News and STORIES

Perfect Alibi All Set for Darley Alcibiades Stakes

Author: Don Mckee
Published: Thursday October 03, 2019
Perfect Alibi is all set to run among a field of 11 fillies looking to take the 68th running of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on Friday. It will be Opening Day at the track in Lexington, Ky., and the race is one of the two major events on the day. 

Trainer Casse Looking for his Fourth

Trainer Mark Casse will be looking to get his fourth win in the event with Perfect Alibi, who is set to be the favorite. She won back-to-back graded stakes races at Saratoga in the summer. They included the Adirondack (G2) and the Spinaway (G1). 

On top of those races, the Sky Mesa filly also won her debut, which was a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. She then went on to finish second in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park. 

The jockey on board Perfect Alibi will be the impressive Jose Ortiz. They will be breaking from post 7. 

Whichever filly wins the Darley Alcibiades Stakes on Friday will be awarded an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park in the fall. The winner will also have all of her pre-entry and entry fees paid, and there will be a nominator award of $10,000. 

All of the Breeders' Cup starters that aren't based out of the state of California will be given a $10,000 travel allowance if based in North America. If they are international, the allowance will be increased to $40,000.

Others in the Field

Gone Glimmering is coming off of two major wins at Indiana Grand. She is now moving up to grade stakes company and will try to take the Darley Alcibiades Stakes. She won by four lengths in her debut in a maiden special weight, and she went on to beat Allowance Company by 2 1/2 lengths. 

Spitefulness finished second in her last race in the Arlington Washington Lassie Stakes over the Arlington Park synthetic surface. In her last three synthetic starts, she finished inside the money. However, she finished seventh in her only dirt start, which was the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes. In that race, she had a rough break. 

Alandra has only run in one race, but she will be taking on Grade 1 company on Friday. In that one race, she won a 7-furlong maiden special weight by a 1/2 length at Saratoga. The jockey on board will be the highly skilled Joel Rosario. 

Micheline will be making her dirt debut after running twice on the grass. In her last race, she broke her maiden in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park by two lengths. 

British Idiom will be looking to finish first on Friday after being one of the best maiden-breakers at Saratoga in the summer. She only has one start, but it was a 3 1/2-length victory in a maiden special. Her jockey was Javier Castellano, and he will be on board Friday as well. She was scratched in the Pocahontas Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs last month for this upcoming race. 

Sequin will be running on dirt for the first time and looking for her first win. In her debut, she finished in second by a neck. It was a maiden special weight at Saratoga. In her last race at Kentucky Downs, she finished second again but by 1/2 length. She is a fast horse who has a chance if she can handle the dirt well. 

Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Event

The Darley Alcibiades Stakes will be one of the 16 Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" events taking place at Keeneland, Santa Anita Park, and Belmont Park this weekend.