The Alabama (Grade 1) (BC)- $500.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
August 15, 2020

This Saturday for the 17th running of The Alabama, we are truly treated to a star-studded field. That is how things should be for this win and you’re in race for the BC Distaff, and we will not be disappointed here. Winners of the Black Eyed Susan and the Acorn have made the trip, and while we won’t see Bite The Bullet, we will have other top performers in the KYO going to post. Will Odd Trek continue on the great form she has been in recently, establishing herself as the top horse in this division right now, or will one of the other top contenders bring her down? Of course, we have up and comers here just like Odd Trek was back in the spring. We have had some great winners of this race in the past, and that includes Z Command, who won the Personal Ensign here two weeks ago. By the way, that win made her the first ever horse to win both of those races. Now, we look to see who will make Saratoga their sweet home in The Alabama. Here is the field!

#1- Tell It Like It Is (Nakamura Stables, ridden by M Mena)- The filly has finished first or second in her last five starts, running against some of the best opposition out there. In the KYO, she narrowly missed the victory, placing second in the photo to Bite The Bullet, and she would run second again in the Acorn. She made her way to DEL last month for the Grade 3 DEL Oaks, and returned to the winners circle after. Second straight race she has started on the rail, and has been either in post 1 or 2 in what will be her third start.

#2- Keymadge (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- If you thought Mb Stables already had a loaded barn with fillies you were right, but that doesn’t stop him from adding more. Keymadge was picked up on the first of the month for $200.000 from Oquinn Farm, and will make her debut for the trainer here. Ran second last month in the DEL Oaks, but was still beaten by three lengths. As of now, she still is looking to make a name for herself, but she is the right barn now to finally do that.

#3- Pocono Fashion (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- Has hit the board in eight of her nine career starts, and ran second to Odd Trek in the SUN Oaks in March. That result gets a lot more street cred now with the rise of that rival, and she took her on again at the CCA Oaks here last month. Odd Trek got her again, but Pocono Fashion proved she can run with her, placing third and beaten by half a length. She won’t get away from her in the starting gate here, either.

#4- Odd Trek (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- In my opinion, this is the best three year old filly in the game. In the lead up to the KYO, I had mentioned that I thought she would best come time for Saratoga, though she made her mark before coming here in the Acorn. However, in the CCA Oaks here last month, she followed the Acorn up with another win, showing that everything is going good with her right now. There are tough foes for her to beat, but those foes are also looking at her as if she had a target on her back.

#5- Flawed Justice (YME Stable, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- A filly that is going to get her chance to show her stuff against the best in the division for the first time. She has earned her ticket here, winning four of six races in her career, and second in the other two. One of the runner ups was in the WO Oaks, so she has run against great horses, just not so many at the same time. She can be a player here.

#6- Precise Performance (Mb Stables, ridden by G Franco)- Went into the KYO as a highly regarded horse for the race, thanks to winning the FG Oaks right before it, and she would end up with a frustrating finish. That is, placing fifth while being within a length. So close, but not a dollar to show for it. Performed better in the Acorn, running third, and went to IND last month to win the IND Oaks by three lengths, in wire to wire fashion, Look forward to seeing her run here again.

#7- How Trait (Gdp Inc, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Making the 13th start of her career, and in that time, she has run in some top races, but the Grade 2 Golden Rod as a two year old is her claim to fame right now. This will be the first time in four starts that she has not run against older horses, and that is something that should be a positive. It’s time for her to step up in something other than an overnight as a three year old.

#8- Network Pending (EasyMoney Stables, ridden by J Rosario)- Makes her first stake appearance of any type here in the Alabama. She has been very good in the races she has been in, getting at least some portion of the purse in all eleven of her races, four being wins. Work times are good, and she has earned the right to step up, but this race is taking a couple leaps. It’s been done before, though.

#9- One Step West (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by P Lopez)- Three months ago, she picked up the win in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan. She was the post time favorite in that race, so I can’t say it was a surprise, but I would not have picked her. In it, she would show that she belonged, and in her next start, she was fifth in the Mother Goose. The trainer tried the turf with her after, and as it did not go well, it’s back to the main track taking on the top echelon of this division for what is really the first time in the quantity.

#10- Broadway Stripes (Glorify Stables, ridden by J Stein)- She would earn her stripes up north, winning the $500.000 WO Oaks at that race track, an effort that followed a win in the $125.000 Fury Stakes, which is also for Canadians. All of her wins have come at WO and three were restricted races. Now, she is going to try to take on some American horses for the first time since April. This probably makes her a wild card in here, but it will be tough to beat some of her rivals here.

#11- Dawning Molly (Patterson Stables, ridden by M Franco)- One of the more exciting horses that the trainer is proud to own, and she will look to improve on a fourth place finish here at the CCA Oaks last month. She was competitive there against the likes of Odd Trek, and she has been good throughout her career in finishing well. This is the toughest test of her career, in considering the field size, and the post will not help, either.

Prediction: 4-1-6-3

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES