Alda could aim for Saratoga stakes after breaking maiden

Weretheimer and Frere's Alda impressively broke her maiden at second asking on Thursday, besting a seven-horse field by 2 1/2 lengths in a six-furlong turf sprint in Race 1.

The 2-year-old Munnings filly made her debut on June 12 at Belmont, running third in a five-furlong sprint over turf labeled good. Over firmer turf, and with the prior month's experience, Alda broke sharp under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, stayed in fourth position through the opening quarter-mile and produced a strong stretch-drive rally to outkick Illegal Smile.

"She seems good [today]. I thought her first race was very good, so it's always encouraging when they can come back and duplicate that and even improve," trainer Graham Motion said. "I was very pleased with her. She's very professional. She's a nice filly to be around. Johnny was obviously very happy with her yesterday."

Alda is a half-sister to English-bred Group 2 winner Alignement. She had been training at Motion's base in Fair Hill, Maryland.

"Let's face it, my 2-year-olds aren't necessarily cranked up to win the first time out," Motion said. "I felt we had her as ready as we were going to have her, but she probably isn't as sharp as some of them. I think maybe that hurt her first time out, but having said that, she almost won despite of it. I think going another eighth of a mile helped her yesterday. She was just a more professional package yesterday."

Motion said there aren't many options for turf races for juvenile fillies coming up, but mentioned the $100,000 P.G. Johnson on Sept. 3 at Saratoga Race Course as a possibility. The 16th running of the P.G. Johnson will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the final Thursday of the eight-week meet.

"I don't think it will be a problem for her, let's put it that way," he said. "I would imagine next time out, it would probably make sense to stretch her out. There aren't that many spots out there."

Cat's Pajamas is on target for the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid on Sunday, July 19, Motion said.

Owned by Larkin Armstrong and Jack Swain III, Cat's Pajamas is 2-for-2 to start her 3-year-old year, breaking her maiden on May 17 at Churchill with a two-length score before running back to defeat allowance company on June 14 at Belmont.

After finishing sixth and seventh in her first two career starts on the main track for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Cat's Pajamas transferred into Motion's care, where the conditioner moved her to turf. She has since been unbeaten on grass and will now look to make the step up to stakes company, with the Lake Placid at 1 1/8 miles.

"I think being able to stretch her out as a 3-year-old and putting her on the grass has obviously helped her," Motion said. "She's been impressive in the mornings since we had her. I'm excited about the Lake Placid. There's no reason she can't handle the mile and an eighth. It's always encouraging when they can come back and duplicate that first performance against winners."

Blame Debbie has run in graded stakes on both dirt and turf, giving Motion options for the 3-year-old Blame filly at the upcoming Saratoga meet.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Cloonan and Timothy Thornton, Blame Debbie ran third, a neck back to winner Civil Union, against allowance company at 1 1/4 miles on firm Belmont turf on June 21.

That marked the second straight turf start following an 11th-place effort in the Florida Oaks (G3) on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. In her graded stakes debut, Blame Debbie registered her best finish in a stakes, capping her juvenile campaign by running third in 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Motion said that dual experience can leave open the possibility of running in the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles on the main track on July 18 or to target the $500,000 Saratoga Oaks, part of NYRA's Turf Triple Series, on Aug. 16 at 1 3/16 miles on grass.

"We're going to nominate her to the CCA Oaks and also take a look at the Saratoga Oaks," Motion said. "I thought her best race was her last race, even though she's graded stakes-placed already, I thought it was impressive against older fillies. I think the key with her is distance. I think the distance helps, but ultimately she's going to be at her best on the grass over a distance."