Plum Ali Headlines Field of Six for Appalachian Presented by Japan Racing Association

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables’ Plum Ali, last seen at Keeneland finishing fifth as the second choice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), tops a field of six 3-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Saturday’s 33^rd running of the $200,000 Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association going a mile on the turf.

The Appalachian will be the first of six graded stakes on Saturday afternoon’s 11-race program going as the sixth race with a 3:51 p.m. post time.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Plum Ali won her first three starts, including the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and the Miss Grillo (G2) at Belmont, prior to the Breeders’ Cup. Joel Rosario has the mount Saturday and will break from post position four.

Expected to vie for favoritism is Starlight Racing’s Jouster, who is a nose away from being undefeated in three starts on turf. Runner-up in the Florida Oaks (G3) in her most recent start, the Todd Pletcher trainee will be ridden by Luis Saez and break from post position one.

Pletcher has won the Appalachian twice with Ocean Drive (2003) and Audacious Chloe (2007).

The field for the Appalachian, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Jouster (Saez, 118 pounds), Spanish Loveaffair (Chris Landeros, 118), Flown (James Graham 118), Plum Ali (Rosario, 120), Gift List (GB) (Javier Castellano, 118) and Saranya(Florent Geroux, 118).