Alva Starr may point to Madison after American Beauty triumph

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Alva Starr could see action in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland following her Saturday win in the $150,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn Park.

The start was her first since the fall meet at Keeneland, when she was second by a half-length in the Grade 2 Raven Run in October. Alva Starr broke on top Saturday, set the pace, and covered six furlongs on a track upgraded to muddy in 1:10.47.

“We thought this race fit our schedule really well,” said Brett Brinkman, who co-bred and trains Alva Starr. “Our mid-term goal has been the Madison. That’s where we want to end up. We’re going to see what happens.”

The $600,000 Madison is April 6.

Alva Starr won the Grade 2 Prioress last year at Saratoga, the same race her half-sister Cilla won in 2021. Alva Starr is by Lord Nelson and Cilla is by California Chrome. The horses were both bred by Brinkman and owner Dale Ladner and are out of the outstanding broodmare Sittin At the Bar, who has produced four stakes winners from five foals to race.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“It’s been remarkable,” Brinkman said. “It’s been an unbelievable experience to have that kind of mare in our midst.”

Sittin At the Bar is a 14-year-old daughter of Into Mischief who was bred by Spendthrift Farm. She was a multiple stakes winner raced by Ladner and trained by Brinkman and overall she was 11 for 19 for earnings of $705,896.

Her first stakes winner was Club Car, who earned $677,265. Jack the Umpire was a multiple stakes winner of $193,435 and Cilla banked $509,000 and Alva Starr has earned $420,400.

Brinkman said Sittin At the Bar has a 2-year-old filly by Frosted, a yearling filly by Gun Runner, and is scheduled to have a foal by Cyberknife in March.

Honeybee for Band of Gold?

Plans for Band of Gold are to be determined, but trainer Kenny McPeek said Sunday that the winner of the $250,000 Martha Washington on Saturday at Oaklawn will be nominated to the next race in the local 3-year-old filly series, the Grade 3, $400,000 Honeybee on Feb. 24.

“I’ve got to put a plan together on her,” McPeek said Sunday.

Band of Gold was one of two stakes winners on the card for McPeek, with the other being Mystik Dan in the Grade 3, $800,000 Southwest. Both horses were ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. The horses each earned 20 points for the respective Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.

“Just an overall great day,” McPeek said.

Band of Gold was a 2 3/4-length winner of the Martha Washington, and for her effort in the 1 1/16-mile race run in the mud she earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 86.

“She’s a good filly, ground it out,” he said. “She should only improve from here.”

Band of Gold is by Preservationist and out of the mare Play for Gold, who is a half-sister to past Southwest stakes winner My Boy Jack.

Ice Cold retired

McPeek said Ice Cold, the winner of the Year’s End in December at Oaklawn, has been retired. The multiple stakes winner had been pointing to the Martha Washington, but sustained an injury to an ankle when galloping in late January.

Ice Cold was an Indiana-bred stakes winner in October, taking the Miss Indiana by 10 lengths. She returned to defeat open foes in the Year’s End, with both races run around two turns. Ice Cold is a daughter of Mitole and a half-sister to Corningstone, a multiple stakes winner of more than $400,000.

Neom Beach developing

Plans for Neom Beach, who was third in the Year’s End and Martha Washington, are to be determined, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday. She earned a career-best Beyer of 82 for her race in the Martha Washington.

“Another solid effort,” Asmussen said. “She’s a lovely filly and I think it was her best race to date.”

Asmussen said plans will be made based on Neom Beach’s training. Earlier in her career, she won a maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.