One of my favorite days of the Saratoga Race Course meet is Alabama Stakes day, which is this Saturday.

While it doesn't get the billing of next Saturday's stakes-packed Travers Stakes day, the biggest day on the Saratoga calendar, as evidenced by a whole week of events leading up to it (including a promotion at over 50 Capital District restaurants, where you can get a three-course meal for just $18.64, which honors 1864, the year of the inaugural Travers), the Alabama IS the biggest day for three-year-old fillies at the Spa.

This year's Alabama features Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty, who has been training brilliantly since finishing strong runner-up to Acorn winner It's Tricky in a terrific duel in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 23 (see video of the race below). The two staged an exciting head-to-head race from the top of the stretch to near the finish line when It's Tricky finally was able to surge past Plum Pretty by a short margin.



Both It's Tricky and Plum Pretty are running in the Alabama, as is third-place finisher Royal Delta -- herself no slouch as the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan on Preakness preview day -- in what figures to be a great race featuring the very best fillies in the division.

So do yourself a favor and make a trip up to Saratoga on Saturday. Maybe get yourself lunch at the Blue Smoke Barbeque (I highly recommend the pulled-pork sandwich) or the neighboring Shake Shack and then enjoy a relaxing day at the Spa, culminating with what shapes up as one of the best Alabama races in recent memory.