Alabama Winner Randomized Faces Elders in Beldame

The $250,000 Beldame Stakes (G2) did not attract many entrants, but it did land a filly who has the looks of an up-and-coming star.

When last seen, Klaravich Stables’ Randomized  was leading from start to finish and winning the prestigious Alabama Stakes (G1) for her initial graded stakes score.

A 7-1 upset winner, the daughter of Nyquist   faced 3-year-olds in that Aug. 19 top-level event at Saratoga Race Course, but when she returns to the races Oct. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack she will be facing a different challenge.

The 1 1/8-mile Beldame will match Randomized against older fillies and mares for the first time in a graded stakes. That’s always a formidable test, but in Sunday’s race during the Belmont at the Big A meet she will only be facing two of them and will be receiving three pounds from both.

Randomized, bred by Cove Springs in Kentucky out of the Elusive Quality mare French Passport, has faced older rivals once before and came away with a March 31 maiden win by 5 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct.

Trainer Chad Brown tried her in the June 9 Acorn Stakes (G1) against 3-year-old company after that, but she was not ready for the jump into grade 1 company and finished sixth.

Returned to 3-year-old racing at Saratoga, she responded with a front-running score in the July 14 Wilton Stakes in fast time that had her on edge for her breakthrough victory in the Alabama.

Randomized was bought for $420,000 from the Four Star Sales consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With a mark of three wins in five career starts, she has earned $465,850.

Foremost among the older starters is grade 1 winner A Mo Reay , a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo   owned by Haruya Yoshida.

Trained by Brad Cox, she captured the March 11 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park for a third straight stakes win, but then failed to find the winner’s circle in her last three tries.

Bred by T & G Farm of Kentucky out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Margaret Reay, she was fourth in the La Troienne Stakes (G1), followed by a third in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) as a 2-5 favorite, and most recently a disappointing sixth in the Locust Grove Stakes (G3).

Godolphin’s homebred Nostalgic  returned to winning form last time out, ending a streak of seven straight losses that followed a victory in last year’s Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct, contested at the same nine-furlong distance as the Beldame.

A winner of an Aug. 19 allowance optional claimer at the Spa for trainer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro   was third in the 2022 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).

A New Jersey-bred, Holly Crest Farm’s homebred 3-year-old Riding Pretty  steps up to the grade 1 level for the first time.

Trained by Eddie Owens Jr., the daughter of Jack Milton  was a lopsided winner of a Sept. 2 New Jersey-bred allowance optional claimer at Monmouth Park in her last start. Prior to that, she was third in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) against open company, finishing 11 1/2 lengths behind Occult .