Alda Seeks a Return to Winning Form in Hilltop

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Photo: Rick Samuels
Alda trains last fall ahead of the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland

Wertheimer & Frere's grade 1-placed homebred Alda  and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gianni Fittipaldi's Mia Martina  will line up with the chance to add to trainer Graham Motion's roster of previous winners in Friday's $100,000 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

The 49th running of the one-mile Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies and 21st edition of the $100,000 The Very One for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs comprise the turf stakes during a spectacular 14-race card on the eve of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1), headlined by the 97th running of the $250,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

Motion won his first Hilltop with Silent Greeting in 1996. He then added victories with Coup in 2012, Miss Temple City in 2015, and Happy Mesa in 2017.

Alda won two of her first three career starts, breaking her maiden second time out at Belmont Park and winning the Catch a Glimpse Stakes over the Woodbine turf last summer. She returned to Canada to be second in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) before finishing off the board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Keeneland.

The daughter of Munnings   didn't return until April 9 in Keeneland's 5 1/2-furlong TVG Limestone Turf Sprint Stakes, where she ended up sixth by four lengths to multiple stakes winner Tobys Heart .

"It was probably a little quick for her that day. I thought I could get away with sprinting her one time, but I think this is what she wants to do," Motion said. "She came to me as a 2-year-old and she's been very consistent. It probably was a big step to go to the Breeders' Cup off of those races, but I thought she deserved a shot. It was coming sort of at the end of the year and she'd been running pretty consistently. I'd like to see her get back on track here. She's a filly I've always thought a lot of."

Mia Martina wins an allowance optional claiming race Sunday, January 10, 2021 at Gulfstream Park
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Mia Martina wins an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park

Mia Martina returns to the turf after a failed effort on dirt in the Gazelle Stakes (G3), where she was never in contention and was eased. Prior to that effort she had raced three times on grass, winning her first two starts before closing from last to be fourth, beaten less than four lengths, in the Florida Oaks (G3T) March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

"Eclipse bought her after her first start. We ran her on the dirt last time up at Aqueduct, which was just a put-a-line-through-it race. She clearly struggled with the dirt. We wanted to try it. She's kind of bred for it, but she obviously doesn't handle it as well," Motion said. "I've been really happy with her coming up to this race. This is a logical spot for her to get her back on track. Nice filly, very straightforward."

Trainer Mike Maker, who won last year's Hilltop with Evil Lyn, returns this year with Albert Frassetto homebred Phantom Vision . The Declaration of War  filly was fourth by 2 1/2 lengths after setting the pace in the Limestone Turf Sprint and was second in the 6 1/2-furlong Cincinnati Trophy Stakes Feb. 26 on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

"We're stretching out," Maker said. "She has a lot of speed; we'll see if she can carry it a mile."


Entries: Hilltop S.

Pimlico Race Course, Friday, May 14, 2021, Race 11

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 4:40 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Tracy Flick (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Claude R. McGaughey III 6/1
2 2Seasons (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 James J. Toner 8/1
3 3Alda (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 H. Graham Motion 5/1
4 4Proper Attire (MD) Charlie Marquez 120 John E. Salzman, Jr. 30/1
5 5Bubbles On Ice (IRE) Javier Castellano 120 Christophe Clement 7/2
6 6Mia Martina (FL)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 H. Graham Motion 5/1
7 7Serenade a Kitten (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 120 Mary E. Eppler 20/1
8 8Il Malocchio (ON) Victor R. Carrasco 120 Kenneth G. McPeek 15/1
9 9Journeytothemoon (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julian Pimentel 120 Michael J. Trombetta 20/1
10 10Arm Candy (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1
11 11Double Fireball (MD) UNKNOWN 120 Anthony Aguirre, Jr. 50/1
12 12Speed Lane (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 120 Kelly Rubley 15/1
13 13Phantom Vision (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Michael J. Maker 10/1
14 14Out of Sorts (KY) Sheldon Russell 120 Brittany T. Russell 20/1

Victory Kingdom Seeks First Stakes Win in The Very One

Team Valor International homebred Victory Kingdom , graded stakes-placed in Canada and her native Australia, goes after her first career stakes victory in Friday's $100,000 The Very One Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

A 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom, Victory Kingdom made her first 11 starts in Australia where she ran third in the Crown Resorts Typhoon Tracy Stakes (G3) and second in the Tab Kewney Stakes (G2) in 2019.

Victory Kingdom made her North American debut last summer at Saratoga Race Course, running fourth in the Smart N Fancy Stakes. From there she went to Canada, finishing second in the Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) and fourth in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes over Woodbine's all-weather surface.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Victory Kingdom has made only one start this year when she ran second in the Jan. 1 Abundantia Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She has breezed steadily since late March for her return, most recently an easy half-mile in :49 1/5 May 7 at Keeneland.

Caravel wins the Lady Erie Stakes August 24, 2020 at Presque Isle Downs
Photo: Coady Photography
Caravel wins the 2020 Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs

"She's a very nice filly," Brisset said. "She's been a little unlucky. She's graded stakes-placed. She's still only won one race, her maiden, but her last race was a very good effort. She got beat by the draw more than anything. We drew (post) 1 and she was on the inside and got a little bit shuffled back and then really came running and was a good second. We kind of refreshed her after that and looking forward to a spring and summer campaign with her. We think she could be competitive in this kind of spot."

Bred, owned, and trained by Liz Merryman, Fair Hill Training Center-based Caravel  will be making her second start this year after running third in the License Fee Stakes April 30 at Belmont Park, her first race in six months. The speedy 4-year-old Mizzen Mast filly won four of five starts last year, including the Lady Erie Stakes and the Malvern Rose Stakes on the synthetic at Presque Isle Downs, her lone loss coming in last year's Hilltop Stakes over this course.


Entries: The Very One S.

Pimlico Race Course, Friday, May 14, 2021, Race 9

  • STK
  • 5f
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 3:38 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Epic Idea (MD) Sheldon Russell 122 Ann W. Merryman 20/1
2 2Gogo Shoes (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Javier Castellano 122 Derek S. Ryan 12/1
3 3Caravel (PA) Florent Geroux 122 Elizabeth M. Merryman 7/2
4 4Bath And Tennis (IRE) Leonardo Corujo 122 Charles A. DeMario 30/1
5 5Victory Kingdom (AUS)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 122 Rodolphe Brisset 6/1
6 6Queen of Shades (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Kelly J. Breen 8/1
7 7Can the Queen (MD) Angel Cruz 122 Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon 50/1
8 8Buff's in Love (MD) Charlie Marquez 122 Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon 30/1
9 9Catch a Bid (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 122 Joe Sharp 4/1
10 10Dendrobia (MD) Forest Boyce 122 Timothy L. Keefe 30/1
11 11Dixieincandyland (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 122 Eddie Kenneally 3/1
12 12Gotta Go Mo (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 John C. Kimmel 8/1