Happy Alabama Day!

Having already won the Acorn and CCA Oaks, Counting Stars goes for a sweep of the Summer Grade 1’s for three old fillies in New York. Kentucky Oaks winner Always A Runner does not run here and instead is being aimed to the $1 million Cotillion at Parx next month.

Trivia Question: Who was the last filly to sweep the Acorn, CCA Oaks, and the Alabama?

Race 10  – The Ballston Spa Stakes

One Mile and a Sixteenth On the Inner Turf for Fillies and Mares 3 Years Old and Up

1. Ozara: Defending champion is three for four over this track. In the Diana she tracked Segesta but faded on the yielding turf (85 Beyer). Two back she went seven and half furlongs at Woodbine and was up the track (80 Beyer). Lean against.
2. Sunlit Uplands: Two back at the San Siro in Italy she was caught in the last hundred yards and then she was best late in a Group 3 at Hamburg where she got clear with a furlong from home. She’s been decent but those were not vs. top notch fields. Faces some decent ones here. The Euros can always surprise. Exotics play.
3. Deep Satin: She’s been OK this year but has not yet hit the board after three starts. Most recently in the DeLaRose she tracked the leader but faded in the lane (88 Beyer). Second in this race last year. Best recent race was in the Just A Game where she was fourth (94 Beyer). Passing
4. Play With Fire: Was a good second last month in her first start since October as she got to the lead but was just caught in an optional claiming race (87 Beyer). Unsurprisingly, Chad Brown is strong with second races off extended layoffs. Franco takes over for Prat who moves to Segesta. Maybe fills out a super.
5. And One More Time: Wired the field in the DeLaRose going a mile over this Inner Turf Track as she dug in to hold off the closers (94 Beyer). Strikes me as more of a miler with all four of her turf wins coming the mile distance. Should be on the pace. Gets a slice of pie.
6. Segesta: Tried to take the Diana field the whole way but was caught late (98 Beyer). In the Just a Game she pressed the pace but couldn’t catch the winner (96 Beyer). Prat is back up. Should be up on the pace. Gets class relief today. Logical favorite.
7. Grayosh: Monmouth based mare for Chad Brown comes in off a win in the Matchmaker Stakes where she sat chilly and was strongest late (92 Beyer). Nine furlongs should suit her and she should get a decent pace to run into. The “Other Chad” angle. The Pick.
8. Long Ago: Last out in the Matchmaker at Monmouth she pressed the pace and was second best to Grayosh (90 Beyer). That paired her 90 Beyer in the Miss Liberty two back which also resulted in a second place finish. Cross entered at Monmouth in the Violet Stakes. Passing.
9. Scalable: (MTO) Distant fourth in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher (79 Beyer) last month but did win the Top Flight back in March at the Big A (88 Beyer). The Pick on dirt.

Picks 7-6-5-2              Dirt Picks 9-5-6

Race 11 – The Alabama Stakes – Grade I

One Mile And One Quarter On The Dirt For Filles Three Years Old

1. Nycon: In the CCA Oaks she was a no show after going wide on the first turn and finished last. That was her first race since a distant fourth in the Gazelle in April (79 Beyer). Will need a huge improvement to win here.
2. Ati Girl: Bill Mott moves this filly into a stakes company after breaking her maiden (87 Beyer) as she just kept coming and wore down the leader. Only filly in the field to have gone a mile and a quarter as she was second in a MSW back in May (75 Beyer) that went ten furlongs. Mott wins at a 27% clip with maiden winners going directly to stakes. Irad moves to ML favorite Counting Stars so Johnny V takes over. She’ll need an improvement to win here, but she can handle the distance and she won over this track last month going two turns and has shown steadily increasing Beyers in each of her races since moving to Mott in March. She’s a tall leggy horse that looks like she would want the extra ground she gets today. Counting Stars is the obvious choice here, but I’ll take a shot at the Graveyard of Champions. The Pick.
3. Measure: In the CCA Oaks she came from last via a sustained drive to get into contention but was nowhere near close to Counting Stars (90 Beyer) while finishing third. Still qualifies for an N1X race as her only win was in an MSW race at Churchill last November. Minor award.
4. My Gun’s Loaded: Gun Runner filly won vs. optional claimers last out as she went out to the six path on the far turn but still drew off (94 Beyer) going a Wilson Chute mile. She had a similar trip two back going seven panels as she broke her maiden (92 Beyer). Has been very strong in the deep stretch. Hasn’t gone two turns yet. With only three career races she is eligible for further improvement but has not yet gone beyond a mile. Hits the board.
5. A.P.’s Girl: Has been off since June when she was a decent third in the Monomoy Girl Stakes (80 Beyer). Stalker type was a decent third in the Black Eyed Susan where she was three wide the whole way and then was flat late (77 Beyer). Needs a step forward.
6. Counting Stars: Impressive in the CCA Oaks where she defeated Always a Runner for a second time in a row as she outdueled that rival in the stretch after being on the lead (100 Beyer). Two back in the Acorn she tracked the leaders and then took over in the lane (95 Beyer) to win by three lengths. She is now the clear leader of this division. But her figs don’t lay over this field if you toss that last effort. She’ll be odds on and may well win by 10 lengths but I’ll take a shot that she won’t repeat that CCA Oaks performance – and if she regresses a bit and if the extra distance doesn’t suit her – someone might jump up. Use her on all tickets.

Picks 2-6-4-3

Trivia Answer: Sky Beauty in 1993 trained by “The Chief” Allen Jerkens was the last to do so.