ALB Handicap ($200.000 Purse)
ALB- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 19, 2024
The ALB Handicap was one for the longshots on Saturday, as 10/1 All Take secured a two-length victory over 28/1 Colombia. The 2022 PRK winner started the year hot but would not be a factor in his last two, and that would lead to bettors losing some faith in him. He did also carry a little more weight than the rest of the field. All of that would not matter as All Take takes home the victory for trainer Alydar Stables. It’s the first time that the trainer has won this race, and that is also true for jockey F S Valdez. Congratulations to them! The time of the race was 1:47.12, and that is a new stake record. Let’s take a look at it now:
(½ Mile- :47.18)- The start of the race sees a group of four horses trying to claim the top spot down the frontstretch. Things would get sorted out as they made their way around the opening turn, and after a half mile, it would be the race’s eventual winner, All Take, having the lead for Alydar Stables. He runs in the second lane, and to his outside, Opera is within a length for Maxmillion Farm. Marcus Antoninus is third on the rail for Mb Stables and starting to lose touch with the top three while running on the outside is the Night Rider Stables- owned Colombia. Sitting just off the lead are Maxmillion Farm’s After Hours Trading and High Voltage’s Caveat Emptor. It’s another length and a half to Highlander Heart (The Sidley Stud) and Relinquish (Bears Stable), and at the back, the three trailers, Easily Dreaming (Mwn Racing), Ultra Maga (TwinTowersRacing), and Center Broadway (Glorify Stables) run together.
(3/4 Mile- 1:10.99)- The field will essentially run in pairs down the backstretch and into the turn, with the top two continuing to be All Take and Opera. All Take leads by a full length now on that one entering the turn. It’s another length to Colombia and Marcus Antoninus, another to After Hours Trading and Caveat Emptor, and close to two lengths to Highlander Heart and Relinquish. Of the three early trailers, Easily Dreaming is looking the best at this point and has his sights set on making a move. Ultra Maga may be planning to go with him, while we had not seen anything from Center Broadway, who was our pick to win, as of yet.
(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- All Take would have everyone remembering that he did win a TC race two years ago with the way he handled the turn so well and confidently entered the stretch. He continued to have the upper hand on Opera and would only extend his lead a little further from that one. Colombia was lurking as a possible threat on the outside, while the one he had been running with, Marcus Antoninus began to back up. Elsewhere, After Hours Trading was running evenly, while Caveat Emptor was not able to keep up with him. Ultra Maga was looking to make the stretch run great but had a lot of room to make up and for now had only pulled up alongside Easily Dreaming. Center Broadway was not able to get going and Relinquish had dropped to the back.
(Finish- 1:47.12)- There would be no doubt who the best horse in this field was as All Take continued to run well all the wire, making it look a lot easier than it probably was. He would go on to win by a comfortable two lengths as no one gets up to challenge him. The steady stride of Colombia allows him to take second, as Opera tired late and also found himself passed by Easily Dreaming for third. Ultra Maga also ran well in the stretch but would fall short of cashing a check. The rest of the order will read After Hours Trading, Highlander Heart, Caveat Emptor, Marcus Antoninus, Center Broadway, and Relinquish,
About The Winner- All Take, trained by Alydar Stables and ridden to victory by F S Valdez, is a five-year-old gelding by Niagra and is out of Takethemoneyandrun. He was bred by Team 7 Illusions in British Columbia as a second quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Alydar Stables from Fractious in private sales back in February 2022 for $250.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his seventh in 32 starts and sixth stake win. His career earnings are now $2,232.160.
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | ||
| 6 | All Take | Alydar Stables | Valdez F S | 10.35 | 12 | 1:47.12 | — | ||
| 11 | Colombia | Night Rider Stables | Purcell K | 28.35 | 2nk | 1:47.55 | — | ||
| 8 | Easily Dreaming | Mwn Racing | Vergara D P | 4.35 | 3nk | 1:47.60 | — | ||
| 7 | Opera | Maxmillion Farm | Medellin A | 17.40 | 4no | 1:47.66 | — | ||
| 5 | Ultra M A G A | TwinTowersRacing | Amparan F | 10.10 | 53/4 | 1:47.68 | — | ||
| 9 | After Hours Trading | Maxmillion Farm | Gomez E P | 22.25 | 6nk | 1:47.83 | — | ||
| 10 | Highlander Heart | The Sidley Stud | Ceballos O F | 8.45 | 73/4 | 1:47.90 | — | ||
| 4 | Caveat Emptor | High Voltage | Hebert T J | 5.65 | 8no | 1:48.05 | — | ||
| 2 | Marcus Antoninus | Mb Stables | Fuentes M T Jr | 9.00 | 91/4 | 1:48.06 | — | ||
| 3 | Center Broadway | Glorify Stables | Juarez A J Jr | 6.40 | 103 | 1:48.15 | — | ||
| 1 | Relinquish | Bears Stable | Vera G | 4.20 | 11 | 1:48.78 | — |
Track: Fast
Time: :47 1:104 1:35 1:47
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 6 – All Take | 22.70 | 12.00 | 8.80 |
| 11 – Colombia | 53.90 | 28.10 | |
| 8 – Easily Dreaming | 4.00 |
$1 Exacta: 6 – 11 Paid 357.30
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 11 – 8 Paid 934.90
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
