Juju’s Map romps in Alcibiades to give Cox shot at another Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Brad Cox is hoping history repeats itself after he sent out Juju’s Map to a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes on Friday, opening day of the fall meet at Keeneland.
It was two years ago that British Idiom won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in California for Cox following a romp in the Alcibiades. The first half of that sweep was completed with style Friday when Juju’s Map, always in striking distance after breaking from post 1 under Florent Geroux, drew clear in the final furlong of the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades to earn the automatic Win and You’re In berth to the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
“It was a good trip to California the last time we did this,” Cox said.
Off a Sept. 3 maiden victory going a mile at Ellis Park, Juju’s Map was bet down to favoritism in a field of 11 2-year-old fillies. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam’s Map returned $6.80 after finishing in 1:43.52 over a fast track.
Runup was sent hard from post 11 to lead through the first six furlongs of the 70th Alcibiades before the uncoupled Cox pair of Juju’s Map and Matareya, the 5-2 second choice, cruised past her without a fuss midway through the final turn. Passing the quarter pole, Juju’s Map began to edge away as her stablemate started fading, and she proceeded under steady Geroux urging to prevail by 4 1/4 lengths over late-running Distinctlypossible, a 7-1 shot who remains a maiden in two starts.
Sequist, a 24-1 shot, was a neck back in third. Mama Rina was fourth, Matareya fifth, and Penny Saver, the 3-1 third choice, was sixth.
Juju’s Map is owned by the Albaugh family of Iowa.
Cox noted that Juju’s Map sat close to a fast pace and still finished well, “which is what good horses do.”
“I’m very proud of the performance,” he said.
On a warm and humid afternoon, Runup led through fractions of 22.75 and 46 seconds before the Cox duo engulfed her in a six-furlong split of 1:11.23.
Diamond Wow, entered in the Jessamine Stakes on turf for Wednesday, was the only scratch from an original lineup of 12.
The $2 exacta (1-8) paid $63.40, the $1 trifecta (1-8-3) returned $314.80, and the 10-cent superfecta (1-8-3-6) was worth $311.19.
In 2019, British Idiom followed a 6 1/2-length Alcibiades score with a neck win over Donna Veloce in the BC Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, earning her the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly.
Still, even off this eye-catching score in her stakes debut, Juju’s Map might rate no better than fourth choice in what is shaping up as a terrific renewal of the 1 1/16-mile BC Juvenile Fillies, behind Echo Zulu, Hidden Connection, and Ain’t Easy.
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* The new Keeneland Turf Pick 3, held on races 2, 7, and 10, returned $536.70 for the $3 minimum. Handle was $132,406. The bet will be held daily, even if turf racing is canceled.
* General admission was sold out Friday and Saturday in accordance to the track’s self-imposed limit of approximately 20,000 ontrack fans. As for remaining cards, only Oct. 16 is sold out.