High-Profile Sophomore Races Highlight Saturday's Cards

Three-year-olds are spotlighted in a trio of $500,000 races across North America on Saturday, Aug. 15.

 At Saratoga Race Course, Swiss Skydiver looms a heavy favorite against six rivals in the 140th running of the prestigious Alabama Stakes (G1). The 10-furlong Alabama is preceded by the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes for turf males going 1 3/16 miles. 

Up at Woodbine Racetrack, the Woodbine Oaks Presented By Budweiser brings together a competitive field of Ontario-breds. The Oaks is the stakes capper on a card that also includes the King Edward Stakes (G2T), Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), Bold Venture Stakes (G3) and the Plate Trial Stakes for sophomores eyeing the $1 million Queens Plate Sept. 12.

At Monmouth Park, the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes is the final points qualifying race (20-8-4-2)  for the Kentucky Derby Presented By Woodford Reserve (G1) Sept. 5.

Saratoga Derby (Sar, race 8, 5:07 ET): Christophe Clement is in the midst of a strong summer at the Spa, and sends out the dynamic duo of Decorated Invader (2) and Gufo (5), a couple of stretch-running sons of Declaration of War who are each 3 for 3 this year.

Decorated Invader gave four pounds to Get Smokin (8) and Domestic Spending (4) and beat them under confident handling in the National Racing Museum And Hall Of Fame Stakes (G2T) opening weekend, and now meets them at level weights. 

Gufo's win in the Kent Stakes (G3T) also looked well measured, and third finisher Vanzzy has since come back to win the Jersey Derby.

Colonel Liam (6) improved leaps and bounds to beat older allowance horses when switched to turf early at the meet. His pedigree doesn't necessarily scream turf (by Liam's Map  out of a Bernardini  mare), but his second dam was five-time graded turf stakes winner Wonder Again, so maybe that's where he gets it from.

Field Pass (7) may fall through the cracks a bit here. He's not flashy, but has won four stakes on turf and synthetic, and beat Decorated Invader in a highly-rated maiden race at the Spa at age 2.

A - 2, 7

B - 5, 6

Alabama (Sar, race 9, 5:43 ET): Swiss Skydiver (5) comes off a good second against males in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and will be even money or thereabouts to notch her fourth graded win for Kenny McPeek, who saddled Eskimo Kisses to an upset win in the 2018 Alabama. While the favorite is already assured of a spot in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4, this race offers the winner a fees-paid berth to the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

The mile and a quarter can be a great equalizer, and it bears mention the nine-furlong Blue Grass was Swiss Skydiver's initial venture beyond 1 1/16 miles. McPeek also entered Envoutante (1), whose rider, Jose Ortiz, has won the Alabama's last three renewals.

The only graded stakes winners besides Swiss Skydiver are Bonny South (4) and Harvey's Lil Goil (6). The former was off for nearly four months after taking the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), so she may improve off a flat fourth in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) first time back.

Harvey's Lil Goil was off the board behind Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) after some trouble on the first turn, but rebounded for a gutsy win in the Regret Stakes (G3T). She has previously off the turf-to-dirt switch for Bill Mott, whose recent Saratoga stakes upsetters with that move include Good Samaritan  in the 2017 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Yoshida  in the 2018 Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). I'm inclined to be lenient about the Fantasy, especially considering the daughter of American Pharoah  has won twice at nine furlongs.

Maybe there's some value to be had in vertical exotics by forsaking second choice Spice Is Nice (2), who seems susceptible to a bounce after a big-figure comeback win against much softer company.

A - 5

B - 1, 4, 6

Pegasus (Mth, race 10, 5:12 ET): Big City Bob (2), Pneumatic (5) and As Seen On Tv (7) will look around and be relieved to see Tiz the Law is nowhere in sight, after running up against last week's blowout Runhappy Travers (G1) winner in the Champagne Stakes (G1), Belmont Stakes Presented By NYRA Bets (G1), and Curlin Florida Derby (G1), respectively.

Big City Bob will be the biggest price among those, as it's been five months since something went awry in the Private Terms Stakes. The layoff could be a plus in this case, though, as nine of the last 15 winners for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. had been sidelined 125 days or longer.

Pneumatic was coming back in four weeks when fourth in the Belmont; he has had eight weeks leading to this and sheds 10 pounds.

Jesus' Team (8) comes off a respectable fourth in the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), and will keep Arkaan (6) occupied up front early.

A - 2, 5

B - 7, 8

King Edward (WO, race 9, 5:22 ET): The pace should be hotly contested among Mr Ritz (3) and morning-line choice Silent Poet (5), and that may help set things up for either March to the Arch (2) or Delaware (8).

March to the Arch has had some tough trips in similar company recently, and got going too late last out in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T), which has turned into a key race. The winner, Factor This, returned to capture his fourth straight stake; third finisher Parlor was beaten a nose in the Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1T); and fourth finisher Aquaphobia took the United Nations Stakes (G1T).

Delaware, a Juddmonte Farms homebred by Frankel, makes his third start for Chad Brown and stretches back out to one mile, which was his optimum distance overseas.

A - 2, 8

B - 5

Woodbine Oaks (WO, race 10, 5:57 ET): Curlin's Voyage (1) has defeated six of her nine opponents, but her margin of victory in the Ontario Lassie Stakes and the Fury Stakes was just a head over the likes of Merveilleux (7) and Justleaveitalone (9).

Lasting Union (8) has blossomed at two turns, winning back to back at Laurel Park and Delaware Park, but is back in 24 days with the potential to regress coming off dirt races.

At a price, Mizzen Beau (6) rates a look third off the bench, on the theory she didn't fire her best shot behind several of these in the Fury first time over the local surface. She worked a bullet five furlongs over the track last Sunday.

A - 1, 7

B - 6, 8, 9