Stewart feeling auspicious about Alabama Stakes longshot

Rock Ridge Racing's homebred Auspicious Babe will be giving up plenty of experience to the rest of the field in Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, going 1 ¼ miles while making just her fourth career start for trainer Dallas Stewart.

"Why not? Just five or six other horses, and a mile and a quarter," Stewart said. "Has any of them run that far before? I think mine can. It's a Grade 1, and it'll make the whole family.

"It's the same thing like Unbridled Forever, same thing like Lemons Forever. You win one Grade 1 and it makes the whole family. The people that have the mare, have her [Auspicious Babe]. They have a farm, why not?"

Auspicious Babe debuted on May 4 after missing her 2-year-old season due to an ankle injury. She tired after a half mile in her unveiling and remained toward the back of the pack throughout the one-mile maiden special weight.

The bay Kentucky-bred returned 23 days later and closed from mid-pack to break her maiden by 1 ¾ lengths against seven others at 1 1/6 miles. She returned over a month later and bested another field of seven scoring by a length at the wire after sitting a close stalking trip against conditional claimers.

"She was impressive the last two races," said Stewart. "She's a big, strong filly and I think she can go that far [1 1/4 miles]. She won the second time and I was like, 'Let's try [the Alabama]. I think she can go that far.'

"It's really worth the shot. [If] she gets beat, we'll take her back and run her somewhere else. Regroup," he added. "She's just big and strong and she finishes a race. She's finished her last three races good at Churchill, that long stretch, she took them and got it done. I feel good about her."