Plum Pretty most likely to start in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on 20 August
The Grade 1 Alabama Stakes is a likely contention for the 3-year-old Bob Baffert trained filly, Plum Pretty, at Saratoga on 20 August, 2011. Plum Pretty would be looking to win the Saratoga event and go on to participate in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies
Classic at Churchill Downs this fall.
The Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks' winner, daughter of Medaglia d’ Oro out of Liszy by A.P. Indy, has had a pretty good season this year.
This is her first season after breaking her maiden back in 2010 at Hollywood Park, over a distance of 6 furlongs, on 27 October, 2010, under jockey M Garcia.
From then on, entering the year 2011, Plum Pretty responded well in her first two races, with finishes on the cards in graded stakes' races like the Grade 3 Santa Ynez held at Santa Anita on dirt on 15 January, 2011.
In the seven furlongs' dash at Santa Anita, Plum Pretty made more foes than friends, contending in the race.
Zazu, another filly who would compete against her for the rest of the year as they participate in races, side by side, finished second in the Santa Ynez behind California Nectar. Plum Pretty finished third in 1 minute and 21.34 seconds.
Bob Baffert's filly's next challenge was a 1 mile test in a tough competition, the Grade 1 Las Virgenes, also at Santa Anita dirt on 5 February, 2011.
Plum Pretty failed to improve from her last finish, as her minor tormentor in the Santa Ynez hit the wire first to win the Las Virgenes.
Turbulent Descent came in second, finishing in 1 minute and 34.86 seconds.
Plum Pretty’s biggest test in terms of distance came in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Oaks, a 1 1/16 mile event at Sunland Park dirt.
The filly, with a new cast under the old ride, Martin Garcia, ran a brilliant race to register her first graded stakes' win in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Oaks, reaching the wire in 1 minute and 43.18 seconds.
The race following Sunland Park Oaks was the most significant one as Plum Pretty, despite rivalry or no rivalry, won the Grade 1 American Oaks in arrogant fashion, defeating Zazu and St John’s River over a distance of 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on 6
May, 2011.
Since then, Plum Pretty has tried both distances, 1 1/16 miles 1 1/8 miles.
The Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks over 1 1/16 miles saw Zazu making a comeback to defeat Plum Pretty narrowly and win the Hollywood Park race on synthetic surface on 25 June, 2011.
Next was the 1 1/8 mile repeat in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, where Plum Pretty again finished second to It’s Tricky at Saratoga dirt on 23 July, 2011.
Bob Baffert might have to decide her best distance and the experience at the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, run over at a classic distance of 1 ¼ miles.
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