Alpha on top in G2 Jim Dandy Stakes

The G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga proved to be a strong wire-to-wire victory for Bernardini three-year-old colt Alpha on July 28. It was a remarkable second year in a row that Bernardini sired the Jim Dandy winner, as Stay Thirsty won the race on the way to his G1 Travers win later in the summer.

As the 9-5 favorite, Alpha broke well out of the gate to take the lead in the one and one-eighth mile race over a sloppy track. When pressured entering the final turn Alpha was relentless and turned back challengers for the win.

Alpha is now a winner of two Graded Stakes races, having won the G3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in February. He is also a winner of the Count Fleet Stakes in 2012. The colt placed in the G1 Champagne Stakes at two and G1 Wood Memorial Stakes at three.

The son of Bernardini was bred by Darley and is out of Stakes-winner Munnaya by Nijinsky II. Alpha is a half-brother to Stakes winner/Graded-Placed Mystic Melody, Graded Stakes-placed Lavender Sky, and two other black-type runners. His dam Munnaya is a half-sister to Stakes winners/Graded-placed Sheer Reason and Mall Queen. The mare has a yearling full-brother to Alpha currently.

Bernardini, a son of AP Indy, has already proven to be a top notch sire at stud. His fantastic freshman crop is currently represented by four G1 winners, among them To Honor And Serve and Stay Thirsty. His second crop is certainly following in their footsteps with Graded/Group winners the likes of Alpha, Algorithms, Gamilati, and Via Villaggio.