Unknowns lurk in Alcibiades
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The unknowns are ample in regard to the Alcibiades Stakes. Yes, Perfect Alibi is the only graded stakes winner in the field – and twice, at that – but everyone knows how things can change quickly with 2-year-old fillies.
Last-out winners British Idiom, Micheline, and Alandra each has hinted strongly at the potential of becoming a sudden force in the division, and they help make for an outstanding renewal of the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades, the opening-day feature Friday at Keeneland.
“I’d say we’re in the same boat as most everybody else,” said Brad Cox, trainer of British Idiom. “We have a lot of hope for the filly and wanted to give her an opportunity to advance to the Breeders’ Cup.”
The 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades, which drew a field of 11, is a Win and You’re In toward the Nov. 1 BC Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. Perfect Alibi, by virtue of back-to-back victories in the Grade 2 Adirondack and Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga this summer, already is in, but trainer Mark Casse believes the filly’s first two-turn experience on Friday is critical in preparing her for the trip to California.
“It’s huge,” said Casse. “Two turns is a different world.”
Perfect Alibi is owned by central Kentucky banker Tracy Farmer, with whom Casse teamed in June to win the Belmont Stakes with Sir Winston. A Sky Mesa filly, Perfect Alibi was a romping winner of her May debut at Churchill Downs, then came back three weeks later to run second as the favorite in the Astoria at Belmont. Then she won the Aug. 4 Adirondack and the Sept. 1 Spinaway, both under Irad Ortiz Jr., whose brother Jose will replace him for the Alcibiades. Ortiz and Perfect Alibi will break from post 7.
Micheline (post 5, Brian Hernandez Jr.), a Godolphin homebred who captured the one-mile Sorority over the Monmouth Park turf on Labor Day weekend, not only is the only Alcibiades starter to have won around two turns, but the only one to have raced around two turns.
“She’s worked on both the dirt and the synthetic at Fair Hill, and she’s run on the turf,” said Stidham. “Whatever surface, it doesn’t really seem to change the way she goes. She’s a pretty talented filly and I’ve been happy with her. She’s stepped right up. She broke her maiden in the stake and we figured now’s the time to give her a shot.”
British Idiom (post 6, Javier Castellano) was scratched from the Sept. 14 Pocahontas at Churchill to await the Alcibiades. The chestnut daughter of Flashback drew off with flair in winning her only start, which came going six furlongs at Saratoga.
“She’s trained really well since she won first out,” said Cox. “The fact we’ve got her in such a big race speaks for itself, I’d think.”
Micheline and British Idiom both will be racing on the bleeder medication Lasix for the first time.
Alandra (post 4, Joel Rosario) also seems to have plenty of upside. Trained by Shug McGaughey for the King Ranch heiresses Helen Groves and Helen Alexander, the bay Blame filly won at first asking on closing weekend of the Saratoga meet, leading throughout at seven furlongs.
Other possibilities in a deep cast include Gone Glimmering, unbeaten in two Indiana Grand races for Tom Amoss; Western Taffy, a second Casse starter and making her first start on dirt; Sequin, a Wesley Ward-trained maiden who could figure prominently in the early going; and Heir of Light, winner of a Churchill maiden race going a one-turn mile.
Rounding out the lineup are Three D Flag, Spitefulness, and How Ironic.
This is the 68th running of the Alcibiades, named for the 1927 foal who won the 1930 Kentucky Oaks and became a foundation broodmare of great renown.
The Alcibiades is carded as the ninth of 10 races and shares the opening-day spotlight with the Grade 2 Phoenix (race 8), with both races being links in a late pick four (races 7-10) with a $200,000 pool guarantee. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the Phoenix set for 4:57 and the Alcibiades for 5:30. TVG will provide extensive live coverage.
Main-track races at 1 1/16 miles begin and end at what is otherwise the sixteenth pole.