Alabama Analyzed

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Saratoga Springs is serving up a sweet stakes on Saturday!   The 137th running of the Alabama Stakes posts at 5:40 P.M. EDT tonight and with a competitive field of 9 stakes winners there will be some surprises.

 

The Alabama Stakes was inaugurated in 1872.  It has been various lengths and was even held at Belmont Park for a brief period of time but the  race belongs to Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Tonight’s race is 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on the dirt.  The Alabama was named for horseman William Cottrell from Mobile, AL.  The stakes is a Grade 1, $600,000 race for 3 year-old fillies.  The Alabama Stakes is the third jewel of the American Triple Tiara.  The Acorn Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks Stakes make up the first two legs.  There will not be a Triple Tiara on 8/19/2017 though one of the contenders did compete in each of the prior key races.  The winner of the Alabama Stakes quite frequently finds herself being named Champion 3 Year-Old Filly later in the year.

Nine of North America’s top fillies, all former stakes winners, will compete this evening in an effort to win the Alabama Stakes in race 9 on a card of 10.  The first race posts at 1 P.M.

The field is as follows by post position/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/morning-line odds:

1. New Money Honey/Javier Castellano/Chad Brown/e Five Racing Thoroughbreds/6-1
2. Holy Helena/John Velazquez/James Jerkens/Stronach Stables/4-1
3. It Tiz Well/Drayden Van Dyke/Jerry Hollendorfer and Tommy Town Thoroughbreds,/12-1
4. Lockdown/Manuel Franco/William Mott/Juddmonte Farms, Inc./5-1
5. Unchained Melody/Joel Rosario/Brian Lynch/Hidden Brook  Farm and Hare Forest Farm/3-1
6. Salty/Tyler Gaffalione/Mark Casse/Gary Barber, Biccari Racing Stable, LLC./9-2
7. Elate/Jose Ortiz/William Mott/Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider/6-1
8. Mopotism/Florent Geroux/Doug O’Neill/Reddam Racing, LLC./20-1
9. Actress/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Jason Servis/Gary and Mary West Stables, LLC./15-1

New Money Honey is the filly by Medaglia d’ Oro and Weekend Whim.  She has raced 6 times, winning 4 of those.  Her first race was at Saratoga where she finished second the only time of her career.  Her only disappointment was a sixth place finish in Keeneland’s Appalachian Stakes.  She won both the G3 Wonder Again Stakes and the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes.  Her jockey, Castellano has won the Alabama with Princess of Sylmar and Embellish the Lace.

Holy Helena is the only non Kentucky bred horse in this race.  She was bred in Ontario with Ghostzapper and Holy Grace for her sire and dam.  In her 4 race career she is on a 3 race winning streak including the Woodbine Oaks and the black type Queen Plate Stakes.

It Tiz Well was foaled to Arch and It Tiz.  She has won exactly half of her 8 career starts.  She also has finished in the money twice more, once in second and another in third.   It Tiz Well won two G3 races, the Honeybees Stakes and the Delaware Oaks.

Lockdown is the offspring of First Defence and Rising Tornado.  Her only win in 6 starts was in the black type Busanda Stakes.  Lockdown has placed three times and showed in one race.

Unchained Melody is the product of Smart Strike and Love Match.  In her 4 career starts she won her maiden, was second in an allowance at Keeneland, then won her next allowance and then she’s jumped way up in class and won the G2 Mother Goose.  She is the morning-line favorite to win.  Her jockey won the Alabama with Blind Luck in 2010.

Salty is sired by Quality Road.  Her dam is  Theycallmeladyluck.  She is my choice based on her efforts in the former 2 Triple Tiara races. 6 starts have resulted in a 2-2-1 record.  She won the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, finished 2nd in the Acorn at Belmont and was 3rd in the Coaching Club of America Oaks right at Saratoga.

Elate was born to Medaglia d’ Oro as was New Money Honey.  Elate’s dam is Cheery.  She has raced 7 times finishing across the board with 2 wins, three 2nds and once in 3rd place.  She won the black type Light Hearted Stakes and was second in the Coaching Club American Oaks at The Spa.  She shares trainers with Lockdown.

Mopotism has the most experience, having 10 races under her belt.  Her pedigree includes Uncle Mo and Peppy Rafaela.  She raced 4 times to break her maiden.  Her only other win was in the Island Fashion Stakes.  Her last time out she finished 2nd in the G2 Indiana Oaks.

Actress is a lovely grey/roan daughter of Tapit and Milwaukee Appeal.  In 4 starts she has finished once each in 1st, 2nd and 3rd.  Her win was in the G2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.  She was third in the G3 Delaware Oaks.  Her jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. won the Alabama with Questing in 2012.  His brother is riding Elate in this race, the brothers are the top 2 jockeys at Saratoga this meet.

Run fast fillies!  I hope everyone enjoys today’s races, particularly the    Alabama Stakes.  Special thanks to my friends and fans that helped with the photos on this and the previous stories.

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