Devil May Care, Havre de Grace ready for Alabama

Breezing in company over the main track at Saratoga Race Course early Sunday morning, multiple Grade 1 winner DEVIL MAY CARE (Malibu Moon) had her final serious work for

the match-up with West coast-based BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) in Saturday's $500,000 Alabama

S. (G1).

On track shortly after 6 a.m. (EDT), the bay filly covered a half-mile

in :48 1/5, the sixth-fastest of 55 at the distance.

"She had an easy breeze last week, and we wanted to do a little more with her

today, so we put her in company," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "She was full of run throughout."

Coming off consecutive victories in the Coaching Club

American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga and the Mother Goose S. (G1) at Belmont Park, Devil

May Care will be facing her toughest competition since the Kentucky Derby (G1) in

Blind Luck, who has amassed more than $1.5 million with a record of 8-2-2 from

12 starts that includes four Grade 1 wins.

It's a challenge Pletcher is keenly anticipating.

"We're looking forward to the match-up," he admitted. "It's not a

two-horse race, but you are putting the two most accomplished fillies on the

racetrack and ultimately that's what everyone wants to see -- the two best

meeting each other. There's no better barometer than a head-to-head match-up.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Blind Luck," Pletcher

added.

"She's got that extra something special you like to see in a racehorse -- that

desire to win. She keeps finding a way to get there."

Pletcher said Devil May Care emerged from her victory in the Coaching Club on

July 24 very well, and said he is pleased with the way she is maturing as she

moves toward the 1 1/4-mile Alabama, where he feels strategy will be a key factor.

"I do feel she is getting more professional and she's learning to polish her

races off a little bit," he said. "She's had that tendency to make the lead and

wait. That's why you have to be careful in a situation like (the Alabama) where

you have a horse like Blind Luck that's relentless and keeps coming. You can't

make mistakes; you can't get there and idle and let them catch you by surprise."

For video of Pletcher discussing the match-up between Devil May Care and

Blind Luck, please click

here.

HAVRE DE GRACE (Saint Liam) also worked out on Sunday for the Alabama and was caught posting a

fast-track five-furlong move in 1:01 3/5 by clockers at Delaware Park.

According to trainer Tony Dutrow, the bay lass worked six furlongs in 1:15 3/5 and will be shipped to Saratoga Monday morning.

Havre de Grace ran second by a neck in the Go for Wand S. prior to her graded

bow last out in the Delaware Oaks (G2), where she was just nosed out by Blind

Luck on the wire.

"We're anxious to get her on the racetrack (Saturday) and see what happens,"

Dutrow said. "We'll see what the 1 1/4 miles and those two fillies up there

have in store for her.

"We're hoping for the best," he added. "She's a lightly raced filly that's

improving, and we can't help believing we have a top filly."

Trainer Dominick Schettino said this morning that he will likely gallop Mother Goose

runner-up CONNIE AND MICHAEL (Roman Ruler) into the Alabama.

"I'm probably not going to work her," Schettino explained. "She's a little light.

She doesn't keep a lot of weight. She gallops 2 to 2 1/2 miles a day over the

Oklahoma track; that keeps her fit."

Schettino said that Connie and Michael, who came to his barn 18 days before

the Mother Goose, will be back on the training track tomorrow morning around

9:15 a.m.

Saturday's Alabama is expected to draw a formidable field, but that hasn't deterred George Weaver

from taking a shot with TIZAHIT (Tiznow).

"It's a very tough race, but she's training well," Weaver said. "I think

she'll appreciate a mile and an eighth and longer distances. She's a big, scopey

filly and the Alabama is one of the few races at a mile and a quarter."

Tizahit has raced twice since winning the Demoiselle S. (G2) last November at

Aqueduct,

finishing fifth in a Monmouth Park allowance on June 18 and second against a field

of four in a Saratoga allowance/optional claimer on July 30. 

"She won the Demoiselle, so winning an allowance wouldn't do much for her,"

Weaver said of the decision to send her to the Alabama. "A two-other-than race

is always available to us, whenever we want it."