Alphie's Bet may try Belmont Stakes next
Story by: Steve Andersen
Source: DRF.com
Alphie's Bet broke slowly in Saturday's $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park, raced near the back of the field for the first half of the race, and still made winning look easy.
Winning his second stakes of the year, Alphie's Bet pulled away from seven overclassed rivals to win the Snow Chief Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths, a win that led co-owner Peter Johnson to confirm Alphie's Bet as a candidate for the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 5.
The Snow Chief Stakes was the richest race on a 10-race program that featured eight races for California-breds, including four stakes worth $150,000 or more.
Johnson, co-owner and breeder Teresa McWilliams, and trainer Alexis Barba had hoped to start Alphie's Bet in the Kentucky Derby next Saturday, but the colt did not have sufficient graded stakes earnings to be assured a place in the field.
The Snow Chief was a consolation that returned a first-place purse of $120,000. Ridden by Mike Smith, Alphie's Bet ($3.40) stalked Working Capital through a decent pace of 23 and 46.48 seconds, moved into contention with a wide move on the turn and pulled clear through the stretch. He finished 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.15.
"I think he ran his race," Johnson said. "Mike settled him down nicely."
Working Capital, a former maiden claimer making his stakes debut, finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Mr Tokyo, a 29-1 outsider. Mr Tokyo was also making his stakes debut.
Alphie's Bet won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on March 6, but lost any chance for a start in the Kentucky Derby with a sixth-place finish after a wide trip in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3. A colt by Tribal Rule, Alphie's Bet has won 3 of 7 starts and $261,320.