Recent history dictates that when trainer Charlie Appleby ships a racehorse to North America, the runner must be respected. According to Equineline stats, Appleby has won 40 races from 125 starters since the start of 2021 (32%) with 23 Grade 1 wins.
The Alabama Stakes was first held in 1872 and has remained a fixture on the Saratoga Race Course calendar to become one of the most important races in the 3-year-old filly division.
In 2024, nearly 17,000 Thoroughbreds were born in North America, while England and Ireland welcomed a little more than 13,000 foals. Of those, less than half will win a race in their lifetime, while approximately 3% will win a stakes, and an even smaller percentage, less than 1%, will win a graded stakes. Imagine the odds of an English classic and Breeders’ Cup victor foaling a Derby winner who then sires classic and Breeders’ Cup winners of his own?
El Cordobes split horses in deep stretch and prevailed in a dramatic finish to capture the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes Aug. 9 at Saratoga Race Course.
