Dunbar Road Favored in 139th Alabama Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
Dunbar Road schools at Churchill Downs
If the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) is the Midsummer Derby, then the $600,000 Alabama Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) is surely the Midsummer Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, which works out perfectly for Peter Brant's Dunbar Road.
After minor issues delayed Dunbar Road's debut until early March, the Chad Brown-trained daughter of Quality Road failed to accumulate enough qualifying points to run in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
As a result, she landed on the also-eligible list and was blocked from starting because no scratches were made from the main body of the race, even though she was the morning-line 5-1 second choice.
Since that turn of events, Dunbar Road romped in an allowance race and posted a 2 1/2-length victory in the Mother Goose Stakes (G2), propelling her into the Aug. 17 Alabama at Saratoga Race Course as the 8-5 favorite with a chance for her first grade 1 win dangling in front of her.
"She's an exciting horse. A true mile-and-a-quarter horse," Brant said. "I hope she's the one to beat. It's a nice one to win." Brant previously won the Alabama in 1983 with Spit Curl, who missed out on an Eclipse Award to Heartlight No. One.
An Alabama victory would surely provide the kind of prestige that will enhance Dunbar Road's credentials and put the filly bred in Kentucky by Jeffery J. Drown in the middle of an intriguing race for division honors with stablemate Guarana, who is owned by different connections, and the turf star Concrete Rose.
Out of the Bernardini mare Gift List, Dunbar Road has won three of her four starts and earned $257,900. Brant's White Birch Farm purchased her for $350,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Indian Creek consignment.
Not surprisingly, in light of Dunbar Road's success, Brant bought a pair of Quality Road fillies last week at The Saratoga Sale. He paid $525,000 for a daughter of the Bernardini mare Lemon Bay from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services consignment and $400,000 for a daughter of the Exchange Rate mare Lemon Liqueur from the Warrendale Sales consignment at the Fasig-Tipton sale of selected yearlings.
Dunbar Road, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, will break from the rail.
The demanding 1 1/4-mile Alabama promises to offer a stiff challenge for the favorite, with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor among the main threats in the 139th running of the Spa fixture.
Trained by George Weaver, Point of Honor won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course and then finished a game second—a length behind Guarana—in the July 21 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at the Spa in her most recent start.
"Her breeding, running style, everything about her, seems to indicate she'll be fine at the mile and a quarter. We thought about this race for several months, thinking that if she's good enough, the Alabama would be something she's cut out for. We're looking forward to seeing her run," Weaver said. "She's training well, she's happy. She's eating well and moving well, so I think we're in good shape."
Out of the Bernardini mare Zayanna, Point of Honor has three wins in five starts, with $346,375 in earnings. She lost by two lengths in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in March.
"Technically, she's never run a poor race. In the Gulfstream race, we expected her to do better than that. If anything, that's the only blip on the radar. Certainly, there's nothing else. She ran great in the Black-Eyed Susan and followed it up by running great in the Coaching Club, where she was second-best that day. This is the quickest we've brought her back, but sometimes that can be a good thing," Weaver said.
Bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms, the daughter of Curlin was an $825,000 RNA from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. Afterward, John Connelly of Stetson Racing acquired her via a private purchase, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners came aboard after her debut, a six-length victory in a maiden special weight race taken off the turf Dec. 16 at Gulfstream Park.
Listed at 5-2 program odds, she will be ridden by Javier Castellano and break from post 7 in a competitive field that lacks a proven pacesetter along the lines of Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress.
"When you evaluate the speed figures, it looks like everybody's right there in the mix. I wouldn't trade places with anybody, but you certainly can't fault Dunbar Road, and there's a bunch of fillies in there that have a chance," Weaver said. "It's a nine-horse field. I don't need a fast pace, I need an honest pace. So hopefully something like that will materialize. Javier knows her. If they go :48, we'll be close. If they go :46, we won't. I have faith in Javier that he'll have her placed where she needs to be to give her the best chance of winning."
One of the fillies who figures to be on or near the lead is Cheyenne Stables' Ulele (8-1, post 6, jockey Joel Rosario), who was second in the Black-Eyed Susan and then set the early pace in the Iowa Oaks (G3) before settling for second behind fellow Alabama starter Lady Apple (6-1, post 2, Ricardo Santana Jr.), who was third in the Kentucky Oaks.
"Looking at the race on paper, she could be on the lead. It will be Joel's decision, but my instructions will be if she breaks well and gets to the front, I'm good with it," trainer Bad Cox said. "I remember last year they went crazy fast (a :46.79 opening half-mile). If that's the case this year, I don't want to be a part of it. I like the pace scenario for her from what I see on paper. It will be up to the jockey where he places her, but I would think it will be up close."
A daughter of Candy Ride out of the Any Given Saturday mare Princess Arabella, Ulele was purchased for $300,000 from the Lane's End consignment at The Saratoga Sale in 2017. She has yet to finish out of the money in seven starts, with two wins and three seconds and $214,200 in earnings.
"She's very, very consistent. She's an honest filly. Both of her last two starts, she stepped into graded stakes company and she responded well. She really battled back in both races. She didn't quite get there, but they were very game efforts," Cox said. "It wasn't like she was getting tired. She was still coming at the end, and (the Black-Eyed Susan) was at a mile and an eighth."
While the field features five proven graded stakes winners, there is an element of mystery surrounding the Alabama. Much like the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at 1 1/2 miles, the 10 furlongs of the Alabama are new territory for the 3-year-old fillies, and there's no telling how each of them will handle the final furlong.
"It's the unknown," Cox said about the distance. "I don't know if any of these horses want to go a mile and a quarter. It's kind of like the Belmont Stakes. She's a filly with a good scope, a lot of leg, and a good mover, so we'll see what happens."
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 17, 2019, Race 10Entries: Alabama S. Presented by NYRA Bets (G1)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Dunbar Road (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
121
Chad C. Brown
8/5
2
2Lady Apple (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
121
Steven M. Asmussen
6/1
3
3Afleet Destiny (KY)
Eric Cancel
121
Uriah St. Lewis
30/1
4
4Champagne Anyone (KY)
Chris Landeros
121
Ian R. Wilkes
10/1
5
5Street Band (KY)
Sophie Doyle
121
J. Larry Jones
10/1
6
6Ulele (KY)
Joel Rosario
121
Brad H. Cox
8/1
7
7Point of Honor (KY)
Javier Castellano
121
George Weaver
5/2
8
8Off Topic (KY)
Manuel Franco
121
Todd A. Pletcher
10/1
9
9Kelsey's Cross (FL)
Rajiv Maragh
121
Patrick L. Biancone
15/1
