Alpha seizes Count Fleet victory

Alpha found himself three wide when drawing even with his rivals rounding the

turn, but that didn't stop the sophomore son of Bernardini. He continued

motoring to grab the lead in midstretch and held on as Stephanoatsee came flying

down the stretch to snatch second away from Il Villano on the wire.

"We were three-wide throughout the whole race; we were tracking the leaders,"

Dominguez explained. "They went pretty slow. Two sprinters were in the front,

and I wasn't overly concerned about having him any closer, but because of the

lack of pace his move was kind of gradual. We were just grinding.

"Turning for home, he responded every time I asked him. He galloped out so

strong that I had to get an outrider to pull him up. You always have to go just

by what you have seen, but judging by today he should be able to handle more

distance."

Alpha was sent off the 4-5 favorite in the mile-and-70-yard event, and paid

$3.60, $2.60 and $2.10 while stopping the clock in 1:42 4/5 over the fast inner

dirt.

"Alpha was just a great win," McLaughlin said by phone from Florida. "We'll

probably leave him there (in New York), although Captivating Lass I'm not sure.

We'll probably go to the (Grade 3) Withers (on February 4) and on to the (Grade

1) Wood (on April 7) with Alpha. For sure we'll have to talk to the Godolphin

people, but that's what we'll look at for right now.

"It was a great day. I'm very happy for the filly," he added about

Captivating Lass. "(Jockey) Mike (Luzzi) rode a great race. She obviously

improved with the blinkers on and first-time Lasix. Everything went well for

us."

Stephanoatsee, who was making his first start as a ridgling in the Count

Fleet, gave notice of things to come with his powerful rally. Il Villano lost

the place by a neck while How Do I Win finished another 3 1/2 lengths back in

fourth. Speightscity, Whistleblower and Shkspeare Shaliyah, who was making his

dirt debut in this spot, completed the order of finish.

Alpha joined the New York Watch list last September at Saratoga with a

six-length romp in his initial outing. He was promoted from Darley to the elite

Godolphin operation following that exciting effort and finished second next out

in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. The bay closed out his juvenile campaign with a

disappointing 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile after becoming fractious in the

gate. Like his stablemate Captivating Lass, the colt was given Lasix for the

first time in the Count Fleet and doubled his earnings to $180,000.

"(Alpha) was kind of on his own schedule," assistant trainer Art Magnuson

said. "He was up at Greentree this summer. There's no hurry to run any of the

two-year-olds; we have so many. There's three or four that kind of put

themselves at the front of the pack around Saratoga, so we get them started.

When he won first time out going seven-eighths, that was a good sign.

"Ramon was pretty impressed (with the Count Fleet win). He seemed to think it

was going to be even better in the future. He said 'I'm tracking a slow pace

going three-wide and he galloped out very well after that.' We're very hopeful

for the future."

The Kentucky-bred Alpha is out of the Nijinsky II mare Munnaya, a listed

winner who would go on in the breeding shed to produce multiple Grade 2-placed

Lavender Sky and dual Group 3-placed listed heroine Mystic Melody. His second

dam is Group 3 victress Hiaam, herself a daughter of Canadian champion Kamar.

Kamar would be named the 1990 Broodmare of the Year following the exploits of

her daughter Seaside Attraction, who captured that year's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks,

and also foaled Canadian champion sire Key to the Moon and multiple Grade 1

queen Gorgeous. The mare's grandchildren include the likes of European Horse of

the Year Fantastic Light, champion Golden Attraction and Grade 1-winning sire

Cape Town.