Keeneland: Alcibiades becomes second straight graded win for My Conquestadory
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two career starts. One Grade 2 win. And now a Grade 1 win on top of that.
That’s quite a remarkable start to the racing career of My Conquestadory, who became a major contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday when overcoming trouble to post a 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes, the feature race on opening day of the 17-day Keeneland fall meet.
With Eurico Da Silva riding for trainer Mark Casse, My Conquestadory followed a win against male rivals in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes in her career debut on the Woodbine turf with a similarly impressive score in the 62nd Alcibiades, a 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race. She returned $4.40 as favorite after finishing in 1:45.61.
Rosalind, the 9-2 second choice, was along to get second, a half-length before Battlefield Angel, a 42-1 shot. Who’s In Town was another 2 1/2 lengths back in fourth in a field of 12 2-year-old fillies.
My Conquestadory was away sluggishly from the gate and trailed into the first turn. Da Silva had to check when in traffic on the backstretch, but after he was able to wheel her out, it was clear sailing, and she took control after straightening away down the stretch.
“She didn’t break sharp,” said Da Silva. “I was worried briefly because there were so many fillies in front of me. But every time I needed her, she was there. She just ran so easy. There was no way she was going to get beat.”
My Conquestadory, owned by the Conquest Stables of Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell, earned a Win and You’re In berth to the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup. Casse noted the filly “has never stepped foot on a dirt track” and therefore is far more likely to run in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, as opposed to the Juvenile Fillies.
“I was a little worried there for her because I thought she wasn’t going to be able to show you how great she was,” said Casse. “She’s an extremely nice filly.”
Ontrack attendance on an unseasonably muggy afternoon was 15,361.