Prioress Stakes 2011 at Belmont Park - Alienation to take part, Quantum Miss to challenge
The Spinaway runner-up, Alienation, is being pointed to the $250,000 Prioress Stakes. The Grade 1 event is to be held on July 4, 2011 at Belmont Park.
The race is run over a distance of six furlongs and tops the Belmont racing card, which is featuring ten races, on Independence Day.
The daughter of Rock Hard Ten will be competing against five three-year old fillies in the 64th running of the Prioress Stakes. The three-year old brown filly receives conditioning from Bob Baffert for his wife, Jill Baffert, and, George Bolton.
Alienation worked out on June 29, 2011, completing the half mile in 47.18 seconds. Tonja Terranova, who watched the filly’s workout, said “She’s doing great. She’s grown a lot since we’ve seen her last summer. And Bob never sends horses here if they’re not ready to run”.
Alienation scored a 7 3/4 lengths victory in a six furlong allowance race held on June 3, 2011. The allowance race was held on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track. She has earned herself winning odds of 3-1.
Before the Spinaway Stakes, Alienation finished second in her last start at New York in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes. The race took place on August 15, 2010. She was also second to R Heat Lightning in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at the Saratoga race course.
Alienation closed her juvenile campaign with a sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf at Hollywood Park held on October 3, 2010. She could not make it to other races in the season as she had to undergo a surgery to remove an ankle chip. She was bred by White Fox Farm in Kentucky. She is out of the Gone West mare Alienated.
Bob Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer has earlier scored a win in the Prioress Stakes in 2008 with the Champion filly sprinter, Indian Blessing. He was also victorious in 2004 with Friendly Michelle. He has teamed up Alienation with jockey John Velazquez in the Prioress Stakes and they will break from post 5.
Although Alienation’s speed is showing improvement, she is likely to face fierce rivalry from the Anthony Dutrow trained, Quantum Miss. The three-year old grey roan filly is in a position to pose a real threat to Alienation as she enters the race after scoring three consecutive wins.
Grade 1 Cicada Stakes held on March 19, 2011 marks one of these wins; the second win was scored at Parx Racing on April 19, 2011.The Smoke Glacken filly launched her third victory at the Wonders Delight Stakes.
At the Wonder Delight, Quantum Miss was installed as the 3-5 favourtie for the $75,000 purse, and, was held on May 27, 2011. Through this win she also managed to earn herself a 104 Beyer speed figure. She covered the six furlongs in a time span of 1 minute and 08.63 seconds, the fastest time given by any three-year old filly.
Trainer, Dutrow, commented on her participation by saying: “I can’t see her going into any race better than she went into her last at Penn National. I’m very happy with the way she is now”.
As for the Prioress Stakes, horse racing enthusiasts anticipate that it is yet another thrill packed spectacle to watch.
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