Alabama Stakes (Grade 1)

IT was a quieter week stateside ahead of the big Saratoga meeting tonight.

While the leader of the three-year-old filly pack, Thorpedo Anna was preparing for tonight’s Travers, the rest came out to play for Grade 1 honours in the Alabama Stakes Presented By Keeneland Sales.

Frankie Dettori on outsider Chatalas led early - the half mile in 47 seconds - and into the straight, but came to the end of her run as Candied, the Todd Pletcher-trained favourite, made her headway on the outer from three out on the run to the bend. She was bumped slightly entering the straight as Chatalas faltered and bumped Miss Justify, but responded to pressure to lead just before the furlong pole. Power Squeeze had raced in seventh of the eight runners early on, and though under a bit of drive from early by Javier Castellano, she was the last to challenge, coming with a wide run in the straight.

She and Candied went neck and neck with the Jorge Delgado-trained filly just getting her head in front on the line. It was a length back to the third Just Basking and eight and a half lengths back to the rest of the field.

“I never felt like a winner until the wire. That was an absolutely outstanding ride from Javier. He measured the race perfectly,” said trainer Jorge Delgado said to media.

Power Squeeze had been well beaten behind Thorpedo Anna, in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, before which she was on a four-race winning streak.

Owned by Lea Farms, the daughter of Union Rags has now won six of her last eight starts, including the Group 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Delgado said he was happy to take on Thorpedo Anna again, with the $1 million Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on September 21st a likely target.

Del Mar Oaks

On the west coast the Grade 1 was the Del Mar Oaks Presented By Keeneland Sales, and it brought success for the Phil D’Amato-trained Iscreamuscream (imagine Jerry Hannon calling that in a close finish!). The daughter of Twiring Candy had a length and a half to spare over Peter Euron’s Medoro and the Irish-bred Zona Verde (Calyx) back in third, also trained by D’Amato.

The filly, now unbeaten in four runs is owned by an ownership group of Little Red Feather (California’s largest horse racing partnership), Agave Racing Stable, John Hundley Jr, Marsha Naify, and John and Stacey Snyder.

Iscreamuscream led under jockey Hector Berrios when the gates opened. However, after the first quarter-mile, the favourite Whiskey Decision went to the front passing the half-mile pole.

Approaching the six-furlong mark, Hector Berrios and Iscreamuscream loomed to the outside of Whiskey Decision and swept by as the field swung for home, staying on to win by a length and half in a time of 1m48.06secs for the nine furlongs.