Fab 5 Fillies Update: Alabama Stakes Winner Dunbar Road New #1

The Alabama Stakes (G1) was run on Aug. 17 at Saratoga Race Course and Dunbar Road finished strong to capture the ten furlong stamina test for sophomore fillies. She is lightly raced and on the improve for Chad Brown, and he also has Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1) winner Guarana. 

Check out Today's Racing Digest for handicapping products, analysis, and more! Dunbar Road capture above courtesy of Today's Racing Digest. 


Later that same day at Del Mar, Fighting Mad was too fleet for her rivals in the Torrey Pines (G3). The Bob Baffert trainee won by eight lengths but might not want to travel longer distances against top company. 


Alabama Stakes (G1) Recap (8-17-19): Winner: Dunbar Road ($5.50)


The track was sloppy in this mile and a quarter stamina test for 3-year-old fillies. Speed did not hold in this race. Champagne Anyone, Ulele, and Lady Apple were all right there early and nowhere late. Point of Honor made a nice outside move under Javier Castellano, and it looked for a brief moment that she might spurt clear, but Street Band went with that one and would not go away. Meanwhile, Dunbar Road was patiently ridden and always traveling well under Jose Ortiz, and she had all of the momentum in the stretch and pulled clear to win by a bit less than three lengths. Point of Honor won the place battle by a nose over Street Band, and the top three were 5+ clear of Off Topic and Afleet Destiny. The three aforementioned early runners completed the order of finish. 


Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) Recap (8-17-19) - Winner: Fighting Mad ($6.60)


This race was settled right out of the gate. Fighting Mad stretched out for Baffert, made a clear early lead though very reasonable splits, and scampered away in the lane to win by eight lengths. Hollywood Hills rallied from last to land the place as the longest shot on the board. Into Chocolate stalked and tried to make a run at the winner, and she lost 2nd late. Kim K was 4th, followed by High Regard, Sneaking Out, and Classic Fit.


Jarrod Horak’s Fabulous Five Sophomore Fillies (8-27-19) 


#1 - DUNBAR ROAD - Mother Goose (G2) winner easily handled 10f in Alabama (G1). 


#2 - GUARANA - Acorn (G1) & CCAO (G1) winner is 3-for-3. Sept. 21 Cotillion (G1) at Parx is next. 


#3 - POINT OF HONOR - Black-Eyed Susan (G2) winner finished 2nd in CCAO (G1) and Alabama (G1). 


#4 - SERENGETI EMPRESS - Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner 2nd in Acorn (G1) and 2nd in Test (G1). 


#5 - BELLAFINA -  6-time graded winner has worked twice at Del Mar since distant 3rd in Test (G1).  

Whitney Stakes Day Video Analysis Featuring Bellafina & McKinzie

Check out my Whitney Day video analysis from Saratoga Race Course for Saturday (8-3-19) below!

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Test Stakes Analysis Featuring Bellafina & Serengeti Empress

Two of my top five sophomore fillies square off in the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August, 3, 2019. The seven furlong Test is a rematch between Serengeti Empress and Bellafina. The former took down the latter in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs. The shorter distance of the Test Stakes might favor Bellafina, and she is fresher than her nemesis this time. 

Check out Today's Racing Digest for handicapping products, analysis, and more! Bellafina capture above courtesy of Today's Racing Digest. 


SAR 8 (G1 Test, 7f ) #2 BELLAFINA (2-1) is 6-for-9 with a 2nd, and her only two below par efforts were at Churchill Downs as the beaten favorite in the BC Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). She runs well fresh and is 2-for-2 at this distance. She might sit a great trip stalking fast fractions. #5 Royal Charlotte (3-1) is 4-for-4 for Chad Brown, and she easily made the grade as the 3-2 favorite in the Victory Ride (G3) July 5. Javier Castellano should have options with the early-pressing filly. #4 Trenchtown Cat (12-1) switched to dirt and earned improved numbers in her last pair, and today’s rider Irad Ortiz Jr. guided her to a pair of turf wins at Gulfstream Park earlier this year. She figures to stalk the pace and can spice up the exotics. #3 Covfefe (5-2) is very fast early, and she was brilliant in the Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico May 17. I am not sure she wants to go this far, especially with #1 Serengeti Empress (7-2) and #6 Please Flatter Me (15-1) breathing down her neck. #7 Jeltrin (20-1) rounds out the field. The Davona Dale (G2) winner landed the show in the Acorn (G1) and Mother Goose (G2) in her last pair. A minor award is not impossible. Wagers: #2 to win, Exacta 2/4-5, Exacta 4-5/2, Trifecta 2/4/ALL, Trifecta 2/ALL/4

Fab 5 Fillies: Coaching Club American Oaks 2019 Recap

It is time to update the 3-year-old filly top five list. Guarana, my top ranked filly heading into last weekend's Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), stretched out in that event and ran her record to a perfect 3-for-3, but she was not nearly as impressive around two turns. Does she retain the #1 spot? 

Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) Recap (7-21-19) - Winner: Guarana ($2.50)

Guarana could not have been more impressive in her first two wins around one turn, including the Acorn (G1) at Belmont. This nine furlong affair was her longest test to date, and she was the controlling speed. The Chad Brown trainee was never headed and got the job done by a length, but she did not dominate this event. She was never seriously threatened but it appears as though she has distance limitations. Point of Honor ran a big race to land the place. She was wide from the outside post and rallied from last in the compact 5-horse field. This race served its purpose as a prep for the Alabama (G1), and she figures to love ten furlongs. Off Topic was best of the rest in 3rd, and Champagne Anyone pressed the pace and weakened to 4th in her first start since the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Boxwood trailed.

Jarrod Horak’s Fabulous Five Sophomore Fillies (7-27-19)


#1 - POINT OF HONOR - Exits strong 2nd in CCAO (G1). She is the one to beat in Aug 17 Alabama (G1).


#2 - DUNBAR ROAD - Mother Goose (G2) winner breezed 5f at Saratoga July 27. Goes next in Alabama.


#3 - GUARANA - Acorn (G1) & CCAO (G1) winner is 3-for-3. Might have distance limitations.


#4 - BELLAFINA -  6-time graded stakes winner goes next in Saratoga's Test (G1) Aug 3.


#5 - SERENGETI EMPRESS - Triple graded winner 2nd in Acorn (G1). Test is next target. 

Article by Jarrod Horak
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You can read all of my 3-year-old division reports on my Fab 5 Fillies page, and my daily full cards from Del Mar can be found on my Runaway Horse Sales page. 

Kentucky Oaks 2019 Points Race: G1 Chandelier from Santa Anita Park

Check out my G1 Chandelier Stakes video from Santa Anita Park for Today's Racing Digest. This is a 2019 Kentucky Oaks points race.