Ulele steps up for Alabama S. (G1)

Ulele will take on some of the nation’s best 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $600,000 Alabama S. at Saratoga, the feature race of the meet for the sophomore distaffers.

The ultra-consistent daughter of Candy Ride has made a steady climb up the class ladder since her debut last October, and has never been worse than third in seven outings. In her two most recent starts, the Iowa Oaks (G3) and Black Eyed Susan S. (G2), she was second, beaten less than a length each time.

The Alabama is new territory for the nine, none of whom have gone the race’s 1 1/4-miles. Ulele is in post six, just to the inside of Point of Honor, who she faced in the Black Eyed Susan. Other notables include Mother Goose S. (G2) winner Dunbar Road, Iowa Oaks winner Lady Apple, Gulfstream Oaks (G2) winner Champagne Anyone, and Indiana Oaks (G3) winner Street Band.

Ulele is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden Saturday by Joel Rosario, who rode her in the Black Eyed Susan. Post time for the Alabama is 5:59 p.m. ET.