Gomo splashes home first in Alcibiades

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Doug O’Neill, owner Paul Reddam, and jockey Mario Gutierrez were already Breeders’ Cup bound with a 2-year-old colt to run in the Juvenile after Nyquist won the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes last week at Santa Anita. Now they have a 2-year-old filly, Gomo, as part of the Breeders’ Cup mix, too.

On Friday, opening day at Keeneland, Gomo pulled off a mild upset in the Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades, earning an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with the Alcibiades being a Win and You’re In Challenge race.

Starting from the rail over a sloppy track and under rainy conditions, the winner broke alertly under Gutierrez, who eased her back into fourth along the inside as longshot Put Da Blame On Me went to the lead with slow splits of 49.43 seconds and 1:14.10 in the 1 1/16-mile race.

As the field entered the second turn, a hole opened on the outside, and Gomo took off with a three-wide bid, quickly catching the leaders and pulling away in the stretch to post a 2 3/4-length victory over the late-running Dothraki Queen, the winner of last month’s Pocahontas Stakes.

Ma Can Do It, a maiden who chased the pace, ran third at 23-1, a length behind the runner-up and three-quarters in front of fourth-place Put Da Blame On Me.

Just Wicked, the 2-1 favorite, ran sixth with a wide trip, her second consecutive dull performance.

Gomo, a daughter of Uncle Mo, finished in 1:44.55, paying $12.60.

“She’s been showing us she wants to go two turns, and she proved it today,” said Gutierrez.

O’Neill credited his brother, Dennis, for the acquisition of Gomo, a $75,000 purchase in March at OBS.

Asked if he felt having a race at Keeneland, where the Breeders’ Cup will be held in four weeks, would be an advantage, Doug O’Neill said he hoped so. “I don’t know if we will have this kind of weather or not, but if we do, we will be even more confident,” he said.