Alabama
Saratoga: Pletcher brings 2 stakes winners to Alabama
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will have two chances to secure a fifth victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama as he sends out Grade 1 winner Candied and promising stakes-winner Miss Justify in Saturday’s 1 1/4-mile test for sophomore fillies at Saratoga.
The two talented fillies posted a steady work in company Aug. 2, covering a half-mile in 50.66 seconds over the Spa main track.
“They seemed to make good companions. I’m happy with the way they did it,” said Pletcher, whose past Alabama wins came with Princess of Sylmar in 2013, Stopchargingmaria in 2014, Malathaat in 2021 and Nest in 2022.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Candied arrives from a runner-up finish to divisional leader Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 20 at Saratoga. The daughter of Candy Ride was patiently ridden by Manny Franco, stalking in third of four behind an even tempo set by Grade 1-winning stablemate Leslie’s Rose. She made up ground willingly when asked to angle two to four wide in the final turn but could not catch the powerful Thorpedo Anna and was defeated 4 1/2 lengths.
Pletcher said he was pleased with the bay’s effort behind a standout like Thorpedo Anna, who is targeting the Travers (G1) against males Aug. 24.
“She’s been super consistent, just second-best last time,” said Pletcher. “I think she’ll handle the mile and a quarter. With Thorpedo Anna going to the Travers, I think this race is much more wide open.”
Candied brings top Grade 1 form to the field of eight after taking the Alcibiades in October at Keeneland. She closed out her juvenile campaign with a solid third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November and returned in April to finish fourth in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland. The filly came up just shy on the road to the Kentucky Oaks and did not draw into the prestigious Grade 1 test after landing on the also-eligible list.
After a two-month respite, she made a grand return against elders in Monmouth Park’s Listed Lady’s Secret, crushing the 1 1/16-mile route by 4 1/2 lengths over Honor D Lady, who exited that race to win the Delaware Handicap (G2) on July 7. Candied was awarded a career- and field-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form for the victory.
Candied has banked $784,675 in earnings through a 6: 3-1-1 record.
Miss Justify makes a step up in both class and trip after back-to-back wins going one mile. The Justify bay was last seen winning the local restricted Wilton going one mile from Saratoga’s Wilson chute July 12. The Wilton was successfully used as a springboard for last year’s Alabama winner Randomized.
In the Wilton, Miss Justify was six lengths off the pace through the first quarter-mile and inched into contention throughout each point of call to be just one length back of the prominent Striker Has Dial at the top of the lane. She found more with each stride under Flavien Prat to rally up the rail and take control inside the final sixteenth and win by one length, earning a lifetime-best 87 Beyer.
Pletcher said Miss Justify, who also notched a 2 1/2-length win in her first effort beyond sprint distances in June at Churchill Downs, continues to improve with each start.
“We are hoping she will handle the added distance,” Pletcher said. “She has handled the mile well the last two times. Coming off two wins, she’s deserving of the opportunity.”
?Miss Justify made her first two starts in Maryland for conditioner Susan Cooney, including a third-place effort when making her stakes debut in the six-furlong Smart Halo in November. She moved to Pletcher’s care this year and finished fourth going seven furlongs in a March optional claimer at Gulfstream Park ahead of her two recent wins.
Graded stakes-winner Intricate remains the only horse to have defeated Thorpedo Anna after taking the Golden Rod (G2) in November at Churchill, but she could not duplicate that feat in the CCA Oaks and settled for third after tracking in last of four throughout and passing the tiring pacesetter Leslie’s Rose late in the lane.
“I think she can improve,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “She struggled a little bit with the track early in the (CCA) Oaks. That filly has had her issues, but she seems to train better and better every week. Having had a run over the track and a couple of works on it, I think she’s coming into it a lot better. I wouldn’t discount her chances. She shouldn’t have a problem with the distance either.”
The Gun Runner chestnut seeks her first win since the Golden Rod, where she soundly bested Thorpedo Anna by 5 1/4 lengths with a smart off-the-pace trip engineered by regular rider Tyler Gaffalione.
“She ran really well,” Walsh said of the effort. “The race set up really good for her and she was very impressive that day.”
Three months after the Golden Rod, she headed south to Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans to run second in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) in February and a distant fifth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in March before being shelved until June because of excess mucus in her throat.
“She’s a nice filly. She just had her issues down in New Orleans during the winter. It took us a long time to get her right after that,” Walsh explained. “She’s finally coming right now. If she can make a return to her 2-year-old form, I can’t see why she couldn’t have a good second half of the year.”
Intricate flashed her talents again in her June return at Churchill, finishing a close second to Our Pretty Woman in the Monomoy Girl ahead of the CCA Oaks.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Intricate Gun Runner |
6.55 |
Brendan P. Walsh Tyler Gaffalione |
3rd, 2024 Coaching Club American Oaks G1 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
3rd, 2024 Coaching Club American Oaks G1 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 2 |
|
Chatalas Gun Runner |
6.47 |
Mark Glatt Frankie Dettori |
1st, 2024 Indiana Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, 2024 Indiana Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 3 |
|
Power Squeeze Union Rags |
7.03 |
Jorge Delgado Javier J. Castellano |
1st, 2024 Delaware Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, 2024 Delaware Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 4 |
|
Just Basking Arrogate |
4.12 |
Ian R. Wilkes Chris Landeros |
1st, Iowa Oaks 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, Iowa Oaks 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 5 |
|
America’s Vow Constitution |
0.00 |
Timothy Hamm Junior Alvarado |
1st, Sar AlwOC (7/28/24-R5) 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, Sar AlwOC (7/28/24-R5) 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 6 |
|
Miss Justify Justify |
0.00 |
Todd A. Pletcher Flavien Prat |
1st, 2024 Wilton RS 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, 2024 Wilton RS 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 7 |
|
Candied Candy Ride |
6.88 |
Todd A. Pletcher Manuel Franco |
2nd, 2024 Coaching Club American Oaks G1 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
2nd, 2024 Coaching Club American Oaks G1 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
| 8 |
|
Neon Icon Arrogate |
0.00 |
George R. Arnold Luis Saez |
5th, 2024 Indiana Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
Entered |
|
Last Race Next Race |
5th, 2024 Indiana Oaks G3 2024 Alabama G1 |
|||||
Hegseth on Iran: ‘This is not Iraq. This is not endless.’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said operations on Iran won’t be “endless” like Iraq.
The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.
The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.
In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.
Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.
Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks
For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.
“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”
He feels the attacks are a mistake.
“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.
Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.
“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”
Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey was honored for her lifelong dedication to youth and community service during the 12th annual Black Warrior Council Boy Scouts of America Circle of Honor awards luncheon.
The ceremony, which was held Feb. 27 at the Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Tuscaloosa, serves as a fundraiser for the council’s scouting program.
The Circle of Honor award is presented to people in west central Alabama whose livelihood and actions reflect the same values of the Black Warrior Boy Scouts. Recipients have also shown advocacy for youth and leadership in the community.
Past recipients of the award include Terry Saban, Nick Saban, former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, scientist and philanthropist Thomas Joiner, pharmacist and retailer James I. Harrison Jr., civic leader Mary Ann Phelps and more.
Cathy Randall, a Tuscaloosa businesswoman, educator and philanthropist, presented Ivey with the award. Randall was inducted into the Circle of Honor in 2025 along with her late husband, Pettus.
Ivey said she was grateful to receive the honor by the Black Warrior Council and highlighted the importance of public service.
“I’m proud to have dedicated my life to public service, there’s no more noble calling than to uplift and empower lives,” said Ivey during the Feb. 27 ceremony.
Ivey thanked the scouting organizations, including the Black Warrior Council for its contributions to educational opportunities, economic development, and public safety.
“In particular, I’m proud of the work done by our Scouting organizations like the Black Warrior Council, who lay a foundation for successful future in both our young people and our state, thank you for all you do to build a stronger Alabama by changing lives and preparing our future leaders,” said Ivey, a native of Camden in Wilcox County.
Ivey is wrapping up her second term as governor after a long career spent primarily in government.
After graduating from Auburn University in 1967, Ivey worked as a high school teacher and a bank officer. She served as reading clerk for the Alabama House of Representatives under then-Speaker Joseph C. McCorquodale and she served as assistant director at the Alabama Development Office.
In 2002, Ivey was elected to the first of two terms as Alabama’s treasurer and in 2010, she was elected to the first of two terms as lieutenant governor. On April 10, 2017, Ivey was sworn in as Alabama’s 54th governor after the resignation of Robert Bentley. She filled out the rest of Bentley’s term before winning the gubernatorial election in 2018 and she was re-elected in 2022.
She will leave office at the end of this year.
She is the first Republican woman to serve as Alabama’s governor but she’s the second woman to hold the state’s top executive office. Tuscaloosa County native Lurleen B. Wallace, a Democrat, became Alabama’s first female governor in 1966.
Circle of Honor luncheon raises nearly $200,000
Also during the ceremony, retired DCH Health System administrator Sammy Watson, who served as the event’s emcee, announced that the council had raised $197,000 through the luncheon that day.
Proceeds from the lunch will be used to expand Boy Scouts programs, making them available to over 3,000 young people in west central Alabama.
The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s leading outdoor education and character development program. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@usatodayco.com. To support her work, please subscribe to The Tuscaloosa News.
SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – After more than a decade serving Alabama’s fourth judicial circuit, Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr. is stepping away from full-time service, closing a chapter that spans nearly four decades in the legal profession.
Pettaway was elected to the bench in 2012 and served in several counties including Dallas, Wilcox, Perry, Hale and Bibb counties, the largest geographical circuit in the state.
Now, he says, it was simply time.
“I never wanted to serve in that capacity forever,” Pettaway said “And plus, I wanted to also make room for some younger, brighter minds to come forward.”
Before becoming a judge, Pettaway practiced law in Selma for nearly 30 years after being licensed in 1985. During that time, he handled cases that helped shape Alabama law; something he says he didn’t fully appreciate until colleagues reflected on his impact.
“I handled several cases which actually affected and changed the direction of the state of the law in our state,” he added. “And I didn’t realize I did all that.”
Friends and fellow legal professionals once presented him with research showing his involvement in Alabama Supreme Court cases that made significant changes in state law; a moment he describes as both surprising and humbling.
During his time on the bench, Pettaway says one of his priorities was maintaining professionalism and respect within the legal system.
He often referenced the Alabama State Bar’s Lawyer’s Creed — a pledge attorneys take promising to treat even their opponents with civility and understanding.
“In that creed, you are promising that you’re gonna treat even your opponents with civility and with kindness and understanding.”
Pettaway says he believes the legal profession — and society at large — must continue working toward a culture rooted in respect and service.
Although stepping away from full-time duties, Pettaway says he is not completely leaving the legal field. He has transitioned to retired active status and plans to assist with cases when needed, while also returning to private practice.
He says this new chapter is about balance.
After decades shaping courtrooms across five counties, Pettaway says he is focused on health, perspective and trusting the next generation to carry the bench forward.
Governor Kay Ivey has appointed former Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones to serve the remainder of Pettaway’s six-year term.
Jones previously served as senior chief trial attorney under District Attorney Robert Turner Jr. and has also led the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force.
The transition marks a new era for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, while closing a significant chapter in its recent history.
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Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
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