Pretty City Dancer to miss Alcibiades with minor injury

Pretty City Dancer will skip Friday’s Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland after coming out of her most recent workout at Saratoga with a minor injury, according to trainer Mark Casse.

Pretty City Dancer rallied to get up for a dead-heat win with Sweet Loretta in the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 3 at Saratoga. Prior to that seven-furlong race, she had won consecutive starts at Churchill Downs. She won the six-furlong Debutante by 3 1/4 lengths and a five-furlong Churchill maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths.

Pretty City Dancer missed some time after working five furlongs in 1:00.40 over the Saratoga training track Sept. 23. She has since shipped to Churchill Downs and returned to training, according to Casse.

“She was not perfect for a few days after her last work,” Casse said. “She wrenched an ankle. She’s doing okay, but she is going to miss the Keeneland race.”

Pretty City Dancer is a leading contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. She earned a Win and You’re In berth in the Juvenile Fillies with her Spinaway victory.

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Casse said Monday that Pretty City Dancer could have a workout in about 10 days.

“We’re going to either train her up to the Breeders’ Cup or skip it,” Casse said. “We’re not going to take any chances with her. We want to try and win the Kentucky Oaks with her next year.”

A gray daughter of Tapit, she was purchased by John Oxley for $825,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale. She has closed from off the pace to win her last three starts and looks like a filly that will thrive at longer distances.