Alpha leads all the way to land the G1 Woodward

Bernardini's Alpha proved he belongs with the best of North America's older horses with a wire-to-wire victory in the G1 Woodward at Saratoga Racetrack on August 31st. This was the second win at the highest level for the improving four-year-old colt.

Alpha make it clear from this beginning of the race that he was determined to establish his presence and quickly gained the lead straight out of the gate. He maintained his advantage into the stretch and then held off a strong challenge from the runner-up but was in front at the wire.

A four-time Graded Stakes winner, Alpha now enters an elite fraternity of past winners of one of North America's top handicap races. He was bred by Darley and is out of the Stakes-winning mare Munnaya, by Nijinsky II. The colt is a half-brother to Stakes winner and Graded-placed Mystic Melody; Graded-placed Lavender Sky; and two other Black type horses. Munnaya is a half-sister to Sheer Reason and Mall Queen, both Graded-placed Stakes winners.

Alpha is one of six G1 winners and 10 G1 Stakes horses sired by Bernardini. Included among his other G1winners are other Travers winner Stay Thirsty as well as multiple G1 winner To Honor And Serve. Bernardini is currently the leading sire by two-year-old sales average in 2013.

One of his best-bred crops of yearlings to date sells at Keeneland in two week's time.