Plum Ali Draws Inside Post for Pebbles Stakes

Fast-closing grade 2 winner Plum Ali will try to get back on track Sept. 19 in the $150,000 Pebbles Stakes where the daughter of First Samurai is expected to face a dozen other 3-year-old fillies in the one-mile test on the Widener Turf at Belmont Park. Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali started her career with three straight wins, all on turf, including victories in the Mint Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs and the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) on the inner turf at Belmont. Trained by two-time Pebbles winner Christophe Clement, Plum Ali has not yet registered a win in her four starts this season, although she earned placings in graded races at Keeneland and Belmont. Jose Ortiz, who in his lone previous mount on Plum Ali guided her to a 2 1/4-length score in last year's Miss Grillo, has been named to ride Sunday. While Plum Ali enters Sunday's race off a five-race losing streak, she does top the field's purse earnings at $579,500 and has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite. Plum Ali enters off a fourth-place finish in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course. "She's doing very well," said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Clement. "We're trying to shorten her up a little bit to see if there's more pace up front and trying to get a little bit closer, because we've given her a lot to do when she runs those longer distances. We just want to get something new, but she's doing very well." Trainer Chad Brown will look for his fourth straight Pebbles win—and fifth in six years—when he sends out Minaun (IRE), a group 3 winner in Ireland; and group 2-placed Nazuna (IRE) in Sunday's test. Minaun, a daughter of Zoffany (IRE), will make her fourth North American start for owners Bradley Thoroughbreds, Iris Smith Stable, and Rigney Racing. Nazuna, a Kodiac (GB) filly campaigned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch, and Pantofel Stable, enters off a sixth-place finish in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) after pressing the pace early in that 1 1/4-mile turf test. Although winless in two starts at one mile, Brown assistant Dan Stupp said the distance should be no issue for Minaun. "Distance is definitely not a problem. The wide post last time compromised her quite a bit," Stupp said. "She ran well first time for us in the spring and was unlucky but ran well in her first stakes try for us. She ran fine last time (going) two turns at Saratoga, but she had a wide post and I think getting back here is great. Based on her work here, she's coming into the race well. Cutting back to one turn should be good for her, especially at Belmont. She should appreciate it." Nazuna worked in company with multiple grade 1 winner Domestic Spending (GB) on the inner turf Sept. 12, completing a half-mile in :49.65. "She worked with Domestic Spending and went excellent, made a good account for herself," Stupp said.