Any doubts that Godolphin's homebred Knightsbridge would be able to handle the 1 1/4 miles of the $1,003,000 Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar evaporated at the top of the stretch Aug.
My Gun's Loaded passed heavy favorite Counting Stars in the stretch and then held off a late bid by Measure nearing the wire to win the Grade 1 $600,000 Alabama Stakes presented by Keeneland Sales Aug.
Three-year-olds take the spotlight on the biggest day of racing at Century Mile in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday evening with a competitive field entered in the $200,000 Grade 3 Canadian Derby. The Canadian Derby anchors a card featuring three other stakes races and its distance of 1 ¼ miles will be a test of stamina for the entrants, as all but one have not raced this far before.
There were 44 stakes races run across North America last week, including a memorable King’s Plate card at Woodbine and key graded stakes action at Saratoga and Del Mar, which led to significant changes in every division on the North American leaderboard.
The Alabama Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales has cemented a place in Thoroughbred racing history as one of the most important stakes for 3-year-old fillies in North America. The race was first held in 1872, it has been held at the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles since 1917, and the Alabama has long been a fixture on the Saratoga Race Course calendar.
