Servis hopes great season continues with Alabama Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jason Servis is enjoying a sensational Saratoga meet, one that could get better over the final three weekends when he participates in two Grade 1 races beginning with Saturday’s $600,000 Alabama Stakes.

Servis, who had seven winners from 17 starters at Saratoga entering Thursday’s card, will send out Actress in the Alabama for 3-year-old fillies. While she may be a longshot, Actress had the quality to win the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico as a maiden. A further examination of her past performances shows Actress was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths by Unchained Melody when the two debuted in the same race at Gulfstream Park on March 19. Unchained Melody, who has since won the Grade 2 Mother Goose, is the morning-line favorite in the Alabama.

In her second start, Actress ran in the Game Face Stakes, where she finished second to My Miss Tapit, who had won a maiden race impressively at Gulfstream. Actress rallied from 19 lengths back to win the Black-Eyed Susan. Most recently she finished third, beaten a half-length by It Tiz Well – also in the Alabama – in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks.

“In Delaware her race was good,” Servis said. “She was grinding and grinding, I thought.”

Servis doesn’t think the 1 1/4 miles of the Alabama will be an issue. He has secured the services of leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr.

On closing day of this meet, Servis will send out Firenze Fire in the Grade 1 Hopeful. Firenze Fire won the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes here on opening day. The son of Poseidon’s Warrior is now 2 for 2.

Servis, 60, has a stable that is growing in both quantity and quality. He has more than 20 horses at Saratoga and a large contingent at Monmouth, where he is 20 for 68.

“I don’t want to consider myself a little guy, but I never got the good horses, always the claimers, which I did well with,” Servis said. “I always had to grind it out, so it’s exciting for me and my wife [Natalie] and my family to get some quality horses.”