Nest and Secret Oath meet again in the Alabama at Saratoga on Saturday.

By NY Hot List staff | Thursday, August 18, 2022

Nest and Secret Oath, the top two 3-year-old fillies in the country, will meet for the third time in their careers in the $600,000, Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga on Saturday. Head-to-head they each have a win and a second-place finish.

Nest defeated Secret Oath in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) by more than 12 lengths. In the Kentucky Oaks (G1), it was Secret Oath that victorious while Nest was two lengths behind.

Nest is trained by Todd Pletcher who won the Alabama three times including last year with Malathaat.

“She ran super in the CCA Oaks and it seems like since she ran in the Kentucky Oaks, she improved physically,” Pletcher said. “She ran a great race and came out of that really well, put on weight and condition. She came back and ran even better in the CCA Oaks so hopefully she can continue trending upward.”

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas hopes to get Secret Oath back to the winner’s circle after the loss in the CCA Oaks.

“She’s really had a good month since that debacle in the [CCA Oaks],” Lukas said. “In fact, I feel like she’s better now than any time I’ve had her. She’s really flourished here at Saratoga. Luis has worked her three times since that race so he’s getting more familiar every day with her, too. So, that should help us as much as anything. We’re anxious to run her.”

The $600,000 Alabama (G1) – Saratoga, Saturday, Race 10.

(4) Nest gets the nod in the Alabama because she already proved that she can handle the classic distances when she was second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). She moved ahead from that strong race against the boys to win the CCA Oaks so easily. (3) Gerrymander was last seen winning the Mother Goose (G2) at Belmont Park by three lengths. She actually beat Nest in the Tempted at Aqueduct when they were 2-year-olds. (7) Secret Oath will need to find her best form from earlier in the year and prove that she can handle the ten-furlong distance. (1) Skratch Kat will try stakes competition for the first time following an allowance win at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Arrogate could find a spot underneath in the exotics at a big price with a closing move.

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