Opening day of the Keeneland Fall Meet brings top 2-year-old fillies to the fore. The $600,000 Alcibiades Stakes is the meet’s first Grade 1 and Kentucky’s final major prep toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Two of its last 5 winners have added the BC Juvenile Fillies trophy.
Let’s meet the contenders for the Alcibiades (Race 9):
#1-CONTINUITY: Eddie Kenneally trainee is perfect in 2 starts, scoring Ellis Park and Colonial Downs sprint wins over 6 furlongs. Speightster filly will be ridden by Irishman Ben Curtis, who is making his first Keeneland appearance .
#2-SHERBINI: Trainer Mark Casse is a 4-time Alcibiades winner, most recently with Wonder Wheel in 2022. Late-running daughter of Cairo Prince won her June debut at Churchill and closed for minor lacings in the Schuylerville and Spinaway while sprinting at Saratoga. Florent Geroux won this race in 2021 aboard JuJu’s Map.
#3-LIAM IN THE DUST: Pocahontas Stakes runner-up nearly followed up her debut win at Ellis Park while overlooked at 9-1. Rodolphe Brisset trains the daughter of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland winner Liam’s Map. Flavien Prat, who set a Saratoga record for stakes won in a single season this summer, takes the mount as Luis Saez jumps to Quietside. Prat also rode 3 stakes winners in the Keeneland Spring Meet, tied with the Ortiz Brothers for most of any jockey.
#4-RICH CITY GIRL: Beaten favorite when runner-up in the Ellis Park Debutante, that’s her only loss in 3 starts for Larry Rivelli. Regular rider Gerardo Corrales is back aboard the daughter of City of Light. Her $435K purchase price in March is second-highest in the Alcibiades lineup.
#5-THE QUEENS M G: 45-1 upset winner at Keeneland in April marked the biggest price to score a 2-year-old Spring Meet race since at least 2005. Proved that was no fluke this summer when adding Saratoga’s Schuylerville and Adirondack Stakes after moving to the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn. Misfired in the Spinaway on a wet track. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione piloted 2022 Alcibiades winner Wonder Wheel. Cross-entered in Saturday’s Frizette in New York.
#6-QUICKICK: $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by McKinzie made a big leap forward in her second start, rallying for a maiden score at Saratoga over 7 furlongs. That improvement from a slow-starting debut third at the Spa came with the addition of blinkers. Dylan Davis travels from New York for trainer Tom Amoss, who also trained the multiple stakes-winning dam Graeme Six.
#7-QUIETSIDE: Jockey Luis Saez aims for back-to-back Alcibiades winners (Candied a year ago) and his third career score in the race. He’s back aboard this beaten favorite in Saratoga’s Spinaway, who settled for second at the Spa after rallying to the front and giving way late to Alcibiades rival Immersive. Daughter of Malibu Moon rolled to victory in her Saratoga debut for trainer John Ortiz in her only other start.
#8-IMMERSIVE (pictured): Undefeated winner of Saratoga’s Grade 1 Spinaway, she’s stalked and pounced to victory in both starts. Trainer Brad Cox notched Alcbiades wins in 2019 (British Idiom) and 2021 (JuJu’s Map), the former going on to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies glory. Speaking of BC freshman success, she’s by Juvenile winner Nyquist, who secured his big score at age 2 at Keeneland before going on to Kentucky Derby roses the following spring. Godolphin home-bred is a granddaughter of Dubai Escapade, winner of Keeneland’s 2006 Madison over 7 furlongs.
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