Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House’s Kentucky-bred Nest made it back-to-back Grade 1 wins with a scintillating victory in the 142nd running of the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 20.
Away awkwardly after stumbling at the start of the 1 ¼-mile fixture, Nest tracked the early pace of She’s Keen into the first turn while in hand. She continued to stalk the pace on the outside down the backstretch before vying for the lead outside the five-sixteenths. She powered away from the field in the stretch and hit the wire geared down by Irad Ortiz Jr. to defeat Secret Oath by 4 ¼ lengths in a final time of 2:03.14.
Nest now holds a 2-1 lead in head-to-head battles with Secret Oath after beating her in their previous meeting in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 23. Secret Oath defeated the Alabama winner in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). With the impressive win in the Alabama, Nest, who also annexed the Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland earlier this season, solidified her place at the top of the division.
Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners said of the victory by their $350,000 Keeneland September Sale graduate, “As special as they come. I’ve stood in this grandstand and applauded a lot of champions, but never my own. In the last month, twice now, from the eighth pole to the wire, I’ve applauded Nest. She’s something special and she proved she’s a champion today.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher praised Nest’s ability to overcome adversity.
“That was a special performance today,” Pletcher said. “To see her come back and it seemed like hardly drew a deep breath. I was a little concerned at the start, she got away in a bit of a tangle. I was hoping we’d get a good position, and we ended up getting the position that we wanted. It was a little hairy for the first couple of strides, but after that it was all her.”
Bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farms and Colts Neck Stables, Nest improved her record to 9-6-2-1, and the daughter of Curlin has now banked more than $1.7 million.