Candied Installed as 7-5 Favorite in Alabama

A grade 1 winner in her second start, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied  will try to get her second top-level score in the $600,000, 1 1/4-mile Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 17 at Saratoga Race Course.

Second last time out in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga July 20, the Candy Ride   filly won't have to face the winner of that race, as the connections of Thorpedo Anna , undefeated this year, have opted for the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (G1) instead. A $165,000 yearling purchase from Fasig-Tipton's The July Sale in 2022, Candied will be ridden by Manny Franco, who had the call in the Coaching Club. The 7-5 morning-line favorite, she'll break from post 7 and is trained by Todd Pletcher. 

"She's been super consistent, just second-best last time," said Pletcher. "I think she'll handle the mile and a quarter. With Thorpedo Anna going to the Travers, I think this race is much more wide open."

Breaking from the stall just to her inside is Pletcher's second runner in the Alabama, Miss Justify  (Justify  ), owned by Twin Oaks Bloodstock, IEE Racing, Joseph Bulger, and Will Campbell. A last-out winner in the Wilton Stakes at Saratoga, she will make her graded stakes debut Saturday, taking on a higher level of competition than she's run against in compiling a 3-0-1 record in five starts. Flavien Prat will be aboard.

Pletcher is seeking his fifth win in Saratoga's premier race for 3-year-old fillies. 

Two Gun Runner   fillies will break from the two inside posts: Intricate , owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes, and Cambron Equine, drew post 1, with Chatalas , owned by Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Dan J. Agnew, and William Chatalas breaking to her right.

A distant third behind Thorpedo Anna and Candied in the Coaching Club American Oaks, Intricate (6-1) was purchased by Bradley Thoroughbreds for $280,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The winner of the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) as a 2-year-old, the chestnut filly is trained by Brendan Walsh and has done her best running when stalking the pace, suggesting that her inside draw is unlikely to hinder her chances to get her first second graded stakes win. 

"I think she can improve," said Walsh. "She struggled a little bit with the track early in the (CCA) Oaks. That filly has had her issues, but she seems to train better and better every week. Having had a run over the track and a couple of works on it, I think she's coming into it a lot better. I wouldn't discount her chances. She shouldn't have a problem with the distance, either."

Chatalas (8-1) gets Frankie Dettori in the irons for her first start since winning the Indiana Oaks (G3) in early July. Dettori was also aboard for the filly's narrow runner-up finish in the listed Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita Park in December. 

Also contesting the 144th Alabama Stakes is Power Squeeze  (post 3, 9-2), trained by Jorge Delgado and owned by Lea Farms, a last-out winner of the Delaware Oaks (G3) with Javier Castellano riding; and Just Basking  (post 4, 5-1), the winner of the listed Iowa Oaks that is owned by Andrew Schwarz and Wendy Schwarz Gilder and trained by Ian Wilkes, with Chris Landeros getting the call.

Completing the field are America's Vow  (post 5, 20-1) and Neon Icon  (post 8, 15-1). 

Post time for the Alabama, the 10th of 12 races Saturday, is 5:43 pm ET.