Spendthrift Farm’s Tommy Jo improved to 3-for-3 in capturing the $650,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes on opening day of the autumn meet Oct. 3 at Keeneland Race Course, although solely after a five-minute stewards’ inquiry and the disqualification of the first-across-the-wire finisher, Percy’s Bar.
The six-horse race for 2-year-old fillies primarily proved to be a two-horse contest from begin to end between Percy’s Bar, the distant runner-up to Tommy Jo within the Aug. 30 Spinaway Stakes, and Tommy Jo, the 0.44-1 favourite. The rail-drawn Percy’s Bar, in a change of fashion from her three dash races, shot to the entrance underneath Luan Machado, with Tommy Jo in pursuit.
The 2 remained this manner from begin to end, with Tommy Jo dialing up the stress on Percy’s Bar, just for the latter to steadily inch clear once more. Because the duo raced simply inside the ultimate furlong of the 1 1/16-mile race, Percy’s Bar ducked out underneath left-handed urging from Machado, fouling Tommy Jo and Corridor of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who had trailed by a couple of size. Tommy Jo then swapped again to her left lead and sputtered, fading to complete 2 ¾ lengths behind Percy’s Bar.
Velazquez informed stewards in a customary phone dialog in the course of the inquiry that Percy’s Bar “hit my horse sideways,” and opened up “a size and a half” on him, and that he wanted to ask his filly to re-engage. He added to the stewards that he knowledgeable an outrider he wished to assert foul a number of occasions when galloping out, although that declare of foul was not introduced till after his dialogue with the stewards.
Machado expressed disappointment with the disqualification, feeling he was aboard one of the best horse. “I don’t assume it’s truthful, however it’s how it’s, I suppose,” he mentioned.
Percy’s Bar – who races for Hat Creek Racing, an possession group headed by Keeneland vice chairman of racing Gatewood Bell – was demoted to second. She set fractions of :23.13, :46.90, 1:11.52, 1:37.47 on her option to a remaining time in 1:44.69.
Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher acknowledged Tommy Jo’s efficiency Friday was not on the similar stage as her two earlier begins at Saratoga, the place she blitzed maidens when racing 6 furlongs by 3 ¾ lengths and rolled by 6 ½ lengths within the seven-furlong Spinaway. He maintains religion in Tommy Jo as a router primarily based on quite a few components, together with her coaching.
“She had two good races in Saratoga. She shipped into Keeneland in opposition to some horses which might be primarily based right here, coaching right here, and (Tommy Jo’s) first time round two turns,” Pletcher mentioned. “So I’m hoping that that builds her up for the subsequent one.”
The “subsequent one” is the Oct. 31, $1 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, a race for which Tommy Jo has a paid, computerized berth. Each the Spinaway and Aclibiades are a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection: “Win and You’re In,” offering assured entry into the Juvenile Fillies.
Imaginationthelady Impresses in Jessamine Stakes
Coach Brendan Walsh mentioned Imaginationthelady’s victory within the $400,000 Jessamine Stakes Offered by Keeneland Gross sales earlier on the Oct. 3 card at Keeneland got here with a double bonus – a “Win and You’re In” ticket to the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf by means of the Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection and no stress from the proprietor to just accept the bid.
However he mentioned he sees no motive why the Not This Time filly gained’t present up within the large race at Del Mar Oct. 31.
Imaginationthelady was making simply her second begin within the Jessamine, following a front-running, 1 ½-length victory in a precious maiden affair at Kentucky Downs. Walsh mentioned, as a teenager nonetheless studying her enterprise, the filly benefitted from a pointy journey by Frankie Dettori.
Sitting behind the early velocity, “there have been a number of fillies shifting outdoors of him,” Walsh mentioned. “It’s pure to need to go along with them however Frankie waited and it paid off.”
Shifting easily by means of the ultimate sixteenth, Imaginationthelady completed one size to the nice of runner-up Infinite Sky, a Godolphin homebred additionally by Not This Time and who additionally broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs in her final begin.
Time to Dream accomplished the trifecta for sire Not This Time. The one starter who didn’t make her final begin at Kentucky Downs, she entered the Jessamine undefeated with spectacular victories in two begins at Saratoga.
“Brendan was very assured going into the race,” Dettori mentioned. “She’s a giant filly with a protracted stride and I used to be in a position to get her to loosen up. She will do no matter. She improved and we thought she would.”
Walsh mentioned proprietor Mark Dobbin is “primarily based in New York however he has a number of horses in Eire. He’s been nice with me. There was no stress earlier than the Kentucky Downs race and there was no stress to deliver her right here after she gained that.”
Now?
“There’s nonetheless no stress for the Breeders’ Cup. But when all the things seems good, I see no motive we wouldn’t be there. She’s develop into an excellent 2-year-old and she or he’ll flip into an excellent 3-year-old,” he mentioned.– Bob Kieckhefer
Third Time’s the Allure for Nakatomi in Phoenix Stakes
With a brand new stakes winner’s circle at Keeneland to welcome him, a 3rd strive on the $390,125 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes proved the allure for Nakatomi.
After longshot Durante opened a transparent lead in midstretch within the six-furlong check for 3-year-olds and older, Nakatomi discovered his greatest stride late, mustering a last-to-first rally and edging that foe by a neck on the end. The 6-year-old gelding secured the third stakes win of his profession, his seventh general, and boosted his earnings to over $1.97 million.
The successful effort adopted runner-up finishes by Nakatomi within the 2024 and 2023 editions of the Phoenix.
“I’ll let you know, it is a race that I’ve been coveting for a protracted, very long time,” mentioned coach Wesley Ward, who relies at Keeneland. “It’s a dash race, which predominantly, has been the main target of nearly all of my profession. We’ve been making an attempt to get it finished and to have it, to lastly have it, it’s simply gratifying.”
Ward was talking from the brand new stakes winner’s circle at Keeneland, which is beside the paddock and had as soon as been used because the “rider’s up” space. Nakatomi was the primary horse to make use of the brand new winner’s circle.
The Phoenix is a Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection: “Win and You’re In” race, providing a fees-paid berth within the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Dash Nov. 1 at Del Mar, additionally held at six furlongs.
“Going over there to Del Mar with that brief stretch that they’ve, it’s going to take a fast early tempo up entrance, and he’ll have to come back working. So all the things should fall our method,” Ward mentioned. “However the horse is feeling good and is doing properly. With an older, seasoned, sound horse like him; hopefully we get fortunate.”–Frank Angst
