Fashion Alert heads Alcibiades entries

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A field of 13 2-year-old fillies was entered Tuesday for the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades, the highlight of Keeneland's opening-day card Friday.

Fashion Alert, the winner of the Astoria and Schuylerville stakes in her only two career starts, will be favored when starting from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades. Velazquez will ride for Todd Pletcher.

From the rail, this is the field for the 63rd Alcibiades, the ninth of 10 Friday races: Fashion Alert, Milehigh Butterfly, Slava, Calamity Kate, Taylor S, Naval Command, Innovative Idea, Pangburn, Top Decile, Paige, Peace and War, Take Charge Brandi, and Gap Year.

The Alcibiades will be directly preceded by the 162nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Phoenix Stakes, which drew a field of eight 3-year-olds and up. The field: C. Zee, Bern Identity, Lemon Drop Dream, Rainbow Heir, Mr. Baker, Eastwood, Zee Bros, and Work All Week.

Both the Alcibiades and Phoenix are Win and You’re In events toward the Breeders’ Cup.

Besides the two stakes, the Friday opener also includes three allowances and three maiden special weight races. First post daily is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Although the weather in this region has been unseasonably warm for more than a week, a cold front is expected to move in this weekend. The forecast calls for possible rain and a high temperature of 72 for Friday, followed by a high of just 62 for Saturday.