Alpha to lock horns with Golden Ticket in the Pennsylvania Derby
It was a thrilling finish to the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes, between Alpha and Golden Ticket, one of the best Saratoga has seen in its entire history. Now, thanks to their owners, the colts that finished in a dead-heat at Saratoga will go at each
other once more, this time in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby on 22 September, 2012.
Trained by Kiaran P. McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, Alpha is in slightly better form, as he is coming off back-to-back victories in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, and then the dead-heat in the Travers Stakes.
The 3-year-old Bernardini colt has been phenomenal this season, with four victories, and a lone second place finish six starts. His only blemish came in the Grade 1 Kentucky Stakes at Churchill Down on 5 May, 2012, where he finished an uncharacteristic 12th
to winner, I’ll Have Another.
Bred by Darley in Kentucky, Alpha, started the season brilliantly at Aqueduct, with a victory in the Count Fleet Stakes over 1 mile and 70 yards that followed up by a win in the 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 Withers Stakes on 4 February, 2012.
His only second place finish of the season was in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes to winner, Gemologist, who covered the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1 minute and 50.96 seconds.
Kenneth G. McPeek trained 3-year-old colt, Golden Ticket, has had an up and down career. Broke his maiden this season at 6th attempt, and then went on to post a second place finish to, Prospective, in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.
Things went downhill in his next start in the Grade 3 Coolmore Lexington Stakes when he finished fifth, but he pulled it back by posting a second place finish in an Allowance Claimers race at Churchill Downs, which followed by a dead-heat in the Travers
Stakes.
Golden Ticket will be sent at 5 to 2 from post number 6, while Alpha will break from post number 4 with the odds of 9 to 5 in a field that has reeled in 8, 3-year-old colts and geldings.
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