Farda Amiga

"Fly Farda Amiga Fly"

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By Francis LaBelle, Jr.

August 18, 2002 -- Farda Amiga staked her claim as the leader of the three-year-old filly division and brought her trainer, Paulo Lobo, to national prominence Saturday afternoon when she won the 122nd running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Alabama by three-quarters of a length in her first start since May 3rd.
On May 3rd, Farda Amiga - her name means "Friendly Silks" - won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but came down with a virus afterwards. That she could come back in her first start since then, in a race like the Alabama, and win the 1 ¼-mile Saratoga classic on a "good" track earned rightful praise for both herself and her conditioner from the crowd of 35,005.

"I think today she proved that she is the best three-year-old filly in America," said Lobo, a 33-year-old Brazilian. "Almost 105 days without a race. She was sick after the Kentucky Oaks; her problem was that she had a high white (blood) count. I could only give her five works because she needed a month in her stall. But she did very well after that."

She did extremely well on Saturday, and returned $8.70 to win. Under Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, Farda Amiga overcame an awkward start and came with a wide move to overtake front-running Allamerican Bertie in the final jumps to win in 2:06 3/5.

"She didn't break all that well," Day said. "She came out of there a little sloppy. She wasn't liking the stuff hitting her face, so I took her to the middle of the track. I felt like I had horse, but I didn't know if she would be good enough to get up. She really stepped up to the plate today." Owned by Brazilians Simon Marcos and Julio and Santa Camargo, who chanted

"We are Alive! We Are Alive!" all through the stretch, Fada Amiga is now 4-for-7 lifetime and has earned nearly $900,000. A daughter of Broad Brush, she may just wait until the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Arlington Park on October 26th for her next start. Meanwhle, trainer Steve Flint will consider races at Belmont Park's Fall Championship Meet in preparing Allamerican Bertie for the inevitable rematch.

"My filly probably just lost to the champion three-year-old filly, Flint said. "That guy (Paulo Lobo) did a fantastic job training her. I don't know anybody else that could have trained a horse to get a mile and a quarter under these conditions. As the day went on and the track dried out, speed started to get beaten up a little bit. My filly ran hard we've got nothing to be ashamed of. Hopefully, this will lead to bigger and better things. We'll evaluate everything when we get home. The Gazelle is possibility."

The Gazelle is also a possibility for Bella Belucci, who was scratched late in the day on Saturday by Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale.

"We were concerned about the track condition," Drysdale said. "She caught a similar track to this one in the Acorn and wound up pulling a muscle behind. We didn't want to take the chance of that happening again. The Gazelle (Grade 1, $250,000, nine furlongs, September 7th) and the Beldame (Grade 1, $750,000, nine furlongs, October 5th) are two very good races at Belmont Park in the fall."

You was third, with Jilbab, Nonsuch Bay and Smok'n Frolic trailing.