Coaching Club American Oaks winner Nest is the favorite in Saturday’s Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.
Two talented fillies will square off at Saratoga late Saturday afternoon for the third time, in a race that should determine the front-runner in the 3-year-old filly division.
The $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at a mile-and-a-quarter, will feature a matchup between Coaching Club American Oaks (CCA Oaks) winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up Nest (1-2) and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (4-1).
In last month’s meeting in the CCA Oaks, Nest dominated the nine-furlong test, winning by an astounding 12 lengths over her rival. The Alabama is an additional furlong, which should favor Nest, who showed she could handle a route of ground in the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes.
The morning-line favorite is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who won last year’s edition with Malathaat. Pletcher will be looking to add his fourth victory in the coveted race for 3-year-old fillies. Trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons won eight Alabama Stakes in his Hall of Fame career.
“She ran super in the CCA Oaks and it seems like since she ran in the Kentucky Oaks, she improved physically,” Pletcher said. “She ran a great race and came out of that really well, put on weight and condition. She came back and ran even better in the CCA Oaks so hopefully she can continue trending upward.”
Secret Oath, who had some unfortunate trips in the Arkansas Derby and Preakness in which she took on the boys twice in the spring encountered another unfavorable trip in the CCA Oaks. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who groomed Pletcher as an aspiring assistant trainer, said his filly is training lights out.
“She’s really had a good month since that debacle in the [CCA Oaks],” Lukas said. “In fact, I feel like she’s better now than any time I’ve had her. She’s really flourished here at Saratoga. Luis (Saez) has worked her three times since that race so he’s getting more familiar every day with her, too. So, that should help us as much as anything. We’re anxious to run her.”
The 142nd renewal of the Alabama is Race 10 on the 11-race card that will include the $200,000 Grade 2 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Post time for the Alabama, which attracted a field of seven fillies, is 5:35 p.m. Eastern.
"Saratoga Live" presents daily television coverage of the 40-day Saratoga summer meet on FOX Sports. Saturday’s races can be found on FS2 from 12:30 to 6:20 p.m.
Let’s take a look at the field from top to bottom (post position, trainer, jockey, morning line odds in parenthesis):
1 – Skratch Kat (Bauer, Leparoux, 30-1). Daughter of Arrogate earned a shot in the big race after winning a competitive optional claimer in early July at Churchill Downs. Fillies shipping from Churchill have been solid at the Spa and should not be discounted. Enters deeper waters here and will need to greatly improve off her last effort.
2 – Goddess of Fire (Pletcher, Velazquez, 20-1). When is the last time you got Pletcher/Velazquez at 20-1 at the Spa? This filly was lighting it up at Gulfstream in the spring, but threw a dud in the Kentucky Oaks after being bumped at the 5/16ths pole. Ran back to a decent second-place finish in the nongraded Wilton earlier in the meet to give TAP enough reason to give her a shot in the Alabama. Could be a sleeper pick underneath the top two.
3 – Gerrymander (Brown, Rosario, 7-2). Mother Goose winner comes into the race on the improve after stretching out from her debacle at the start of the Eight Belles on Oaks day at Churchill. Daughter of Into Mischief could be another sneaky contender. In the mix.
4 – Nest (Curlin, Ortiz, Jr., 1-2). Going to be a really short price, but if she delivers another outstanding performance, bigger things could lie in wait for the daughter of Curlin. Should have absolutely no issue with the distance and is hard to play against here, even with the Kentucky Oaks winner in the field. The one to beat.
5 – Nostalgic (Mott, Ortiz, 12-1). Godolphin filly comes off a distant third-place finish in the CCA Oaks against the top two. Daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of a Tapit dam has the pedigree to go even longer and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is winning at a 22% clip second off the layoff.
6 – She’s Keen (Arnold, Lezcano, 30-1). Longshot who broke her maiden last out on Jim Dandy weekend, runs back in three weeks. Her sire pulled one of the biggest upsets at Saratoga, but highly unlikely it’s happening here.
7 – Secret Oath (Lukas, Saez, 4-1). Lukas insists she’s ready to fire, but even with a better trip in the CCA Oaks, she was no match to the favorite. Has a wicked turn of foot that we’ve seen in the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, so the ability is there, just hard to get past that last effort by Nest and the added distance that she’ll relish. Bridesmaid.
Post Time Outlook: 1 – Nest; 2 – Secret Oath; 3 – Goddess of Fire; 4 – Gerrymander
Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, and tweets @EquiSpace.
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Coaching Club American Oaks winner Nest is the favorite in Saturday’s Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.
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