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Associated Press 17y

With Rags To Riches out, Octave is the filly to beat in Alabama

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- She's a millionaire, a grade 1
stakes winner and the daughter of a champion.

And on Saturday, while her stablemate Rags To Riches stays in
the barn, Todd Pletcher-trained Octave will get her chance to shine
in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old daughter of Unbridled's Song, owned by Jack and
Lorie Wolf's Starlight Stable and Donald Lucarelli, is out to
become the first filly since Sky Beauty in 1993 -- and the fifth
filly in history -- to win the combination of Mother Goose Stakes,
Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama, all grade one races.

The 1\-mile Alabama is the final jewel in the "Triple Tiara,"
the female version of the Triple Crown. Octave, who was remarkably
consistent in 10 career starts and has finished no worse than
second while earning more than $1.2 million, seems ready to make
the sweep.

"She's a very courageous, competitive horse," said jockey John
Velazquez, who has ridden Octave in her last three starts and will
be aboard Saturday. "She's doing so well right now and she's run
all year long in some really tough races; she's been knocking on
the door and it's great to see her getting the grade one wins."

Octave comes into the Alabama off those consecutive victories in
the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks, and her past
performances are nearly as impressive as those of her well-known
stablemate. The most recent of her second-place finishes, three
starts back, was the May 4 Kentucky Oaks, when she wound up beaten
by Rags To Riches by 4½ lengths.

Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches is training well, but her
days spent on the sidelines because of precautionary veterinary
examinations instituted in mid-July by Pletcher and owners Derrek
Smith and Michael Tabor have forced Pletcher to reevaluate her
scheduled starts. Instead of running in the Alabama as originally
planned, the 3-year-old filly will train up to the Sept. 8 Ruffian
Stakes at Belmont Park while pointing toward the Breeders' Cup
Distaff at Monmouth Park Oct. 27.

"We missed too much time and I didn't want to push the issue,"
Pletcher said. "Primarily, we'll do what's best for the filly."

What's best for Rags To Riches may also be good for the six
other fillies who have entered to challenge Octave, the most
impressive of which is Lady Joanne. A daughter of Orientate, she
won her last start July 30 at Saratoga in the Banshee Breeze
Stakes. One start earlier, she was second to Octave by a
half-length in the Mother Goose, a loss that broke a three-race
winning streak for the Carl Nafzger trainee.

"It'll be the toughest race she's run by far," Nafzger said.
"It'll be her biggest challenge. But we always said the Alabama
was our goal. If you win this race, it puts a feather in your
cap."

Also up for a challenge is the Bob Baffert-trained Tough Tiz's
Sis, winner of the grade two Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks in her
last start July 21. Previously, the filly finished a well-beaten
seventh in the Kentucky Oaks after getting a bad start and trip.

"We didn't have a lot of options," said Baffert. "She's a
big, long-striding thing, and she has a high cruising speed. It's a
big step up, but she's been doing well, and we'll give it a shot."

Least experienced in the field but perhaps the most versatile is
Kiaran McLaughlin trainee Lear's Princess, who was unbeaten in
three starts before running second to Octave in the Coaching Club
Oaks last time out. The filly won her first start over polytrack at
Keeneland, scored her next two victories on the turf at Belmont,
and fell short by a half-length in the Coaching Club.

"She's a very nice filly, she does everything right,"
McLaughlin said. "There's plenty of pace in the race so we should
be able to drop over and save ground. But whether we're sitting
third or seventh, she should show up and run her race. She always
has before."

Rounding out the field, trainer Tim Ritchey sends out likely
pacesetter Moon Catcher, while Saeed bin Suroor saddles Folk, also
likely to be on the lead.

The complete field for the Alabama is, from the rail: 1. Moon
Catcher (jockey Kent Desormeaux) 2. Panty Raid (Edgar Prado) 3.
Tough Tiz's Sis (Rafael Bejarano) 4. Octave (John Velazquez) 5.
Folk (Garrett Gomez) 6. Lear's Princess (Eibar Coa) 7. Lady Joanne
(Calvin Borel).

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