Alexandra Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
FG- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 17, 2018

The starting gate will be full as the 13th running of the Alexandra Stakes takes place at FG. This is a prep race for the KYO, so its only natural to take a look and see how past winners have done. In 2017, Mortality was the winner, and ended up finishing 6th. She followed this race up with a good run in the Ashland, but then went on a slump that lasted until November. There have been several winners of this race who did not even attempt the KYO, which serves as a reminder that the game has not always had the KYO trail set up the way it is now. Those who have attempted the KYO have not always fared well, but there is one big exception: Stella Artois in 2013. In classic HRP fashion, it was not the same owner who won both races, though, as Mb Stables let het get away after the Alexandra, only to watch her win the KYO for Pan Farms. Mb Stables later required as these two trainers exchanged her like a can of lager. The winner of this race can hope for some of the success of Stella Artois, but to also enjoy that potential KYO success for themselves as well. Here is the field!

#1- Seydoux (Jerry Garcia Racing, ridden by B J Hernandez Jr)- Had a good summer last year, running in both the Adirondack and the Spinaway at SAR, but only in the latter did her performance seem good. There was never any real follow up from that, though, as she went to BEL and won an N1X allowance, that she won, so all is well. And then after that, to TUP? She didn’t even win that race. Now, all that probably does not matter as she goes long for the first time here. A recent work at a mile is decent, but she’s going to have to show a lot of heart to beat this field. Never count on the horse on the rail in this game.

#2- Broomsticks Concerto (Drabfantasy, ridden by J Bravo)- Had success on the grass last year, which included qualifying for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, a race in which she finished mid-pack. While there may be more turf racing in her future, the time is now to see how she fares against this company on the main track. There are a couple of good runs, including a win, in $85.000 NM-bred stakes since then, with a victory in the Enchantress Stakes looking promising. Duplicating that winning time gives her a good chance here.

#3- Levi Broom (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Started her career in perfect fashion, winning the first five races of her career. In that stretch, she found a lot of success in New York (where she still has never lost), sweeping the Schuylerville and the Spinaway at SAR last summer, then the Frizette at BEL. This made her the post-time favorite for the BC Juvenile Fillies, but that became a race that escaped this trainer on that day. Needs to get back to her winning way, and this is a good spot to do it. If not, don’t be surprised if her next prep is in New York, where she is perfect.

#4- Enoughs Enough (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Lightly raced filly with just three starts in her career. Two have been victories, with the biggest win coming at this race track last month in the $150.000 Silverbulletday Stakes. It would be great for her to build off of that, and this is the logical spot for it to happen. The resume is not as strong, yet, as her stablemate starting to her inside, but it’s an interesting race within the race to see which of these two come out on top of the other.

#5- Magic Wheels (Mcl Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This is also a lightly raced filly, with just four races to her credit thus far, and she has won half of them. Turned in the exact same 96 SRF in her last start as did Enoughs Enough, and hers came in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes out at SA, a race that she won. Note that one of those she beat in that race, Gabrielle, just picked up a big win in the Suncoast Stakes last week, and that was an overall strong field. She is showing progress in her works since them, too, which you also got to like. If her odds get anywhere near 17/1 again, which they shouldn’t, definitely take a shot at her. She should be considered a top threat, but the odds board in the game gets weird sometimes.

#6- Diminuendo (Smokey Stover, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- One of the newest entries into the category of horse names that will have me keep double checking to make sure I spelled it right. That second “n” throws me off. As for the filly, she’s won two out of five, highlighted by the Grade 3 Tempted in early November. She’s progressed since then, and her run in the Santa Ynez Stakes, has to have been a good seventh, as that was a strong field, overall, and she only missed by a length. This is a little longer of a race, and if she had a little more time in that one, her finish would have been better.

#7- Most Charming (Mb Stables, ridden by R J Albarado)- Also a relatively lightly raced filly, and as evidenced by her last race, she has just been waiting to start running longer. She had fared well while sprinting, but the trainer was confident enough to make her debut at a over a mile to be in the Grade 2 Golden Rod. That was at the end of November, so it has been a couple months since she was last on the track, and that may be just enough time to make that somewhat of a concern. I have a feeling this one is going to end up in the KYO, but this might not the race that gets her there.

#8- Imperfect Warrior (Joshua Stables, ridden by C J Lanerie)- This filly had success running in the great breeding, though greatly underutilized state of PA with the statebred tag, and moved up the ranks from maiden claiming, to running in the $100.000 Blue Mountain, which she won. Those victories moved her into the graded ranks, and she ran nicely here in the Grade 3 Lecomte last month, earning a 97 SRF despite just a fourth place finish. She will like that this race is just slightly longer.

#9- Smoothie (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by A Beschizza)- After breaking her maiden in her debut race, at TUP, Smoothie has been running in NY-bred stakes, which even included a run against the boys in the Rockville Center. She’s been seen in the Seeking The Ante, The Gimma, and The Maid In The Mist, and has run close enough to the front to get some sort of check for the trainer, but has not won such a race. Took on allowance company here last month, and was also not able to win. Something may have to give for her to finally turn her stretch luck around. Maybe this is the time.

#10- On The Square (Crocker Ggs, ridden by P Lopez)- The filly has won half the races that she has been in, taking three out of six so far in her career. The highlight of that stretch is a win in the $100.000 Busanda at AQU. She’s tried to run in bigger races then that, such as the Grade 2 Demoiselle, but has not been able to break through at this level just yet. She has some impressive five furlong works, but there is not much in terms of public longer works to go by. Certainly she is capable, but so is everyone else.

#11- Light From Above (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- We are now at that point in the starting gate where post position becomes a bigger factor. Light From Above is off to a good start in her career, winning two out of six. The biggest win of those wins was in the $100.000 East View at the end of 2017. Attempts at the graded level have not seen as much success, though she has been close to the front in each of them. That’s all well and good if you have a better post in the starting gate, but with the added obstacle for her to overcome, it would take a tremendous effort from her if she got a win here.

#12- Blue Jeans (First Class Stable, ridden by F Pennington)- With the way that things have gone in the game lately, to win from this post means you have to have a little something extra. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Blue Jeans, but with just one win in seven career starts, I do not think she can overcome the post. I like that she qualified for the BC Juvenile Fillies last November, and that she has been a regular runner at this level, but the post assignment is tough.

Prediction: 4-5-3-7

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES