There are a number of angles and factors to weigh and consider before a field of nine 3-year-old fillies line up at Saratoga Saturday for the GI Alabama S. Can Holy Helena (Ghostzapper) transfer her excellent form over the Woodbine Tapeta back to conventional dirt? A second-out maiden winner on the stretch-out at Belmont in May, she upped her game substantially when annexing the lucrative Woodbine Oaks June 11, then doubled up against the boys going this distance in the July 2 Queen's Plate.
New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro) is also an unknown commodity on the main track. The $450,000 KEEESEP yearling has raced exclusively on the grass for Chad Brown, with signature wins in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and most recently in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational going this distance July 8. “I'm excited about trying her on the dirt; this filly has been training super,” Brown said. “It's something I've always thought about; running her on the dirt now seems like the right time to try it. The distance of the race should really suit her.”
One who has proven she can handle the dirt is Unchained Melody (Smart Strike), who ran away with the GII Mother Goose S. downstate July 1, earning a field-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Lockdown (First Defence), a full-sister to champion Close Hatches, was second. The former figures to show the way early.
“I don't think there is a lot of speed, so if she's comfortable on the lead, then I'll leave her alone,” Unchained Melody's trainer Brian Lynch said. “She's been good. A lot of horses do well up here this time of year and she appears to be one of them.”
Lockdown's stablemate Elate (Medaglia d'Oro) was a close second behind divisional leader Abel Tasman (Quality Road) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks here July 23, and was almost put up for the win after a long inquiry due to herding by the winner. GII Gulfstream Park Oaks heroine Salty (Quality Road) also gave Abel Tasman a run for her money when second to that foe in the GI Acorn S. June 10. She was third in the CCA Oaks.
'TDN Rising Star' It Tiz Well (Arch) defeated the likes of GII Black-Eyed Susan S. heroine Actress (Tapit) in the GIII Delaware Oaks July 8.
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