If you are serious about betting horse races, you cannot miss the Alabama Stakes (G1) on Saturday, August 20, at Saratoga Race Course. The race features seven top three-year-old dirt route fillies in the country, running 1 ¼ miles for a share of a $600,000 purse.
Coaching Club American Oaks winner Nest and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath are the leaders in the field. However, most other runners have stakes-level experience, and some have the distance pedigree and tactical speed to make it interesting.
Recent winners of this race have included champions like Malathaat, Swiss Skydiver, and Songbird. Which filly will add her name to this illustrious roll call? Keep reading to find out, and to see the best places to bet the Alabama Stakes online!
Best Alabama Stakes Online Betting
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Alabama Stakes Post Positions
This is the official field for the 2022 Alabama Stakes, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
Skratch Kat (Philip Bauer/Julien Leparoux) – 30/1
Goddess of Fire (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) – 20/1
Gerrymander (Chad Brown/Joel Rosario) – 7/2
Nest (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) – 1/2
Nostalgic (Bill Mott/Jose Ortiz) – 12/1
She’s Keen (Rusty Arnold/Jose Lezcano) – 30/1
Secret Oath (D. Wayne Lukas/Luis Saez) – 4/1
Do not forget that the morning line is not a guarantee: it is just the track’s best guess about what the odds will look like. Even though it can be a decent guide to identifying favorites, mid-price horses, and long shots, you are not guaranteed those odds if you bet on track. On-track prices fluctuate until the moment the horses spring from the gate.
There is a better way: betting Alabama at an online sportsbook! Since online racebooks let you lock in odds the moment you bet, you are assured true Vegas odds on your horses. And, just like in Las Vegas, the price when you put down your stake is the price you get when you win!
Once you have created your online betting account, it’s time to get handicapping. Let’s get to know the best horses in the 2022 Alabama Stakes.
Alabama Stakes Favorites
The marquee contender, and the most likely winner by far, is Nest. She shined over the Saratoga surface in the Coaching Club American Oaks. She has the tactical speed to get a good trip. She showed plenty of stamina when finishing second against boys in the Belmont Stakes. If she holds anything close to her last-out form it is hard to see her getting beat, so the smart move is to either back her to win or play exotics underneath her.
By price, the next tier of horses includes Gerrymander and Secret Oath. The best chance for value is to take a stand against one of these horses; this is the time to take a stand against Secret Oath. She was no match for Nest last out, in her only start so far at Saratoga, and her form suggests that perhaps she wants to go a little shorter than this mile and a quarter.
Gerrymander is the next-tier horse with far more upside. A maiden win last year showed her affinity for Saratoga. Last out, in her Mother goose win, she showed the tactical speed she needs to be a contender. And, the distance should suit her wonderfully: she is a half-sister to dirt marathon stalwart Lone Rock, suggesting that she should be able to shine with seasoning and distance.
Alabama Stakes Value Horses
Among the longer shots in this field, She’s Keen interests most. This is a huge step forward, as she has never faced winners. However, she has stretched to good effect in her last two, including a nine-furlong maiden win at Saratoga. She is the one horse in the field who has proven that she likes to go, and she may be ready to play a game of come-and-catch-me over this kind of trip.
The other interesting price horse is Goddess of Fire, who straps on blinkers for the first time for this race. Those may keep her closer, something she suggested she could do when she broke her maiden but hasn’t done often since. Both of her races at Saratoga have been strong, she has hit the board five times in stakes company during her career, and her trainer and jockey tend to come strong to this race in particular.
2022 Alabama Stakes Expert Picks
You have made your online betting account and got to know the field. Now, there is just one thing to do: play the race! Here are your best bets for the 2022 Alabama Stakes!
$20 to win – #4 Nest
$1 exacta key – #4 Nest over #3 Gerrymander and #6 She’s Keen
$0.50 trifecta key – #4 Nest over #2 Goddess of Fire, #3 Gerrymander, and #6 She’s Keen
For 10 years, Rowan Ward has been handicapping and betting horses in Chicago. For almost as long, they has also been writing about horse racing. They are aware that the best handicapping approaches for a given race rely on a variety of variables, but they frequently discover that the proverb "the pace makes the race" can yield profitable betting opportunities. Local Chicago races, national stakes races, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing pedigrees are some of their favorite events to handicap.