The 2009 Belmont Stakes, which is the third and final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, is still a couple weeks away (June 6 to be exact), but the big news surrounding the race so far is that Preakness winner Rachael Alexandra might not run.

Apparently trainer Steve Smussen and majority owner Jess Jackson are leaning against running filly Rachael Alexandra in the Belmont since she has already had a long spring campaign and she has nothing left to prove after beating the boys at the Preakness.

So what will Preakness-winning jockey Calvin Borel do for a ride then? Well, look no further than the horse he rode to victory at the Kentucky derby – Mine that Bird.

Getting back to Borel, with Rachael Alexandra an uncertainty for the Belmont Stakes, he can continue his quest for a personel Triple Crown aboard Mine That Bird, because there is certainty that trainer “Chip” Worrel Jr. and owner Mark Allen would love to reunite Borel with Mine That Bird. One more intriguing scenario exists for Borel, in that if somehow Mine That Bird and Rachael Alexandra don’t run in the Belmont Stakes, then what if Calvin picks up a new mount for the Belmont Stakes and wins aboard him. That would be an incredible Triple Crown, to win all three races on three different horses! One for the ages, and most likely never be done again.

This might not be a big deal to some, but a jockey winning the Triple Crown on three different horses would be quite the feat. Personally, I hope Rachael Alexandra runs at the Belmont, because she could be one of the best fillies to ever race and it would be a shame if she missed two of three Triple Crown legs.

Rachel Alexandra became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years, beating out Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who made a late charge from last place but finished second.

Calvin Borel became the first jockey to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown on different horses. He rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby, but switched horses so he could ride Rachael Alexandra, who was an 8/5 favorite coming into the Preakness.

Borel said after the race that the 3-year old filly struggled with the surface, but was quick to note that Rachael Alexandra was the greatest horse he’s ever been on in his life.

Owners from different horses knew the threat Rachael Alexandra was coming into the Preakness, because some contemplated entering more horses in order to keep her out from the 13-horse field. One of those owners was Mine That Bird’s Mark Allen, who thought about entering colt Indy Express to take up a spot in effort to keep Rachael Alexandra out, but eventually said that he wouldn’t.

Rachael Alexandra has now eight of her last 10 races and it’ll be interesting to see if she runs in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, which is third and final leg of the Triple Crown.

A $2 bet on Rachael Alexandra paid $5.60 and her final margin of victory over Mine That Bird was a length. Musket Man, who had 10/1 odds to win, finished third. (Musket Man finished third at the Kentucky Derby, too.)

- 20 SECOND TIMEOUT provides a nice breakdown of the All-NBA voting.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS informs us that USC head coach allegedly gave $1,000 to one of O.J. Mayo’s handlers after Mayo signed his letter of intent as a high school senior.

- DEADSPIN has a few quotes from former NFL-er Tony Banks, who says he used to date Dirk Nowitzki’s girlfriend/fiancee.

- THE LOVE OF SPORTS lists 10 Guys You Love to Hate, and it’s a good one.

Even if you’re not planning to place little dough on the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes (Saturday, May 16), there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to follow. I’ve listed five below.

1. All eyes on Rachel Alexandra
The 3-year old will be only the fifth filly to run in the Preakness and she’ll try to be the first filly to win the race since Nellie Morse did so in 1924. Thanks in part to her amazing start in 2009, Rachel Alexandra is the favorite to win this year’s Preakness at 5/4 odds. She has won all four of her races this season and also finished first in her final race of 2008. But after pulling the 13 position at the draw on Wednesday, she’ll have her work cut out of her trying to come from the far-outside.

2. Mine That Bird gets dissed again
Mine That Bird can’t get any respect. The 3-year old colt won the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago despite having 50/1 odds and even though he’s a contender for the Triple Crown, he doesn’t even have the best odds entering the Preakness. Mine That Bird is a mid-range favorite at 5/1, which follows Rachael Alexandra (5/4) and Kentucky Derby runner up Pioneerof The Nile (4/1). Mine That Bird wins the Kentucky Derby and doesn’t even get better odds than a filly and a horse he beat at Churchill Downs a few weeks ago. Where’s Kutcher, because Mine That Bird is getting punk’d.

3. Calvin Borel is set to ride
At Churchill Downs on May 2, the 42-year old became only the seventh jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby on the same weekend. Borel was forced to decide between Rachel Alexandra or Mine That Bird to ride at the Preakness and he chose the 3-year old filly over the horse he rode to victory at the Kentucky Derby. Borel then had to sit idle until Rachel Alexandra officially received a slot to run at the Preakness and now that he has a ride, can he provide more magic this weekend in Baltimore?

4. The Sleeper: Musket Man
Entering the Kentucky Derby, Musket Man was a 25/1 long shot, but finished third behind Mine That Bird and Pioneerof The Nile. If you look at his recent race history, you’ll see that he was quite the steal at 25/1. He had won six of his previous seven races entering the Kentucky Derby and had finished no worse than third in the only race he didn’t win. Considering he’s 10/1 to win the Preakness, is he another dark horse (pun definitely intended) candidate this weekend?

5. Total unpredictability
Unlike last year when everyone expected Big Brown to burn the field out of the gates, this year’s Preakness looks unpredictable. Even though Rachel Alexandra is a massive favorite at 5/4 odds, she has a tough post position at 13 and history isn’t on her side considering a filly hasn’t won the Preakness since 1924. Pioneerof The Nile, Mine That Bird, General Quarters, Papa Clem and Musket Man are all expected to give Rachael Alexandra a run for her money this Saturday.

To see the odds on this year’s Preakness, click here.

A spot has opened for odds favorite Rachel Alexandra to run in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, ironically thanks to the owner of Triple Crown contender Mine That Bird.

Mine That Bird owner Mark Allen said Monday he wouldn’t enter colt Indy Express into the second jewel of the Triple Crown. That clears the way for the Kentucky Oaks winner to enter the field of 14 for Saturday’s race at Pimlico.

Allen had considered entering Indy Express — winless in nine career starts — over the weekend to take a spot from Rachel Alexandra, but he reconsidered after talking to Mine That Bird trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. and co-owner Leonard Blach.

The race is limited to 14 starters, with preference given to those already pre-nominated to the Triple Crown.

Good for Allen. He would have been vilified had he entered a winless Indy Express just so that Rachel Alexandra (Mine That Bird’s chief competition) couldn’t run in the Preakness.

Rachel Alexandra has been flawless so far in 2009, winning seven of her last nine races. She would add a little excitement to the Preakness, especially after Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago despite being a 50/1 long shot.

Despite reports that stated he could miss the second leg of the Triple Crown, 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will run in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes on May 16.

Trainer Chip Woolley had wavered because the mile-and-three-sixteenths Preakness at Pimlico racecourse on May 16 is the shortest of the Triple Crown races and Mine That Bird performs better at longer distances.

“You cannot have a Triple Crown winner without having the Derby winner in the Preakness,” Woolley told the Pimlico racecourse website (www.pimlico.com).

“That played into our decision but the horse looks super. I have never been to Baltimore, but it looks like I won’t be able to say that in a few days.”

Kentucky-bred Mine that Bird, a 50-1 longshot ridden by Calvin Borel, won the Derby Saturday by 6 3/4 lengths, one of the biggest upsets in America’s most celebrated race.

The sport of horse racing would have taken a huge hit had Woolley pulled Mine That Bird from the Preakness Stakes – especially considering how much of a long shot winner Mine That Bird was at the Kentucky Derby.

The Triple Crown is such a rare feat in sports and just like Big Brown last year, it’s fun to get behind a horse that’s in the running for it. Hopefully Woolley doesn’t pull an about-face and pull Mine That Bird leading up to the Preakness.