Donver Stable’s Inglorious, who defeated males in the Queen’s Plate on June 26, will bypass the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, in favor facing fillies in Saratoga’s Alabama (gr. I) on Aug. 20, trainer Josie Carroll said July 8.
The Queen's Plate was Inglorious’ first start against males and third consecutive win, having captured Woodbine’s La Lorgnette on May 15 and the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on June 5, and Carroll said she preferred bringing the filly back in the Alabama instead of making a quick turnaround for the Prince of Wales.
“She’s already had five races this year, and she’d be coming back in three weeks,” said Carroll, who won the 2009 Alabama with Donver Stable’s Careless Jewel. “She’s already won over the (Alabama’s 1 1/4-mile) distance. The distance is always a factor in the Alabama.”
The Alabama will be Inglorious’ first race on dirt since she made a pair of starts at the Fair Grounds earlier this year, finishing second in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. III) and fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II).
“She trained on dirt all winter and trained well over it, although she clearly loves the Woodbine surface,” said Carroll. “This week we’ll start giving her heavier training, and we’ll later figure out (when we’ll take her to Saratoga.)”
Another leading female, Phillips Racing Partnership’s Winter Memories, will also make her next start at Saratoga. The daughter of El Prado, 2-for-2 this year including the Sands Point (gr. IIT) on May 30, will breeze July 10 as she continues to prepare for Lake George (gr. IIT) at 1 1/16 miles on turf July 27.
Trainer Jimmy Toner said after the Lake George he has penciled in the Woodford Reserve Lake Placid (gr. IIT) on Aug. 21 at Saratoga and then the Garden City (gr. IT) on Sept. 18 at Belmont Park for Winter Memories’ next two starts. Those races will be followed by the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
“She’s matured even since her last race,” said Toner, who also trained the filly’s dam, Memories of Silver. “I see her getting bigger and stronger and continuing to develop.”
Sunday’s breeze will be Winter Memories’ fourth since the Sands Point and Toner hopes to get in another work before departing for Saratoga next weekend.