Alabama Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

All-Graded Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $2,116 To Winners

Saturday's all-graded stakes Cross Country Pick 5, featuring three Grade 1s and a pair of Grade 2 contests spread between Saratoga and Del Mar, paid $2,116.75 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $230,194.

Saratoga hosted the first two legs of the sequence, starting with Technical Analysis capturing the $200,000 Grade 2 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies in Race 9. The even-money favorite, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, bested Runaway Rumour by 3 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf course, completing the course in 1:46.49. Technical Analysis paid $4.20 on a $2 win wager.

In the next race, Malathaat won as the odds-on favorite, winning for the sixth time in seven career starts by posting a 1 1/2-length score in the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama for sophomore fillies contesting 1 1/4 miles on the main track. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Malathaat ran second in her previous race, finishing a head back to Maracuja in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks in July at the Spa. Teamed again with Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Malathaat [$3.10] turned the tables on her rival, posting a final time of 2:02.59 in outkicking Clairiere. Maracuja finished last of seven.

Evening racing at California's Del Mar concluded the Cross Country Pick 5, starting with Going Global's one-length win in the $300,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for sophomore fillies competing at 1 1/18 miles on the turf in Race 9. The Philip D'Amato trainee gave the sequence its third consecutive favorite to earn a winner's circle trip, as Going Global, under jockey Flavien Prat, topped Closing Remarks, hitting the wire in 1:48.91. Going Global paid $4.80.

Tripoli was the first non-favorite to get the job done, winning the $1 million Grade 1 Pacific Classic by 1 1/4 lengths for trainer John Sadler in Race 10. Held at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles, the Pacific Classic saw Tripoli stalk in third position before making a bid from the inside and outkicking Tizamagician. Dr Post, the runner-up in the 2020 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, ran third. Tripoli, ridden by Tiago Pereira, paid $15 for his effort that culminated with a 2:02.37 final time.

Astronaut soared in the finale, winning the $300,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap by a half-length in Race 11. Trained by John Shirreffs, Astronaut won at 24-1 [$50] under a strong ride by Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, completing the 1 3/8-mile turf course in 2:15.97. Master Piece, off at 22-1, finished second for the high-priced exacta at $458.20 on a $1 bet.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

The post All-Graded Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $2,116 To Winners appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maracuja Hindered By Inside Trip in Alabama, Sadie Lady To Get Freshening For Fall Campaign

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Barry Fowler's Maracuja stutter-stepped at the start of Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama and endured a difficult inside trip over a good and harrowed track en route to finishing seventh at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Honor Code bay, who upset the previously undefeated Malathaat in the Grade 1 CCA Oaks in her prior start under a brilliant ride by Ricardo Santana, Jr., was hemmed in by that rival in the Alabama before coming up empty in the stretch run.

“She got pinned down on the inside, taking dirt. It was kind of a rough trip,” trainer Rob Atras said. “Ricardo tried to get her outside a couple times and wasn't able to.

“I think if we'd got a good outside trip, she'd probably have run a lot better, but Ricardo said she struggled the whole way around,” he added. “I don't want to make any excuses. That's racing. She came out of it good.”

The Canadian-born conditioner is enjoying a formidable summer campaign at the Spa with a record of 33-10-4-0, highlighted by his first Grade 1 win last month.

Atras said he'll consider a number of options for his star filly's next start.

“I think the filly is a little better off with five or six weeks between races,” Atras said. “We'll see. I won't make plans for another week or so after we see how she comes out of it.”

Atras said Dennis Narlinger's graded-stakes placed Sadie Lady will enjoy a freshening following her fourth-place finish in the Union Avenue on August 19 at the Spa.

“Last year, around this time of year, she just wasn't the same kind of horse,” Atras said. “We'll send her down to Florida for 30-60 days and freshen her up and bring her back in the fall.”

The 5-year-old Freud mare won 4-of-7 starts last season and added to her ledger this year with stakes scores in the six-furlong Correction in March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., against open company and the Dancin Renee for state-breds in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Bred in the Empire State by JMJ Racing Stables, Sadie Lady was a game second in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont Park.

The post Maracuja Hindered By Inside Trip in Alabama, Sadie Lady To Get Freshening For Fall Campaign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Malathaat Gets 95 Beyer Speed Figure For Alabama Win, Will Train Up To BC Distaff

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat reasserted her dominance in the 3-year-old filly division with a powerful score in Saturday's $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The regally bred daughter of Curlin earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for her third Grade 1 win, where she made a quick recovery after stumbling at the start, to settle three lengths off the pace in fifth down the backstretch. Malathaat made a sweeping four-wide move in upper stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

Malathaat arrived at the Alabama after suffering her first defeat in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24, where she set the pace in a compact field and was ultimately collared by Maracuja, who finished last of seven in the Alabama.

“It was good to get back and get a reasonably good trip despite stumbling at the start,” Pletcher said. “It was a very, very strong performance. She looks good this morning.”

Malathaat won the Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 5 over a sloppy and sealed track at Aqueduct, making up considerable ground with little effort to win by three-quarters of a length.

Following a four-month layoff, Malathaat returned to capture the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes on April 3 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., en route to a Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks score four weeks later at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“She looked like she was hopelessly beaten and then ends up winning by daylight,” Pletcher recalled of the Demoiselle. “We were excited about stretching her out to a mile and a quarter and she handled it as well as we hoped that she would.”

With a trio of Grade 1 wins under her belt during a prosperous 2021 campaign, Malathaat is the current frontrunner for Eclipse Award honors for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.

Recent Alabama winners to secure Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors include Blind Luck [2010], Royal Delta [2011], Questing [2012], Songbird [2016], and Swiss Skydiver [2020].

Pletcher said Malathaat will likely train up to the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“Right now, we're focused on the Distaff, so we'll zero in on that and take things from there. That's the most likely scenario,” Pletcher said. “Nothing's etched in stone, but that's sort of the plan that we discussed with Rick Nichols [of Shadwell] a while ago.”

Pletcher previously secured Alabama triumphs with Princess of Sylmar [2013] and Stopchargingmaria [2014], the latter of whom captured the following year's Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Malathaat is the second progeny out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia. She was bought for $1.05 million at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

[Story Continues Below]

Pletcher has found recent success with first-time starting juveniles, saddling WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Major General and Robert and Lawanna Low's My Prankster to impressive maiden scores on Saturday at the Spa.

Major General, a son of third-crop sire Constitution, led at every point of call in the 6 ½-furlong maiden tilt, and shook off a stretch confrontation from third-time starter Bourbon Heist to win by a neck under leading rider Luis Saez. Major General registered a 77 Beyer for the debut win.

“Major General was a little bit green yesterday,” Pletcher said. When that horse came to him, he looked him in the eye and found some horse, so we're happy to see that.”

Six races later, My Prankster displayed stalking tactics down the backstretch along the rail before taking command from the outside around the far turn and romped home a 10-length winner under Saez. The son of leading sire Into Mischief garnered a 92 Beyer.

“He was very impressive, I thought he kicked on well down the lane and had something left in the tank, so it was very encouraging,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher did not have any plans for a next start for either horse.

“We'll let the dust settle and see how it goes,” Pletcher said.

Bred in Kentucky by Circular Road Breeders, Major General is the first offspring out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare No Mo Lemons. He was bought for $420,000 from the Woods Edge Farm consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

My Prankster, bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, was a $600,000 acquisition at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Summerfield. His is out of the Flower Alley mare My Wandy's Girl who was a Group 1 winner in South America before scoring graded stakes black type in the United States.

The post Malathaat Gets 95 Beyer Speed Figure For Alabama Win, Will Train Up To BC Distaff appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Malathaat and Maracuja Rematch in Alabama

Maracuja (Honor Code) put an end to 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat's (Curlin) unbeaten record when they last met in Saratoga's GI CCA Oaks July 24. Now that GI Kentucky Oaks winner will try to turn the tables on that foe and return to winning ways as the even-money morning-line favorite in Saturday's prestigious GI Alabama S. going an additional furlong at the Spa.

A perfect three-for-three as a juvenile, capped by a victory in the GII Demoiselle S., Malathaat kicked off her sophomore campaign with a head success in Keeneland's GI Central Bank Ashland S. Apr. 3. The $1.05-million KEESEP acquisition rallied to a gritty victory in the Kentucky Oaks Apr. 30 and led every step of the way in the CCA Oaks before being worn down late by Maracuja to be second by a head.

“I'm hoping that we get on the outside and stay clear. Those other two fillies [Maracuja and Clairiere] just kept tag teaming her and she never had a chance to take a breath,” said Shadwell Stables' General Manager Rick Nichols. “I think the additional distance will be a benefit to her as well. Her pedigree certainly points towards that direction.”

Graduating at third asking at Aqueduct in February, Maracuja was second to GI Acorn S. winner and Oaks runner-up Search Results (Flatter) in the GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 3 and could only manage seventh in the Run for the Lillies. Dispatched at 14-1 in a four-horse field last time in the CCA Oaks, the gray was given an excellent ride from Ricardo Santana, Jr., overtaking the chalk just in time for a breakthrough score.

“When Kendrick [Carmouche] got off her the first time she won he said that he couldn't wait for us to stretch her out in distance. He knew right away,” trainer Rob Atras said. “You always hope for the best, but our goal was always to target the Coaching Club and the Alabama, so it's nice that things are coming together.”

Also exiting the CCA Oaks is regally bred, Grade II winner Clairiere (Curlin). Winner of the GII Rachel Alexandra S. in February, the Stonestreet homebred rallied to be second to Travel Column (Frosted) in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks a month later. Closing strongly to be fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, the daughter of MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini) was third in the GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont June 26 and loomed a brief threat before fading to third in the CCA Oaks.

Ken McPeek saddles a filly worth a look here at a bit of price in Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map). A decisive victress of the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 27, she failed to fire when 10th on the Last Friday in April, but rebounded with a victory in the GII Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita May 30. The gray romped by six lengths last out as the heavy favorite in an underwhelming renewal of the GIII Delaware Oaks July 3.

Also worth consideration to fill out the superfecta is Army Wife (Declaration of War), who exits victories in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 14 and GIII Iowa Oaks July 2.

The post Malathaat and Maracuja Rematch in Alabama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post