Perfect Alibi Aims for Grade 1 Success in Spinaway
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Perfect Alibi wins the Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Mark Casse will have an opportunity to build on a special season when they start grade 2 winner Perfect Alibi in the $350,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.
In the spring, Farmer and Casse teamed to win the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) with Sir Winston, giving longtime owner/breeder Farmer his first classic score. The victory was the second United States classic win for Casse, who earned his first Triple Crown victory just three weeks earlier with War of Will in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
The good times have continued as Casse sent out Farmer's Perfect Alibi to a victory in the Aug. 4 Adirondack Stakes (G2) at Saratoga. Perfect Alibi rallied from fifth to score by a half-length over Frank's Rockette, who also will try the Spinaway.
Casse has seen his filly, a daughter of Sky Mesa bred in Kentucky by Pin Oak Stud, thrive at Saratoga. She tuned up for Sunday's seven-furlong test with a half-mile breeze in :48.66 Aug. 24 at the Spa. Casse likes the idea of going for a second graded stakes win at the meet.
"It's so important here. Some horses handle it, and some don't," Casse said. "I think she's bigger and stronger now than she was a few weeks ago, so she's definitely training and moving forward.
"She's doing as well, if not better, than she was heading into the Adirondack, so I expect her to run back," he added. "I think the seven furlongs will be a plus. There might be a few new shooters in the field."
Where might Perfect Alibi be early? Perhaps fourth, as that's been her placing at first call in all her races, rallying to win her maiden debut in May at Churchill Downs, closing to finish second in the June 6 Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park, and again rallying to win the Adirondack (where she was fifth at second call).
"She doesn't have the speed to be on the lead," said Casse, who won the 2016 Spinaway when his Pretty City Dancer finished in a dead heat with Sweet Loretta. "I would hope for her to be about midpack like she was the last time."
Frank's Rockette, who races for Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and is trained by Bill Mott, rolled to an 8 3/4-length score in her five-furlong maiden debut June 21 at Churchill before finishing second in the Adirondack.
Mott, who won a classic of his own this year with Country House in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), enters Frank's Rockette off an impressive breeze Aug. 25 at Saratoga where the daughter of Into Mischief completed four furlongs in :48.12, third-fastest of 62 moves at the distance.
Meet-leading trainer Chad Brown will also send out a daughter of Into Mischief in Klaravich Stables' Figure of Speech, who rolled to a 5 1/2-length score in a maiden race July 31 at Saratoga.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 31, 2019, Race 11Entries: Woodward S. Presented by NYRA Bets (G1)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Mr. Buff (NY)
Jose Lezcano
118
John C. Kimmel
8/1
2
2Bal Harbour (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Todd A. Pletcher
15/1
3
3Vino Rosso (KY)
John R. Velazquez
122
Todd A. Pletcher
7/2
4
4Mongolian Groom (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Enebish Ganbat
15/1
5
5Preservationist (KY)
Junior Alvarado
120
James A. Jerkens
7/2
6
6Forewarned (OH)
Anthony Salgado
118
Uriah St. Lewis
30/1
7
7Yoshida (JPN)
Joel Rosario
124
William I. Mott
5/2
8
8Wooderson (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Todd A. Pletcher
12/1
9
9Tom's d'Etat (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Albert M. Stall, Jr.
4/1
