Champion Alpha Bettor looks sharp entering Eclipse Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Alpha Bettor, Canada’s champion older male of 2013, will be looking to double up early in his 2014 campaign as he headlines a strong field of nine for Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine.

Alpha Bettor won last year’s Eclipse, and he won the prep for this event with a front-running trip on May 10.

“There was no pace so we had to make the pace, and that’s certainly not what you want to do first time out in the year,” trainer Daniel Vella said. “He did everything right. He’ll improve a lot from that.”

Alpha Bettor has since come back with a bullet five-furlong work in 57.80 seconds on the main track here on May 26 in preparation for the Eclipse.

“The track was real fast that day and we wanted a good work,” Vella said. “He’s been really sharp since the race. It was a great work, and he came out of it real well. I think he’s in top form for the race.”

Two other horses are coming into the Eclipse off of wins, including Really Sharp and His Race to Win. Really Sharp won the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes at seven furlongs here on May 11, while His Race to Win won an allowance race on turf at Keeneland on April 16.

The lone shipper in the field is Frac Daddy, who earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure two starts back when he won the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes on Polytrack at Keeneland on April 19.

“He’s undefeated on Polytrack and we hope he stays that way,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “He’s training fantastic. He worked at Belmont last week and he’s good to go. This looks like a good spot for him.”

Awesome Overture was seventh behind His Race to Win in that April 16 allowance at Keeneland when making his first start of the year.
Stealcase and Peyton are both coming out of the Eclipse prep on May 10 when they finished second and third, respectively.

Hampstead Heath will run on Polytrack for the first time in more than a year after racing exclusively on turf since then. He hasn’t raced since March 29 when eighth in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park.

Rounding out the field is Are You Kidding Me, who will be making his first start since winning the Grade 3 Kent Stakes on turf at Delaware Park on Sept. 7.