Former world champion Perfect Alliance, who was victorious in her first 11 races this year before suffering back-to-back setbacks, will try to get another win streak started when she faces five foes in Friday’s $20,000 first round of the Ima Lula Series for four-year-old female trotters at Meadowlands Racetrack.
Perfect Alliance finished seventh in the third round of the Miss Versatility Series on July 12 at the Meadowlands. The race was won by Bee A Magician in a world-record 1:51.1, with Perfect Alliance four and a quarter lengths back. Afterward, Perfect Alliance was found to have bled, in addition to scoping sick, and will compete with Lasix on Friday.
In her previous start on June 14, Perfect Alliance finished second to Classic Martine in the Armbro Flight Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario.
Perfect Alliance starts Friday’s Ima Lula from Post 6, with Corey Callahan driving for trainer Julie Miller, and is the 8-5 morning line favourite. The remainder of the field is comprised by Ma Chere Hall, Mistery Woman, Handover Belle, Rockin With Dewey, and NF Happenstance.
“I was pretty surprised because she had a layoff and trained good during the week,” Miller said about Perfect Alliance’s performance last week. “This time of year, we do have a little bit of sickness in the barn with the young horses. She still went in (1:) 52 with a last quarter in :27, it’s still an impressive mile, but I didn’t like how she did it.
“After scoping her and pulling the bloodwork, we elected to put her on Lasix and treat her for being sick. She seems really good. We took the necessary steps to get her better for this week. I’m just hoping for a nice bounce-back race. I’ll let Corey decide behind the gate what he wants to do, if he wants to leave or race from behind. I just want to see her finish strong at the wire.”
Perfect Alliance – owned by Jeff Gural’s Little E LLC, Jason Settlemoir, David Stolz, and Arthur Geiger – won the Singer Memorial Series and the Bobby Weiss Series during the winter and equalled the then-fastest mile ever by a four-year-old female trotter when she won a division of the Miss Versatility in 1:51.2 at Woodbine Racetrack. She also set a track record at Mohawk Racetrack, winning in 1:51.4.
“You always want more, and we’re the same way,” Miller said. “She started, luckily, in good spots [earlier in the year] where she seemed to be the prohibitive favourite all the time, to where she did prove herself in those races in Canada.
“You’re going to have a clunker every now and then. They’re living animals; they’re going to have an off day. You just need to listen to your horse and let them decide their schedule. I’m still proud to train her and I’m sure the owners are still proud to own her.”
The second round of the Ima Lula takes place on July 25 and the $55,000 (estimated) final will be contested on Hambletonian Day, August 2, at the Meadowlands.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.