory in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1.

Another potential stumble — apart from the literal one — is that Rachel Alexandra will have to overcome a change of barns since her Oaks victory.

After being well and conservatively managed by trainer Hal Wiggins for owners Dolphus Morrison and Mike Lauffer, Rachel Alexandra was sold privately to Jess Jackson, founder of the Kendall Jackson winery, and partner Harold McCormick one week ago and transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn.

Her former connections had no intention of running her in any of the Triple Crown races — in fact they hadn’t even nominated her to the series – but Jackson and McCormick made the purchase with an immediate goal in mind: The Preakness.

Disruptions of routine and alterations in a training regimen can be unsettling to any thoroughbred, let alone a young filly, but both her former and current connections describe Rachel Alexandra as almost supernaturally calm and reportedly she hasn’t turned a hair since the change of address.

Her outside post draw — she’ll start from the 13 hole in a 13-horse field — could pose a more significant problem. A number of horses in the race like to run immediately to the front, mirroring Rachel Alexandra’s running style, which could force Borel to choose between getting caught wide on the first turn or tucking in behind the front runners to try and save ground.

But I don’t see that happening, as Borel will surely be aware that the other riders will be looking to force the filly as wide as possible on that first turn. And starting on the outside will make it much tougher for them to box her in and intimidate her with their bigger, stronger mounts.

They still might try, though, as there is a long tradition of ganging up on favorites in Triple Crown races, particularly where fillies are concerned.

One of the more notorious cases occurred in the 1988 Preakness, when trainer Woody Stephens and jockey Pat Day appeared to target the Derby-winning filly Winning Colors. Winning Colors’ rider Gary Stevens said Day crowded his horse throughout the race and then bumped her outward on the backstretch, leaving open a rail passage for the eventual winner, Risen Star. Winning Colors finished third in the race, while Forty Niner staggered home seventh.

One would hope that Rachel Alexandra’s foes won’t resort to such tactics to try to defeat her. But even if they do, I’m not sure they’ll succeed. She appears to be a very special filly primed to demonstrate that on Saturday.

Betting a race with a big favorite is always a challenge, but Triple Crown races usually include talented horses at such good odds that there’s no way I’m taking a pass.

Here’s how I’ll bet the Preakness:

A $2 exacta box: Pioneerof the Nile, Rachel Alexandra and Terrain.

Three $1 trifecta boxes: Friesan Fire, Pioneerof the Nile, Rachel Alexandra and Terrain; Friesan Fire, Musket Man, Pioneerof the Nile and Rachel Alexandra;  Mine That Bird, Pioneerof the Nile, Rachel Alexandra and Terrain.

That’s a total of $84.

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Chasing the Crown

  Slideshow: I'll Have Another one win away from becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

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