2011 Alabama Stakes: Entries & Horse Racing Tips

Written by Jake Thompson
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 20:29

Let's preview the entries for the 2011 Alabama Stakes with some horse racing tips.

The 2011 Alabama Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course on August 20th, and there are 6 confirmed entries for the third leg of the American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing.  The Alabama Stakes is open to 3-year-old filly horses and is a dirt race ran over 1 ¼ miles.  The purse of $500,000 has attracted some excellent entries and we are ready to tell you what we know about the horses.  Since morning line odds and post positions are not yet known, you’ll have to wait until later in the week to hear our horse racing picks on the 2011 Alabama Stakes.  The race will be ran live on NBC and post time is set for 5:45 PM ET.

Entries for the 2011 Alabama Stakes are Royal Delta, It’s Tricky, Plum Pretty, Inglorious, St. John’s River, and Pinch Pie.  4 of the 6 entries are coming off 1st place finishes and will try to follow in the shoes of 2010 Alabama Stakes winner Blind Luck.  It’s Tricky and Inglorious seem like the surest bets to be favored here, but let’s take a second to preview all of the horses while handing out some tips and random information on the entries.

2011 Alabama Stakes Tips:

Royal Delta – Although Royal Delta lost to fellow Alabama Stakes entries It’s Tricky and Plum Pretty in her 3rd place run in the Coaching Club American Oaks last time out, she did get the victory in the Black-Eyed Susan against some good competition.  This will be her longest race to date but her pedigree suggests she should do okay with the distance.  She’ll be a couple lengths in back of the pace and I haven’t been all that impressed with this horse in the past despite her successes.

It’s Tricky – She has taken home wins in all but 1 of her 6 career races and is the winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Acorn Stakes.  Although she has been impressive, I do wonder if her style of stalking the pace will hold up at this longer distance.  Some of the better closers could be able to catch her in the later stages depending on the pace.

Plum Pretty – The winner of the Kentucky Oaks has never finished outside the money in 7 career tries, but she was also bested in a stretch run by It’s Tricky last time out.  This pace setter lead the entire way but just didn’t have enough to hold off It’s Tricky over the shorter 1 1/8-mile distance.  That leads me to believe she’ll get passed late once again but could easily still figure into the trifecta.

Inglorious – This gal defeated males in her last start in the Queen’s Plate and has now racked up 3 wins in a row at Woodbine.  Unlike the other Alabama Stakes entries, Inglorious has gone this distance before and her huge late leg kick is going to have her in prime position to take home this race.  Although I never like to give out tips on my bets before I know odds and post positions, it will take a miracle for me not to play this filly to win here.  She looks like much the best but will need some sort of pace to dominate.

St. John’s River – The winner of the Delaware Oaks is a closer and should be amongst the top finishers if anyone puts pressure on Plum Pretty up front.  She finished 2nd to the pace setter in the Kentucky Oaks but was coming on quick and would have passed her if the race was any longer.  In a 6-horse field, closers like this should do very well if there is any sort of pace up front.

Pinch Pie – The likely underdog of the Alabama Stakes is coming off a win in the Desert Vixen, but that was a turf race.  All of Pinch Pie’s career wins have come on turf and she really hasn’t been in there with the best of the best on dirt either.  She’s never run this distance and will be taking a huge step up in competition.