Kiaran McLaughlin throws Alpha into stakes company in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park after emphatic debut
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has high hopes for his upcoming colt Alpha, who destroyed his competition on 3 September, as he rolled to a six length victory in his debut at Saratoga.
Usually trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s stable seldom produce a runner who wins in his first debut attempt, and if Alpha has gone on to break the trend, than that is definitely noteworthy.
In his debut, the son of Bernardini played the stalker, coming off the pace in fourth position, and was steadied along the inside off the rail.
Entering the upper stretch, Alpha came off the rail with intention to tackle the pace setter Little Wyatt, under strong urging from jockey Alan Garcia, Alpha pulled away and kept going to hit the wire first in the seven furlong race, with the winning time
of 1 minute and 23.97 seconds.
Alpha will be given close attention since he is going on to make the leap into stakes company when he runs in the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on 8 October, 2011.
The Kiaran McLaughlin trained colt will jump up from seven furlongs to one mile in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, and if he goes on to win it then he will earn an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on 5 November, 2011.
The Champagne Stakes is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” series, and the winner will get a paid trip to Churchill Downs with an automatic berth.
Assistant to Kiaran McLaughlin, Art Magnuson described Alpha as a good horse after watching him coming off the rail on the inside following a couple and split horses to go on and win it.
In his debut at Saratoga, Alpha also earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86, and now he has been busy working out for the race ahead at Belmont Park, as with Alan Garcia the colt worked five furlongs.
On 3 October, over at Belmont Park’s training track, the pair covered five furlongs in 59.85 seconds inside stablemate Yankee Fortune.
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