Much Is at Stake for Spoken Fur

A division championship and a $2-million bonus are on the line in today’s $750,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.

Spoken Fur can all but wrap up the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top 3-year-old filly by winning the Grade I, and a victory will earn her a $2-million bonus.

Having won the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont in her first two races for owner John Amerman and trainer Bobby Frankel, the daughter of Notebook will become the first filly since Sky Beauty in 1993 to sweep the Triple Tiara with a win today. The three-race series used to include Belmont’s Acorn instead of the 1 1/4-mile Alabama and this is the first year the bonus has been offered. If she is going to extend her overall win streak to six, Spoken Fur’s going to have to beat Bird Town, the other leading candidate for the 3-year-old filly title. Bird Town won the Acorn and Kentucky Oaks. “Actually, this is the biggest race of the meet for me,”’ said Frankel. “Maybe this and the Travers [for which he’ll saddle Empire Maker a week from today]. There’s residual value in the Travers, but there’s right-away money in the Alabama. It’s like winning a $4-million race.”

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Six Southern California riders will be at Arlington Park today for three stakes races -- the Arlington Million, the $700,000 Beverly D and $400,000 Secretariat.

Gary Stevens, who has never won the Million, is riding Storming Home, the probable favorite, in the 1 1/4-mile turf race. David Flores will be on Sulamani in the Million, Corey Nakatani has the mount on Perfect Soul, Mike Smith will ride The Tin Man, Jose Valdivia Jr. will ride Honor In War and Kent Desormeaux will be aboard Olden Times.

In the Beverly D., which is 1 3/16 miles on turf, Desormeaux will ride Dublino for trainer Laura De Seroux, and Valdivia will be on Heat Haze for Frankel.

The Secretariat is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on grass. Stevens is on Californian, Smith has the call on King’s Drama, Desormeaux will ride Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap winner Just Wonder, and Flores has the mount on Joe Bear.