After three months away from the races, Caviart Farms' Caviart Ally looked sharp in Saturday morning's (Feb. 22) qualifying session at The Meadowlands, closing ferociously off cover to post a solid runner-up effort behind Write Me A Song.

The six-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight lagged the gate by a length at race's outset and was eased to the back of the six-mare field on approach to the first turn by usual driver Andy McCarthy. The pair drafted with no urgency from fifth behind early splits of :29.3 and :57.3, which were controlled by Ron Burke trainee Write Me A Song.

Midway on the final turn, McCarthy pointed Caviart Ally into second-over flow behind Odds On St Lucie, who gained gradually nearing three-quarters in 1:26. While Write Me A Song edged away from the field in upper stretch, McCarthy kept Caviart Ally covered up until the final 150 yards. The 25-time winner switched gears immediately upon being tipped off a helmet, surging late to close 2-1/2 lengths of ground in the final sixteenth and only missing Write Me A Song's 1:52.3 mile by 1-1/4 lengths.

“She was awesome!” McCarthy exclaimed about Caviart Ally, who logged a :25.4 closing sectional. “I’m extremely happy with the way she has come back. She should be ready to rumble after another qualifier.”

Caviart Ally was the only mare to defeat Shartin N multiple times last season, doing so in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Oct. 26, as well as the Allerage at The Red Mile and the TVG Mares Pace at The Meadowlands.

Brett Pelling trains Caviart Ally, who took a mark of 1:48 last summer at The Meadowlands and was timed in 1:47.2 in a second-place finish to Shartin N in the 2019 Lady Liberty on the Hambletonian undercard.