Flora Dora doesn't duck challenge in Alabama

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Coaching Club American Oaks proved to be Plan C for Flora Dora. In the end, it wasn’t a bad plan.

Flora Dora finished third behind the champion Songbird in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, and now she’s Grade 1 stakes-placed, an important factor for breeding purposes.

Flora Dora will take on Songbird again in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama and will try to improve her position by at least one. Carina Mia, who finished second in the Coaching Club, is not running back in the Alabama.

“We’ll try to make a run at her, and hopefully we’ll be second, but like Allen Jerkens said, if there’s only one horse you’re afraid of, run,” trainer Marialice Coffey said. “I could be having my best day, and maybe she’ll be having her worst day.”

The CCA Oaks was the third option for Flora Dora, a daughter of First Dude. She was entered in the Delaware Oaks but was scratched when a rainstorm came through Delaware Park and turned the track into a sea of slop. Coffey then worked Flora Dora on turf and entered her in the Grade 2 Lake George here on July 22 but scratched when the CCA Oaks field came up small.

Flora Dora was beaten 9 1/4 lengths by Songbird in the CCA Oaks.

“I wasn’t really ready for that last race,” Coffey said. “I feel like we’re going into this one fully prepared.”

On Thursday, Flora Dora worked four furlongs in 47.12 seconds over the main track after going an opening quarter in 23.01. She galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.51 and six furlongs in 1:14.04.

Flora Dora worked in blinkers, equipment she will wear for the first time in a race in the Alabama.

“She seems a lot more focused, just enough to keep her looking down the lane,” Coffey said.

Coffey knows that with Songbird in the Alabama, the task is tall.

“Oh, God, why is it my luck?” Coffey said. “I’ll have a good colt, and there’ll be the second coming of Secretariat that year.”