Dallas Making a Visit to Saratoga Race Course

Most summers, the July/August place to be for trainer Dallas Stewart was right here, at Saratoga Race Course.

This year hasn't been like most summers.

The 63-year-old Stewart, who is from Mississippi, has stayed put at Churchill Downs, which is his home base. Like many trainers in the game, the 40-day meet at the Spa has been the place to be in the summer.

Stewart will make his first visit of the season on Aug. 19 when he saddles 30-1 Sabra Tuff  in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1).

"I miss it," Stewart said by phone from Kentucky. "I wish I had enough horses to compete."

Going into the Alabama, Stewart has started two horses at the meet. 

Sabra Tuff finished fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race July 13. On Aug. 17, Accommodate Eva , a 2-year-old filly, was second in a maiden race.

Sabra Tuff and Accommodate Eva are both owned by Murray Valene's Valene Farms. He also owns Platinum Minit, another 2-year-old filly, who debuts in the fifth race at Saratoga Aug. 20.

Stewart has stayed at Churchill and has shipped horses to run at Ellis Park, and a few others at Del Mar in addition to his Saratoga runners.

He has had success at the Spa before. He won the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) in 2017 with Forever Unbridled , beating Songbird , who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame a few weeks ago, by a neck.

In 2008, Stewart's Macho Again  won Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and, the following year, gave future Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra  all she wanted in the Woodward Stakes (G1). His rally came up a head short.

"I wish I had enough horses to compete (at Saratoga)," Stewart said. "You have to have the right horses to compete up there. I spent 30 years up there; raised my kids there. I enjoyed everything about it, just like everyone else."

He'll be in the paddock Aug. 19 to saddle Sabra Tuff and most might think the daughter of Cross Traffic   is in pretty tough as she battles the likes of Wet Paint  and Julia Shining .

As a 2-year-old, Sabra Tuff was third in Saratoga's Adirondack Stakes (G3) and fifth in the Spinaway Stakes (G1). She was a rallying fourth in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

"She ran pretty good up there at 1 1/8 miles on opening day," Stewart said. "I think she will be good at 1 1/4 miles. She's not a big filly, but she will go all day. It's a totally different race going a mile and a quarter. We are going to give her a shot. The owner wants to give her a shot."

And Stewart will be grateful for the opportunity to get back to Saratoga.

"It's the meet we all look forward to every year," he said. "It's a fight, but it's great when you win the Jim Dandy or the Personal Ensign. I have won some nice races there. Even the small ones ... it's great to win any race at Saratoga."