Why Point of Honor won't lose the Alabama Stakes

A mile and a quarter is a distance fillies and mares rarely run on dirt in North America, which makes the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga an intriguing handicapping challenge.

Stamina is at a premium in this long-distance test for 3-year-old fillies. It’s not uncommon to see stoutly bred fillies fire off career-best efforts in the Alabama, upsetting more heralded (but less stamina-oriented) runners in the process.

I’m excited to play the Alabama Stakes, because I’m confident #7 Point of Honor is sitting on a huge effort. As a daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, out of a mare by Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Bernardini, Point of Honor is bred to absolutely relish the distance of the Alabama. She is also bred to improve with maturity, and judging from her race record to date, it appears she’s only now reaching peak form.

Point of Honor has earned triple-digit Brisnet Late Pace ratings in all five of her starts, so it's safe to say she’s always finishing strongly down the homestretch. Two starts back she rallied resolutely to win the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico, but I was even more impressed with her runner-up effort in the 1 1/8-mile Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga last month.

In the Coaching Club American Oaks, Point of Honor’s late rally was compromised when race favorite Guarana carved out slow fractions on the front end and accelerated in the second half of the race. Despite this slow early/fast late race shape, Point of Honor refused to give up down the lane and rallied to finish just a length behind Guarana at the wire. By sprinting the final three furlongs in :36.07 (an excellent fraction for a dirt race), Point of Honor earned a 108 Brisnet Late Pace rating.

I’m eager to see what Point of Honor can do while stretching out another furlong in distance. She is already among the fastest fillies on paper in the Alabama field, and if she steps forward like I expect she will, her rivals will be running for second place.

For the exotics #1 Dunbar Road is an obvious contender. Conditioned by Saratoga’s leading trainer Chad Brown, Dunbar Road is a half-length away from being undefeated in four starts and recently rallied from behind a slow pace to win the 1 1/16-mile Mother Goose Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.

Another filly who warrants respect is #5 Street Band. She might not be the most consistent filly in training, but I loved her recent victory in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Oaks (G3). Street Band exuded superiority and looked like a winner all the way around the track. She could have won by a greater margin than 3 1/2 lengths if asked for her best, so it's possible this daughter of Istan has turned a corner.

Let’s bet Point of Honor to win and play her on top of Dunbar Road and Street Band in the exacta.

$20 to win on #7 Point of Honor $6 exacta: 7 with 1 $4 exacta: 7 with 5

Good luck!