After receiving rock-star treatment all weekend at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, Rachel Alexandra certainly appeased her legion of fans in the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2.

Jockey Calvin Borel motions to the crowd as he guides Rachel Alexandra to victory in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, Oceanport, on Aug. 2. The 3-year-old filly scored a six-length victory in the highlight race of the Monmouth Park summer meet. The 3-year-old filly dominated a field of talented colts by posting a six-length victory that certainly helped her Horse of the Year chances, despite her going off as the 1-2 favorite on the damp Monmouth track. With jockey Calvin Borel basically just along for the ride, Rachel Alexandra made it look easy in cruising to her eighth straight race.

"This filly is just unbelievable," Borel said. "I can't say how good she is. I don't know. I gave her a few taps at the 16th pole. I just wanted to keep her focused with a couple taps. She started looking around at the crowd, so I just kept her busy to the wire."

The race was really never in doubt, as Rachel Alexandra stalked the early pace set by Munnings, with Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird running much closer to the pace than usual. On the stretch turn, the filly asserted herself, and through the stretch she was on cruise control as she kept opening daylight on Summer Bird, who had moved in front of Munnings.

Rachel Alexandra, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro and the first filly to win the Haskell since Serena's Song in 1995, ran the mile and an eighth in 1:47.21, just a few ticks off the track record of 1:46.80 set by Spend a Buck in 1985. Summer Bird was left in second with multiple stakes winner Munnings third, a length farther back, and Arkansas Derby winner Papa Clem fourth. Duke of Mischief was fifth, Atomic Rain sixth and Bunker Hill last.

Rachel Alexandra paid $3, $2.20 and $2.10 across the board and topped a $10.40 exacta with Summer Bird, who paid $3.40 and $2.60. Munnings paid $3.20 to show.

She earned a winner's prize of $700,000 for her Haskell victory, bringing her career total to $2,498,354 on a record of 10 wins in 12 lifetime starts.

Following the race, her trainer, Steve Asmussen, was understandably happy and proud, though not necessarily surprised with his prize filly's effort.

"I felt very confident that she would be able to handle the surface today," Asmussen said. "The Haskell was our major goal, and we were happy with the way she ran today.

"To compare her three races from the Preakness to the Mother Goose to today, it's hard to determine her best effort," the trainer added. "All of her races are very special for different reasons. She can handle the crowd, the weather - nothing surprises her."

Rachel Alexandra's winning streak stretches back to November, when Borel became her regular rider. This spring and summer, the filly has beaten males in the Preakness and the Haskell, and she ran away from filly rivals in the five other stakes.

This was her third straight win for new owners Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick, who purchased Rachel Alexandra after her Kentucky Oaks win.

Her exploits have made her a crowd favorite wherever she goes.

"I can't tell you how amazing it is that everybody everywhere asks me about Rachel," Asmussen said. "I think it's fantastic, and Rachel is very deserving of the admiration."

She has especially earned the admiration of her competitors.

"That was Rachel Alexandra. That's what everyone came to see," said Tim Ice, trainer of Summer Bird.

"Take Rachel Alexandra out of there and we're the winner," said Kent Dersormeaux, who rode Summer Bird, adding that his horse did not run a bad race in his own right. "He showed me a great deal of will and guts to hang in there and hold second. I might have taken my horse out of his game today. I rode the racetrack thinking it was important to have enough speed to be close. He showed me a very good turn of foot and put me right in the catbird seat."

Just over 37,000 racing fans converged on Monmouth Park on Aug. 2 to watch Rachel Alexandra work her magic. Severe thunderstorms throughout Monmouth County may have scared some people away, but those who came were certainly entertained.

"We are thrilled that so many fans braved the elements to support the biggest day in New Jersey racing," said Dennis R. Robinson, president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Monmouth Park. "Today's crowd more than demonstrates the public's appetite for world-class racing, and Monmouth Park delivered.

"The one thing you can't control is the weather, and notwithstanding that one variable, the entire day was a wire-to-wire winner for the fans, horsemen and the state of New Jersey," Robinson said.