Alms Spins Back to Matron Stakes Score
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsa Durand
Alms wins the Matron Stakes at Belmont Park
Godolphin homebred Alms thrived off a return to the races after just two weeks Oct. 5 when she captured the $150,000 Matron Stakes (G3T) on the firm inner turf at Belmont Park.
The City Zip bay arrived at the six-furlong event for juvenile fillies off a maiden victory at first asking Sept. 19 over Belmont's Widener turf course.
Breaking from the rail under Jose Lezcano, the Michael Stidham trainee settled near the rear of the six-horse field as Time Limit led through an opening quarter-mile in :22.42, with Pure Wow applying pressure to her outside.
As the field approached the far turn, Lezcano angled Alms three wide and began inching closer to the front. Although Time Limit extended her lead to two lengths off the turn for home, Alms displayed an efficient late kick and wore down the pacesetter to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:09.30.
Time Limit was second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of A Freud of Mama in third.
Karak, Pure Wow, and Classy Sadie completed the order of finish.
Alms gave Godolphin and Lezcano a stakes double after the owner-jockey combo notched a win in the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational Stakes with Final Frontier.
Lezcano said he wanted to urge Alms into a winning rhythm early.
"At the three-eighths pole, I had to start asking her. She's still young and a little bit green," he explained. "I wanted to ask her a little bit earlier because I know the turf is playing a little bit fast today and I didn't want to fall too far behind. Once I asked, she went on well to win the race. I think she can go longer."
Alms was bred in Kentucky out of the Empire Maker mare Charity Belle, who also produced dual turf stakes winner Hallie Belle, another Stidham trainee.
"We've always been real high on this filly. We trained her sister as well, who was a stakes winner and graded-placed," said assistant Ben Trask. "We ran her back a little quick, but we wanted to see what we had. She trains at Fair Hill on the synthetic track, and she does everything right. At the break, I would like her to be a little bit closer, but when she broke, she looked at the horses a little bit and then again on the turn. When she got outside, she finished well and came home nice."
Returning $3.30 as the 3-5 favorite, Alms banked $82,500 and enhanced her career earnings to $123,750.
Manny Franco, aboard runner-up Time Limit in her turf debut, said he was pleased with his filly's effort.
"She broke well. I let her do her thing," Franco said. "She was comfortable and handled the turf well, first time on it. I couldn't ask for more. She gave me everything she had. I really like her better on the turf—much better."