Longer races may be in Alms's future

NEW ORLEANS – It’s not like trainer Mike Stidham has trained dozens of world-class horses, but plenty of talented animals have passed through his barn during a long training career, perhaps none as talented as the 3-year-old filly Alms.

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Alms won for the fourth time in as many starts and aced her 3-year-old debut with an easy win here Saturday in the Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes. As planned, she’ll go on to the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs next month, but Stidham and Godolphin, the filly’s owner and breeder, are thinking bigger picture, too. The richest races for 3-year-old turf fillies come at nine furlongs and longer. Alms, by City Zip, hasn’t yet gone beyond one mile.

“A mile and an eighth, we think, will be no problem,” Stidham said. “Farther than that, who knows? Her talent might allow her to outrun her pedigree.”