The Alabama Stakes was first held in 1872 and has remained a fixture on the Saratoga Race Course calendar to grow to be one of the crucial necessary races within the 3-year-old filly division. Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer and a number of Grade 1 winner La Cara lead a bunch of six fillies entered on this yr’s version attempting to etch their names within the Thoroughbred racing historical past books as an Alabama winner alongside some true giants of the game.
The checklist of Alabama winners reads like a “who’s who” of elite feminine distance horses on the principle observe: Nest (2022), Malathaat (2021), Swiss Skydiver (2020), Elate (2017), Songbird (2016), Royal Delta (2011), Blind Luck (2010), Silverbulletday (1999), Banshee Breeze (1998), Heavenly Prize (1994), Sky Magnificence (1993), Go for Wand (1990), Open Thoughts (1989), Mother’s Command (1985), Life’s Magic (1984), It’s Within the Air (1979), Our Mims (1977), Desert Vixen (1973), Summer time Visitor (1972), Shuvee (1969), Gamely (1967), What A Deal with (1965), Tempted (1958), Busanda (1950), Vagrancy (1942), Prime Flight (1932), Maskette (1909), Beldame (1904), and Miss Woodford (1883).
The 2025 Alabama Stakes Introduced by Keeneland Gross sales will probably be proven nationwide throughout a two-hour “Saratoga Saturdays” broadcast on FOX as a part of NYRA’s “Saratoga Dwell” collection that spans the whole lot of the Saratoga meet.
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Learn on for info on every Alabama Stakes entrant plus some betting insights.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Coach: Brad Cox
House owners: WinStar Farm and Tom Mueller
Profession file: 7 begins – 3 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $349,880
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 93
Pedigree: Honor A. P. – Playful Dancer, by Into Mischief
Coloration: Darkish bay or brown
Working model: Nearer
Evaluation: Since stretching out to a mile for her second race after an unplaced end in her profession dash debut, Margie’s Intention has developed right into a constant, high-level filly. She has gained 3 times with three seconds in six races since her debut, together with a coming-out occasion within the Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Preakness weekend. She rallied from off the tempo to win the Black-Eyed Susan by three-quarters of a size for her first stakes victory. Magie’s Intention made her subsequent begin within the Delaware Oaks June 15 and completed second because the 5-2 favourite. She picks up the providers of two-time Alabama Stakes winner Irad Ortiz Jr. (Questing, 2012; Nest, 2022), however the Honor A. P. filly should enhance considerably within the Alabama to be a win candidate. She will probably be dealing with the very best competitors of her profession with pace figures roughly 10 factors slower than the main contenders. She at all times provides an sincere effort however filling out the exacta or trifecta is likely to be the ceiling for Margie’s Intention within the Alabama.
Wager Margie’s Intention within the Alabama Stakes
2. Good Cheer
Jockey: Luis Saez
Coach: Brad Cox
Proprietor: Godolphin
Profession file: 8 begins – 7 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,753,230
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 102
Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro – Wedding ceremony Toast, by Avenue Sense
Coloration: Bay
Working model: Stalker/nearer
Evaluation: After successful her first seven races by 2 ¼ lengths or extra, together with a victory within the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks, Good Cheer misplaced for the primary time June 6 at Saratoga within the DK Horse Acorn Stakes. She made a short bid in the course of the race, which was run on a sloppy observe, however merely didn’t hearth for the primary time in her profession whereas ending fifth, 9 ¾ lengths behind front-running winner La Cara. How she responds to her first defeat will probably be a key storyline for the Alabama main into the 1 ¼-mile race. Good Cheer has been favored in all eight of her races so far and the Godolphin homebred very seemingly will probably be well-supported once more within the Alabama. There’s not a lot pace within the race to arrange her late-rallying model, which might be a difficulty if Acorn winner La Cara is once more allowed to set an uncontested tempo. Godolphin gained this race in 2012 with Questing and will add a second win right here with a filly bred to relish the 1 ¼ miles.
Wager Good Cheer within the Alabama Stakes
3. Kinzie Queen
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Coach: Greg Compton
House owners: John Holleman and Compton Racing
Profession file: 13 begins – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 3 thirds
Profession earnings: $293,030
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 94
Pedigree: McKinzie – A. P.’s Glory, by Mineshaft
Coloration: Bay
Working model: Nearer
Evaluation: Kinzie Queen rallied to complete third in every of her final two begins whereas dealing with high quality opposition within the Grade 2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Could 16 at Pimlico and the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks June 14 at Delaware Park. The issue is the competitors will probably be even harder within the Alabama Stakes and there’s little or no tempo entered within the race, apart from possible early chief La Cara, to arrange the bay McKinzie filly’s closing rally. She is attempting to safe the primary stakes win of her profession within the Alabama and has 10-15 factors to make up on her friends when it comes to her greatest Equibase Velocity Determine. Kinzie Queen must be doing her greatest operating late however rounding out the highest three once more seems to be just like the ceiling towards a bunch that features a pair of Grade 1 winners and three group/graded stakes winners.
Wager Kinzie Queen within the Alabama Stakes
4. Nitrogen
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Coach: Mark Casse
Proprietor: D. J. Steady
Profession file: 9 begins – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,246,604
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 110
Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro – Tiffany Case, by Uncle Mo
Coloration: Bay
Working model: Stalker
Evaluation: Canada’s 2024 champion 2-year-old filly, Nitrogen established herself as the highest 3-year-old turf filly in america this spring with 4 straight turf stakes wins, together with graded stakes wins at Tampa Bay Downs, Keeneland, and Churchill Downs. A deluge of rain main as much as the June 7 Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets card at Saratoga Race Course washed the Marvel Once more Stakes off the turf onto a sloppy major observe, and Nitrogen dealt with the floor change with aplomb in a 17-length runaway win when dealing with simply two opponents. Her unbeaten season got here to an finish in her most up-to-date race when Nitrogen completed second by a nostril to Fionn within the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes July 5 on the grass at Saratoga. Now, coach Mark Casse will give her a second begin on the grime within the Alabama to see if Nitrogen’s Marvel Once more Stakes win is replicable towards a a lot harder group of fillies who’re battle-tested on the grime. It’s value a shot with a filly clearly brimming with pure expertise, tactical pace, and the very best pace figures within the subject. Jockey Jose Ortiz is searching for his fourth win within the Alabama after victories with Elate (2017), Eskimo Kisses (2018), and Dunbar Highway (2019).
Wager Nitrogen within the Alabama Stakes
5. Queen Azteca
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Coach: Niels Petersen
House owners: Group Valor Worldwide
Profession file: 9 begins – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $302,332
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: N/A
Pedigree: Sharp Azteca – Princesa Helena, by Palace Malice
Coloration: Bay
Working model: Stalker/nearer
Evaluation: It’s not typically a filly who has been racing in Sweden ships in from Norway to compete in a Grade 1 race at Saratoga, however Queen Azteca does simply that to compete within the Alabama Stakes. Proprietor Group Valor Worldwide mentioned the Sharp Azteca filly will probably be transferred to U.S.-based coach Rodolphe Brisset after the race, in keeping with Every day Racing Kind, and he or she totes a file of three wins in 5 begins this season. Her massive win got here from off the tempo within the $217,800 U.A.E. Oaks introduced by DP World Feb. 21 at Meydan, which was adopted by a fifth-place end towards males within the U.A.E. Derby Sponsored by Jumeirah. Since that race, Queen Azteca has a win and a second at Jagersro in Sweden, so she’s in good type but additionally in very deep right here towards an elite group of U.S.-based 3-year-old fillies. She must be doing her greatest operating late within the 1 ¼-mile race underneath two-time Alabama Stakes winner Joel Rosario (Blind Luck, 2010; Randomized, 2023) however passing a number of fading fillies for a minor award looks like the best-case situation.
Wager Queen Azteca within the Alabama Stakes
6. La Cara
Jockey: Dylan Davis
Coach: Mark Casse
Proprietor: Tracy Farmer
Profession file: 11 begins – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $1,156,083
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 105
Pedigree: Avenue Sense – Cara Caterina, by Bernardini
Coloration: Bay
Working model: Pacesetter
Evaluation: La Cara sandwiched a disappointing ninth-place end within the Longines Kentucky Oaks between front-running Grade 1 wins within the Central Financial institution Ashland Stakes at Keeneland April 7 and the DK Horse Acorn Stakes June 6 at Saratoga. She gained the Acorn by three lengths and soundly defeated fellow Alabama hopeful Good Cheer within the victory. La Cara was heading in the right direction for the Grade 1 Teaching Membership American Oaks Invitational Stakes July 19 at Saratoga however was scratched from the race after her barn was positioned underneath quarantine due to a suspected case of strangles. The Avenue Sense filly is 2-for-3 on the principle observe at Saratoga and is a beast when permitted to regulate the tempo on her personal phrases, which might be the situation within the Alabama. Like all the fillies within the subject, she will probably be attempting the 1 ¼-mile distance for the primary time, however she’s bred to deal with the extra floor and figures to guide the cost into the stretch and play “catch me in the event you can.”
Wager La Cara within the Alabama Stakes
