ALB Handicap ($200.000 Purse)
ALB- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 19, 2024

Going out west, it is time to take a look at the ungraded ALB Handicap. This is held on the main track for three-year-olds and upward at a distance of nine furlongs. It first appeared on the calendar in 2014, but has not been run every year, and has not been contested since 2021. When it has taken place, Mb Stables has done well, as he has three of the seven victories. However, the most recent win was by Nakamura Stables in 2021 with Boardwalk. The horse is technically still active, and last appeared in a race in June. The last time he did not finish in last place was April 2023. Eleven will head to the starting gate, and weights will range between 117 and 122 pounds carried. Most are at 117 or 118. Here’s a look at the field:

1- Relinquish (Bears Stable, ridden by G Vera)- We start right away with the race’s high weight, as Relinquish will be carrying 122 pounds. That usually means you have been winning, and the gelding has done exactly that in four of his last five starts, and six of his last eight. Two starts ago, he won the Grade 3 Cougar Stakes at DMR, but didn’t look as good in his last outing in the Greenwood Cup (Grade 3). He won’t go the full mile and a half this time, but he should be fine with that part.

2- Marcus Antoninus (Mb Stables, ridden by M T Fuentes Jr)- The trainer added this one to his collection with a $40.000 claim from Fractious at the end of July. He had run in a couple of graded races with his prior trainer, but did not win either of them. With Mb, he debuted in Grade 1 JC Gold Cup, which proved to be a little too much for him at this time. He’ll like not having to contend with some of the best in the business, and only carries 117 pounds.

3- Center Broadway (Glorify Stables, ridden by A Juarez)- Spent his summer running for the Canadian Triple Crown, with good results. In August, he finished fourth in the $1,000.000 Kings Plate and followed that up nicely with a win in the $400.000 Prince of Wales Stakes at FE. His overall track record in Canadian-bred stakes is excellent, though this will be the first time he attempts an unrestricted stake. Have to like that he is tested against some great horses, and he should not have an issue here. Carries 118 pounds and is a very good option in this field.

4- Caveat Emptor (High Voltage, ridden by T J Hebert)- Took this horse two years to break his maiden, and credit the trainer for the perseverance in keeping him in high or mid level maidens. Hit the board a ton in them before winning, so that helped. Unfortunately, this did not set off a string of wins, and at this point, Caveat Emptor has won just twice in 30 starts. He’s still a steady producer, which makes him a good horse for this type of race. Was second in the Greenwood Cup last time out.

5- Ultra M A G A (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Amparan)- Apologies in advance to the trainer, as during the recap I am going to type maga as one word instead of doing that way of spelling it over and over. Took this one a long time to break his maiden as well, before finally doing so in May at TAM. His last three starts have been at the graded level, where he has been okay and able to be competitive, but a little unspectacular as well. Third in the Greenwood Cup last time out, but still beaten by three lengths. He’ll probably like this distance cutback.

6- All Take (Alydar Stables, ridden by F S Valdez)- His three-year-old season, where he won the PRK made him a known name, but he has continued to be good ever since. That includes as a five-year-old this year, with two wins, highlighted by the Grade 3 KY Cup Classic at TP in March. He’s in a bit of a slump of late, and his last two races were each Grade 1’s at DMR, but very different races: the Crosby and the Pacific Classic. He failed to hit the board in both of them.

7- Opera (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Medellin)- This one has done the majority of his racing with the NY-bred condition, doing so in 11 of 14 races. It is always nice to see that commitment to State bred racing. Opera’s lone win came in August at SAR, with a sharp effort in the mud. Since then, he has not raced a ton, but has been second in three of five races, each a NY-bred race. This will be his stake debut of any sort.

8- Easily Dreaming (Mwn Racing, ridden by D P Vergara)- A lightly raced five-year-old that will make just his sixth career start here. After two and a half years off, he returned to action this August and broke his maiden at MTH by six lengths in the mud. Carried that into PID, with two more strong efforts, including barely missing a victory last month in the PID Mile. Looks like he had some happy dreams during all of that time to rest, so it will be interesting to see just how much he can accomplish.

9- After Hours Trading (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E P Gomez)- He’s won a third of races, six of 18, and has had a lot of success when running seven furlongs. Going a little longer has been fine for him as well, such as last year when he won the $175.000 Knicks Go at CD. His last two races are not up to the same standard, and they were under a mile, so perhaps going nine will get him rolling again. He’s also another that is carrying 117 pounds.

10- Highlander Heart (The Sidley Stud, ridden by A Arboleda)- A veteran of 34 starts, and six of them have been wins. He has taken a particular liking to the $75.000 Curribot Handicap at SUN, winning that stake for the last two years, so perhaps he can continue his success in New Mexico with a strong run here. Just two weeks ago, he was in action up at HST for the Grade 3 Premiers, but was fourth of five, being beaten by four lengths. I would have liked to have seen him be more competitive in that one in order to pick him here.

11- Colombia (Night Rider Stables, ridden by K Purcell)- The final spot in the gate will be occupied by another horse that has run well in New Mexico. That’s a small sample size, but he is 2-for-2 at SUN with both of those wins coming this year, and they are his only wins since 2022. In April, he got the victory in the SUN Handicap which based on conditions, is a carbon copy of this race. Since then, he’s been competitive, but no finish better than fourth. I would have liked him more if the SUN Handicap wasn’t six months ago.

Prediction: 3-2-4-7

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded