Sports

RACHEL ALEXANDRA HAS THE LEGS TO BEAT THE BOYS

Girls can be bullies, too.

That’s a point filly Rachel Alexandra will try to drive home in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

“I think anyone that’s seen her run, as odd as it sounds, would say that she is a man amongst boys, even though she is a filly,” former jockey and NBC analyst Donna Brothers said. “She is the best 3-year-old in the crop. On April 27, I watched her work out on the same day as a bunch of Derby horses, including Mine That Bird and Pioneerof the Nile, and she was by far the best of the bunch.”

Rachel Alexandra’s owners decided to keep her out of the Kentucky Derby, which 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird won in stunning fashion two weeks ago. Despite that victory, Mine That Bird is likely the third choice at Pimlico behind favorite Rachel Alexandra and Pioneerof the Nile, who was runner-up at Churchill Downs. One reason is that Mine That Bird will be without the jockey that led him to the Derby win.

In an unprecedented move, Calvin Borel is ditching the Derby champion for Rachel Alexandra, whom he rode to a 20 1/4-length win in the Kentucky Oaks — dominating a field of 3-year-old fillies.

Brothers said she believes Mine That Bird would not have won the Derby without Borel.

“Nobody else would have given that ride except for Calvin Borel,” Brothers said. “Calvin has ice water in his veins. After getting hedged back in the beginning, he just accepted it and dropped eight lengths back of the horse in second to last before making his move.”

Mine That Bird’s owners will now turn to Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith to lead their gelding to a second straight upset and keep alive a chance for one of the most improbable Triple Crowns in the history of the sport. Brothers looks for Smith to follow the Borel blueprint early by keeping Mine That Bird in the back of the pack, but could take a different route to the front.

“Mine That Bird has a couple of things going for him,” Brothers said. “We know he can ride in traffic, he showed that. He is a smaller horse, which makes him light on his feet and easier to get going again if he gets slowed down while making his move. He’s also a horse that doesn’t mind getting dirt in his face.”

But Smith is more known as a jockey who prefers to circle the field, opposed to Borel who loves riding the rail. It’s a move that Smith used to ride Giacomo to the win at the 2005 Kentucky Derby — an upset that rivals Mine That Bird’s.

“He knows very well how to run a horse with this style,” Brothers said. “I am sure he will give the same kind of ride . . . Let’s just say I don’t think Borel will have to worry about blocking Mine That Bird on the rail.”

If you are looking for an upset, Big Drama could provide, well, big drama.

“An injury (bone bruise) kept him out of the Derby, but he is a very nice horse,” Brothers said when asked which horse could surprise at Pimlico.

“He won six races in a row as a 2-and-3 year old. He can certainly be competitive and make this an interesting race.”

justin.terranova@nypost.com