Racing Roundtable: Alabama, Del Mar Oaks recaps and Travers Day preview

This week, the Racing Roundtable examines Power Squeeze's win in the Alabama (G1), Iscreamuscream's victory in the Del Mar Oaks (G1), the upcoming Travers (G1) Day card at Saratoga, and more.

What are your takeaways from the Alabama and/or Del Mar Oaks?

James Scully: Power Squeeze courageously recorded her biggest career win, edging favored Candied by a head in the Alabama (G1), and the Jorge Delgado-trained daughter of Union Rags has now recorded five stakes victories in 2024. Her only losses this season came against leading three-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna — a third in the Acorn (G1) and a sixth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) — and it will take something special to beat Power Squeeze in the Sept. 21 Cotillion S. (G1) at Parx.

The Cotillion won’t be an option for Thorpedo Anna, who will face males in Saturday’s Travers (G1), and Power Squeeze’s connections won’t complain. After Power Squeeze’s win in July’s Delaware Oaks (G3), Delgado said they would skip the Alabama if Thorpedo Anna opted for the race over the Travers.

Power Squeeze has taken advantage of every opportunity when not facing the presumed three-year-old filly champion. Candied ran well in defeat, just missing after being knocked around in upper stretch by a tiring pacesetter drifting out, but the juvenile Grade 1 scorer remains winless from three graded attempts this season.

Vance Hanson: The Alabama was basically a consolation prize for the better three-year-old fillies not named Thorpedo Anna, but it still turned out to be an exciting race when Power Squeeze narrowly notched her third graded win of the season, defeating Candied in a photo. This followed previous scores in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and a nose victory in the Delaware Oaks (G3), so Power Squeeze has shown to be a dependable horse to have in a tight race. 

Trainer Jorge Delgado has done right by her this season, taking the hint after decisive losses to Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1) that she is no match for that rival. However, there are plenty of other lucrative and prestigious races she can plunder. 

I don't think Power Squeeze's or Candied's stock rose substantially as far as the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) is concerned, but they both project to be faster and stronger four-year-olds.

Taking nothing away from the undefeated Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner Iscreamuscream, but I don't think we saw the very best from 6-5 favorite Whiskey Decision.

I noted in a previous Roundtable that she was a filly to watch following her brilliant first two wins over the turf in a Churchill Downs allowance and in the Christiana S. at Delaware Park. She proved a bit impatient when making a premature move to the lead down the backside and was basically finished by the quarter pole when Iscreamuscream retook the lead. Look for Whiskey Decision to make a better show next time.

Ashley Anderson: Power Squeeze continues to defy expectations from a betting standpoint, as she's won six of her last eight starts and has been favored in none of them. 

On Saturday in the Alabama, she was sent off as the 6.40-1 fourth choice and rallied from well off the pace to beat 1.80-1 favorite Candied by a head in the 1 1/4-mile event for three-year-old fillies. Her trainer Jorge Delgado, who earned his first Grade 1 victory, noted after Power Squeeze's triumph: "This filly proved everybody wrong since she started winning races. ... I hope they keep ruling against her — she's gonna keep winning."

The two losses in Power Squeeze's last eight starts were to top three-year-old female Thorpedo Anna, whose connections opted for Saturday's Travers over the Alabama. The daughter of Union Rags was a distant sixth to Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and a third to her in the Acorn (G1) three back. 

The two may clash in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 21. While Thorpedo Anna will be tough to beat, Power Squeeze should at least be respected as her top rival in the field next time around.

What else caught your eye from the weekend?

JS: Argentine champion Subsanador tried longer distances this spring, finishing second in the Santa Anita H. (G1) and fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2), but the five-year-old never raced beyond 1 1/16 miles before being sent to Richard Mandella for the 2024 season. 

The Hall of Fame trainer bypassed running Subsanador at Del Mar this summer, opting instead for Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Philip Iselin (G3) at Monmouth Park, and the chestnut appreciated the cutback recording a smart 1 1/2-length win.

Multiple Grade 3 winner Il Miracolo, who scratched out of the Whitney (G1) in favor of the Iselin, dictated terms on a clear early lead but could not withstand the challenge of Subsanador, who rolled past leaving the far turn and kept the pacesetter safe through the stretch, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. Il Miracolo was more than 15 lengths clear of third, as the top two outclassed the rest of the field.

Subsanador registered a 104 Brisnet Speed rating and established himself as a major contender for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) this fall.

I’ll also mention Citizen Bull, who opened his racing career with a frontrunning win in a 5 1/2-furlong race at Del Mar on Saturday. By two-time Kentucky Derby-winning sire Into Mischief, Citizen Bull is from the immediate female family of 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick, and he showed high speed from the gate scoring by about a length in what appeared to be a deep maiden special weight.

“He probably could use another work, but this is the time we want to get races into these horses,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert told TwinSpires' Andrew Brown. “It’s very important. I’d rather put a race into them rather than just keep working and working them.”

Citizen Bull received an excellent 92 Brisnet Speed rating.

VH: Concord Green, a first-time starter at Saratoga on Saturday for owner-breeder Stuart Janney and trainer Shug McGaughey, produced an effective debut win going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. After breaking a bit slow and finding himself nearly a dozen lengths off the pace, Concord Green was finally able to get some momentum in the stretch, responded to jockey Dylan Davis' coaxing, and was hand-ridden in the final stages to win as a 13-1 shot.

As might be expected from a Janney homebred, Concord Green packs some pedigree power. He's a War Front half brother to Transylvania (G3) winner Scarlett Sky, while his second dam produced Grade 3 turf winner My Impression. This family also includes Grade 1 winner First Samurai, Remsen (G2) hero O'Prado Again, and the capable sprinting mare Sky Blue Pink.

McGaughey has hinted Concord Green might take a place in either the Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct or the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland for his next start.

AA: War of Will moved into the fifth spot among the first-crop sire rankings by progeny earnings over the weekend with a win at Woodbine on Saturday in a seven-furlong maiden special weight.

The Gary Barber-owned and Mark Casse-trained Ready to Battle edged stablemate Thread, a first-time starter, in the event for two-year-old fillies and improved sire War of Will's progeny record to seven winners from 29 starters. The Preakness (G1) winner for Barber and Casse also scored a winner Thursday at Saratoga with debut runner She's Got Will, who beat nine rivals by a length in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on turf. 

War of Will has four more set to hit the track for the first time this week, including Willful Mama at Saratoga on Thursday and War and Majesty at Ellis Park on Saturday.

What are you looking forward to seeing on Travers weekend?

JS: Thorpedo Anna has shown her tractability this season, racing up close to the pace when drawn outside the speed in three of four starts this year, but she seized the initiative when drawn inside in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), impressively leading wire to wire. The innermost post forces her hand in the Travers (G1), and I expect to see her play catch-me-if-you-can from the break.

Her numbers are within range of her main rivals, but Thorpedo Anna’s figures need to rise for her to defeat Dornoch, Fierceness, and Sierra Leone. She hasn’t been seriously tested in four starts this season, winning with consummate ease over the top in her division, and I expect her to step forth with a career-best performance if she negotiates the 1 1/4-mile distance. 

I’m keen on Cagliostro in the seven-furlong Forego (G1). 

Cherie DeVaux gave her pupil every chance at two turns, and Cagliostro performed well when opening his four-year-old season with a 1 1/16-mile allowance win at Keeneland and a runner-up in the 1 1/8-mile Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs. However, the colt showed his preference for one-turn distances when cutting back for the June 20 Hanshin S. at Churchill Downs, recording a convincing win over seven graded-stakes winners. I think Cagliostro will have more to offer Saturday.

VH: There are plenty of Breeders' Cup and Eclipse Award implications this weekend. 

Friday's Personal Ensign (G1) rematch between Idiomatic and Randomized should clarify who is the leader among the older dirt females, and the Travers on Saturday should also produce a clear-cut leader among the three-year-old colts. 

The intended Ballerina (G1) showdown between Vahva and Sweet Azteca won't happen as the latter will stay at Del Mar for Sunday's Rancho Bernardo (G3), but it still remains a race to watch.

Finally, Godolphin is likely to dominate the Sword Dancer (G1), but with who remains to be seen. 

Measured Time enters off a powerful win going shorter in the Manhattan (G1). Silver Knott has evolved into one of America's best long-distance turf specialists with consecutive wins in the Elkhorn (G2), Man o' War (G2), and Bowling Green (G2).

AA: In the first stakes on Saturday's card at Saratoga, Charlie Appleby runner Silver Knott will go for a fourth straight victory as the even-money morning-line favorite in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf test for older horses. 

The Lope de Vega gelding started off cold when shipping to the U.S., failing to win his first seven starts in North America, but he turned the tables in the Elkhorn (G2) three back at Keeneland, where he beat heavily favored stablemate Bold Act in the 1 1/2-mile turf fixture. He again beat a stablemate, favored Nations Pride, in the Man o' War (G2) at Belmont at the Big A, then had it easy as a 2 1/2-length winner in the 1 3/8-mile Bowling Green (G2) last out at Saratoga while facing just four rivals.

On Saturday, he'll go up against Appleby's Measured Time, the 7-5 second choice on the morning line, who like Silver Knott will look to get out front early. While Silver Knott has been a hot horse for Appleby, Measured Time is 4-for-5 on turf and has world-class rider William Buick aboard. Silver Knott has been on a roll since picking up Flavien Prat three starts back, but his streak may end on Saturday against the recent Manhattan (G1) hero who's 6-for-8 lifetime.