Sacred Wish takes another crack at Wet Paint in 10-horse Alabama

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After just missing pulling off a 10-1 upset in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 22, Sacred Wish will come back for another upset bid when she meets Wet Paint and eight others in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles.

Sacred Wish began her career sprinting on dirt and looked good the one time she breezed over the turf course at Belmont Park. But her two best results have come routing on dirt, a neck loss to Wet Paint in the CCA Oaks and, in April, a second to Affirmative Lady in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

In selecting her next start following the CCA Oaks, trainer George Weaver said it became a no-brainer just to keep her at Saratoga and try the 1 1/4 miles of the Alabama.

“The deciding factor was we get to stay home, we don’t have to ship, she stays in her element,” Weaver said. “She ran big over the track, so part-owner [Jake Ballis] and I discussed it in the days after the Coaching Club Oaks. He was leaning toward the Alabama and I was fine with that.”

The only bad race Sacred Wish has run was the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico, a race she had to ship to a few days out. Weaver said Sacred Wish can be a bit on the nervous side.

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“It just didn’t go well,” Weaver said of the Black-Eyed Susan.

A field of 10 was entered for the Alabama. Wet Paint, the CCA Oaks winner, will likely be favored. Others entered include Julia Shining, Gambling Girl, and Chocolate Gelato from the barn of Todd Pletcher; Fireline and Randomized from the barn of Chad Brown; and Defining Purpose, Taxed, and Sabra Tuff.

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