Dixie Strike’s stop after the Breeders’ Stakes to be the Alabama Stakes
The three-year-old filly, Dixie Strike, is all set for competing in the third leg of the Canadian Trip Crown, the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine over 1 ½ mile on turf on 5th August. Her impressive success in the Prince Of Wales has left
the connections and crowds anxious about her take in the final jewel of the crown.
The 122nd edition of the race for the three-year-olds has gathered a field of fourteen and besides Dixie Strike, there will be two more fillies giving the boys a hard time.
The much celebrated 5-2 favourite entry for the race has run over and is a winner too when it comes to racing on dirt, turf and Polytrack surfaces. This race will be the third time that the filly will race over turf and the overall tension for the team has
reduced as the winner of the Queen Plate’s, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, Strait Of Dover, has been withdrawn from the race after enduring a season ceasing leg injury when preparing for the race last week.
The Mark E. Casse trained has the richest of the pedigree in her favour, she is half-sister to last year’s Queen’s Plate winner and the Canadian champion three-year-old filly, Inglorious.
"A big part of it was Strait of Dover," the horseman admitted. "He's by English Channel and he would have been tough to beat. We brought her over to run her in the Alabama and it looked like the best she could possibly be in the Alabama is fourth choice.
Running her in the Breeders', she very well could be the favorite. (Owner) Mr. (John) Oxley and I talked about it and we just thought that it made more sense to run her in the Breeders'."
"I think she's probably, right now, at the top of her game," said Casse.
Dixie Union’s daughter has been the part of two graded races. She was placed third in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes on 11th March, 2012 at Gulfstream Park over 1 1/8 miles on turf. However, she missed the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes to a fifth
position on 7th April, 2012 at Keeneland over 1 1/16 miles.
The Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on 18th August will be her third graded try, but before that she has the mammoth Breeders’ Stakes challenge to come clean in.
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