Talk:Flower Alley/reformat

Flower Alley, born in Georgetown, Kentucky on May 7, 2002, is an American thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by George Brunacini at the Bona Terra Farms and is owned by Eugene & Laura Melnyk of Melnyk's Racing Stables.

The colt is a son of Distorted Humor, a Mr. Prospector line sire whose other offspring include dual classic winner and champion Funny Cide. His dam is Princess Olivia by Lycius. Flower Alley was bought by the Melnyks for $165,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling Sale because the colt's dam is named Olivia. The Melnyks have a daughter named Olivia.

At Three (2005)
Flower Alley has won the grade II Jim Dandy Stakes, the grade II Lane's End Stakes, and, on August 27, the grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga. He is trained by Saratoga's leading trainer, Todd Pletcher, and was ridden in the Travers by top jockey John Velazquez. Flower Alley was a very strong second to Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year winner Saint Liam in the Breeders' Cup Classic on October 30, 2005.

He spent his 2005 winter break in Ocala, Florida at his owner's Winding Oaks Farm, then trained at Churchill Downs for an early summer return to the track.

At four (2006)
Flower Alley, under his Travers Stakes jockey John Velazquez (who skipped his Saturday Belmont mounts to ride the four-year-old), came back to the races as the favorite to win the grade III $150,000 Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park in Ocean Port, New Jersey on June 24th, 2006. It was a 3 1/4 -length victory as the 1-2 favorite over a difficult track. Out of 11 starts, he has now won 5, placed three times, and showed once. With this latest convincing win in the slop, his earnings are well over $2,500,000.

After the Salvator Mile, Todd Pletcher said, "We'll go to the Whitney Stakes on August 5th now, if everything goes smoothly." Pletcher also plans to run him in Saratoga's G1 Woodward as well as a second try at the Breeder's Cup Classic, run this year at Churchill Downs.

On August 5th 2005, Invasor, an Argentine bred son of Candy Stripes, won the Whitney...by a nose to the surging Sun King. Flower Alley (joint favorite) made a brief run at the leading horses, then faded to come home seventh.