Randomized again proved how dangerous she can be on the lead when stretching her speed 1 1/4 miles in taking the $600,000 Alabama (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday.
Given her two earlier wins had been accomplished in wire-to-wire fashion over one mile, Randomized made good use of her early foot in the Alabama, making the lead from post 8 before reaching the clubhouse turn. She was chased by Defining Purpose, who had drawn wider in post 10.
The top pair greatly benefited from their clean starts as most of their rivals suffered various bumps and stumbles in the early stages of the race. Randomized received little serious pressure from Defining Purpose, though, and began to look stronger as she extended her lead around the far turn.
Entering the stretch well off the inside, Randomized was in clear command down the stretch as Defining Purpose began to fall back and 19-10 favorite Wet Paint rallied up the rail to overtake her for second. Randomized passed the wire four lengths in front under Joel Rosario, covering the course in 2:03.07 over a fast track.
“I wasn’t real confident [about the 10 furlongs]. I was confident that she would run a real good race,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I’ve got to give to owner Seth Klarman a lot of credit here. He kept looking at the race and looking at how fast the horse was and said, ‘you should really consider this race.'”
Randomized returned $16.20 to win. Wet Paint finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Defining Purpose, with 61-1 outsider Sabra Tuff an additional 8 1/2 lengths behind in fourth.
The field was quite strung out at the finish, in part the result of the difficulties many of the fillies had in running. Second choice Taxed crossed the wire in fifth, but was disqualified and placed sixth behind Gambling Girl, whom she had impeded shortly after the start. Gambling Girl was also found to have bled. Sacred Wish and Fireline, both of whom also started poorly, finished seventh and eighth, while Julia Shining and Chocolate Gelato were virtually eased when hopelessly beaten.
Third in her debut at Saratoga last July, Randomized did not reappear until March 31, when she defeated maiden rivals at Aqueduct by 5 1/2 lengths. She then started in the Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park, where she rated in fourth at the first call and then steadily backed out of contention to finish sixth of eight behind division leader Pretty Mischievous. Randomized bounced back earlier in the Saratoga meet, winning the restricted Wilton S. on July 14 by 1 1/2 lengths.
“I was very disappointed after the Acorn. I regretted moving her up so far in class, but when she came up here and won opening weekend and the way she did it and the way she came back, I then realized how the Acorn wasn’t representative of her. It was just a mistake by me and to just draw a line through it,” Brown said.
Brown said the Cotillion (G1) at Parx on Sept. 23 or the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 8 are potential next starts for Randomized.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Nyquist, Randomized was reared by French Passport, an Elusive Quality half-sister to the Grade 2 winners Smooth Air and Overdriven. This is also the family of multiple Grade 1 turf star Got Stormy. Randomized was bred by Cove Springs and sold for $420,000 at Keeneland September.
