Spa proving cure for Alabama favorite Stopchargingmaria
S ARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Some horses just seem to really thrive at Saratoga. Stopchargingmaria seems to be one of them.
After two disappointing races to begin her 3-year-old season, Stopchargingmaria has found her best form, and it coincides with her return to Saratoga. Stopchargingmaria was among the first horses trainer Todd Pletcher sent here when the backside opened in mid-April. Since then, Stopchargingmaria has won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico and, last month, the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here.
On Saturday, she’ll look to continue her summer resurgence in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes at 1 1/4 miles over Saratoga’s main track.
Stopchargingmaria, trained by Pletcher for Mike Repole, will take on eight rival 3-year-olds in the Alabama, four of whom she handily defeated in the Coaching Club four weeks ago.
Stopchargingmaria won her debut here last summer and finished second to Sweet Reason in the Grade 1 Spinaway. She ended her year with wins in the Grade 3 Tempted and Grade 2 Demoiselle, both at Aqueduct. Disappointing efforts in the Davona Dale and Fantasy stakes earlier this year prompted Pletcher to pull the plug on running her in the Kentucky Oaks.
“She didn’t run well enough in the Fantasy to come back in the Oaks,” said Pletcher, who swept last year’s Coaching Club and Alabama with Princess of Sylmar. “Shipped her up here to Saratoga, and all of a sudden she was training way better. Maybe it is Saratoga, though she did fine last fall when she left here and trained at Belmont for the Tempted and Demoiselle. Maybe it’s just a winter thing and it took her a little while to blossom.”
Stopchargingmaria defeated Unbridled Forever by five lengths in the Coaching Club. Unbridled Forever, who has been second or third in four consecutive graded stakes, has done exceptionally well since the Coaching Club, according to her trainer, Dallas Stewart. Stewart is hoping the 1 1/4 miles of the Alabama will make a difference.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Unbridled Forever. Trainer Dallas Stewart is winless in eight starts over the past five years in dirt routes of 10 furlongs and longer.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Two starts back, Fortune Pearl was beaten three lengths when third to Stopchargingmaria in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico. She came back to win the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks by two lengths over Joint Return, and she returns in the Alabama.
“She wasn’t that far behind the favorite, and she’s a better filly now than she was then,” said Graham Motion, who trains Fortune Pearl for RMJ Stables.
Key contenders
Stopchargingmaria (Last 3 Beyers: 94-85-81)
◗ Has posted her three best Beyer Speed Figures at Saratoga.
◗ While her Tomlinson Figure for 1 1/4 miles is 240 – the lowest in the field – she has won three graded stakes at 1 1/8 miles.
“Based on the strength of her races over the track, it seemed like she handled [distance] really well,” Pletcher said. “She’s finished up well at a mile and an eighth, and she’s galloped out super.”
Unbridled Forever (Last 3 Beyers: 86-84-90)
◗ Has finished second or third in four consecutive graded stakes, including a second to Stopchargingmaria in the Grade 1 Coaching Club.
◗ Trainer Stewart, just 2 for 71 over the last five years in graded stakes, believes Unbridled Forever has improved significantly since the Coaching Club and is expecting a big race.
◗ With Joel Rosario in Chicago, Rosie Napravnik rides Unbridled Forever.
Fortune Pearl (Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-84)
◗ Debuted for maiden-claiming $32,000 last December and became a Grade 2 winner last out in the Delaware Oaks.
◗ Has been at Saratoga long enough to get three works over the track, something Motion did with her at Delaware prior to the Delaware Oaks.
“She was never a flashy work horse, but her last work was her best work,” Motion said.
Size (Last 3 Beyers: 91-79-70)
◗ Rapidly improving filly is coming off a front-running score in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks for trainer Bill Mott, who scratched her out of last Saturday’s Monmouth Oaks for this.
◗ Could play out as the primary speed breaking from the outside post under Junior Alvarado.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Size. Trainer Bill Mott is 5 for 10 (and 8 in the money) with a $3.25 ROI over the past year in Grade 1 dirt routes following a winning effort.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan