By Christina Bossinakis
With the connections of the well-reputed 'Grizzley' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) opting to wait another week to face the boys in the GI Travers S., Power Squeeze (Union Rags) took full advantage of the Kentucky Oaks winner's absence and stormed home a narrow winner in the 10-furlong GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Saturday.
MGSW Chatalas (Gun Runner) broke quickly, going to the front with a host of pursuers at her heels. Meanwhile, Power Squeeze tried to establish a clear path from Post 3, but was squeezed back as America's Vow (Constitution) and GISW Candied
(Candy Ride {Arg}) tried to make headway to her outside. With the opening quarter flashing in :23.31, Chatalas continued to lead Miss Justify (Justify) and Intricate (Gun Runner) while Candied and Power Squeeze were still unhurried several lengths behind. Picking up the tempo approaching the 3/8ths pole, Candied bore down on the pacesetter as the 6-1 chance started to mount a rally of her own. Straitening for home, Chatalas veered outward causing a chain reaction between Miss Justify and Candied who both seemed to lose some momentum. Meanwhile, Power Squeeze was moving best of all, closing down the center of the track, and while Candied did her best to get home first, it was the chestnut who got her head down at the wire. Just Basking (Arrogate) closed to take third.
“She is not the best at breaking out of the gate. She always breaks a little slow, but she is OK,” explained winning rider Javier Castellano, who was winning his third renewal of the Alabama. “That was my goal–it was a mile and a quarter race. Not too many horses face a mile and quarter in their 3-year-old campaign. I believed whoever had the most left near the very end of the race was going to win. I didn't want to hook up with speed or chase the speed. I wanted to take my time and develop the horse through the race to find her kick and finish.”
The victory also represented the initial Grade I winner for winning trainer Jorge Delgado.
“An absolutely outstanding ride from Javier [Castellano],” said Delgado. “He measured the race perfectly. He said to me he felt the pace was going [to be] a little fast, but he wanted to keep her near the pace and close enough to make a run because there's enough talent in the race. Going to the stretch, he told me he couldn't see much but he could see number seven [No. 7, Candied] and he thought he was in a good spot. He kept coming and coming and he knows that the filly fights a lot– like in Delaware, but this time on the outside. On the head bob, she knows how to win. She wanted to win. She has so much determination to win.”
As for the beaten favorite, trainer Todd Pletcher explained, “It was a good effort [by Candied]. Manny [Franco] said when the two [No. 2, Chatalas] came out it kind of bumped everyone and knocked him off rhythm a little bit. She regained her momentum late and she had her nose in front before and after the wire just not on the wire. Tough beat. She ran great.”
Power Squeeze debuted in fourth sprinting at Delaware one year ago before coming home a distant second going six panels in the Monmouth slop in early September. Stretched out to a mile for the first time when returning to Delaware last October, she ran off a 4 1/2-length winner before doubling up with a five-length victory in Gulfstream's Cash Run Stakes on New Year's Day. Extending her streak with victories in Tampa's Feb. 10 Suncoast Stakes followed by the GII Gulfstream Park Mar. 30. Let go at 21-1 in a sloppy renewal of the Kentucky Oaks, the chestnut never got into the mix of things yet improved her position late to finish a far-back sixth. Facing that rival again in the June 7 GI Acorn Stakes at the Spa, she was third but bounced back to win last time out in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Delaware Oaks July 8.
“I rode her in the Delaware Oaks, and I liked the way she won that,” added Castellano. “She finished really strong galloping out really well. She gave me the impression that day she could go the mile and a quarter distance. I suggested to the trainer that day that he should put her in the Alabama because she had something to finish in the end. She is a fighter.”
Power Squeeze came into this race off of four wins this season, with her sole 2024 defeats coming at the hands of Thorpedo Anna while trying Grade I company.
When asked about a potential next start versus Thorpedo Anna in the GI Cotillion Stales at Parx Sept. 21, Delgado said, “Absolutely. The owner is a man of challenge–I am, too. We like to gamble and sometimes a problem, but we like to gamble [laughs]. You only have these kinds of chances so many times in your training career. We faced her twice we lost twice…but I feel like if it is the right surface and right distance for us, we might have a shot. We're going there [the Cotillion]. We might see each other there.”
Pedigree Notes:
Lane's End stallion Union Rags is the sire of Power Squeeze and five other Grade I winners, including Express Train, Paradise Woods, Free Drop Billy, Union Strike, and Dancing Rags. Power Squeeze is the first of the stallion's 17 graded winners to capture a graded race at the Spa, something he did in the 2011 GII Saratoga Special Stakes before he went on to GI Champagne and GI Belmont glory. Union Rags also has 35 black-type winners worldwide, with Power Squeeze being his sole stakes winner out of an Awesome Again mare. The late Awesome Again has 105 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Forging Oaks Farm, breeder of Power Squeeze, bought her dam, Callmethesqueeze, in foal to More Than Ready for $175,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Forging Oaks bred both Power Squeeze and listed winner Call On Mischief (Into Mischief) out of the mare before reselling her for $50,000 to Athens Woods at Keeneland in 2022. Callmethesqueeze has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Starship Athena (Street Sense), who most recently sold to Starship Stables at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale for $160,000, and a yearling colt by Liam's Map, who sold at this month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale for $425,000 to St. Elias Stables and Starlight Racing. After not producing a foal this year, the mare was covered by Jackie's Warrior for next term.
📸 PHOTO FINISH IN THE ALABAMA!
POWER SQUEEZE, daughter of @LanesEndFarms stallion Union Rags, edges out the competition to win the Alabama Stakes pres. by @keenelandsales!
🏇🏼 @jjcjockey was in the irons for trainer @RacingDelgado. pic.twitter.com/vcvP4KZA14
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 17, 2024
Saturday, Saratoga
ALABAMA S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-17, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m, 2:04.35, ft.
1–POWER SQUEEZE, 121, f, 3, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Callmethesqueeze (MSW, $324,499), by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Mop Squeezer, by Roanoke
3rd Dam: Honey League Girl, by Honey Jay
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks LLC (KY); T-Jorge
Delgado; J-Javier Castellano. $330,000. Lifetime Record:
10-6-1-1, $897,450. *1/2 to Call On Mischief (Into Mischief),
SW, $283,237. Werk Nick Rating: B+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Candied, 121, f, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Toni Tools (SW, $193,339), by Roaring Fever
2nd Dam: Patine, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Burnish, by Menifee
($165,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners; B-Buck Pond Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$120,000.
3–Just Basking, 121, f, 3, by Arrogate
1st Dam: Spanish Star, by Blame
2nd Dam: La Gran Bailadora, by Afleet Alex
3rd Dam: Affirmed Dancer, by Affirmed
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Andrew
Schwarz and Wendy Schwarz Gilder; B-Gilder-Schwarz
Farms LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $72,000.
Margins: HD, 1, 8HF. Odds: 6.40, 1.80, 3.75.
Also Ran: Miss Justify, Intricate, Chatalas, Neon Icon, America's Vow.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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