Althiqa Seeks U.S. Grade 1 Triple in First Lady
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Althiqa wins the Diana Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
With their invading horses from overseas this year, Godolphin and British trainer Charlie Appleby have teamed to make North American racing appear almost easy, winning with six of 13 starters, five times in grade 1 events.
Securing two of those victories was Althiqa , who captured the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park in June before adding the Diana Stakes (G1T) in July at Saratoga Race Course.
Now, the Godolphin homebred goes for a grade 1 triple, returning to the U.S. for the one-mile First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) Oct. 9 at Keeneland. The race is a Breeders' Cup Challenge prep for the Nov. 6 Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar, which is run over a far longer distance of 1 3/8 miles.
The First Lady is perhaps the most challenging of the Althiqa's three-race domestic schedule this year. Twelve other fillies and mares were entered, including the Aidan O'Brien-trained Empress Josephine from Ireland and a three-horse uncoupled entry from trainer Chad Brown.
Althiqa, a gray 4-year-old daughter of Dark Angel , is the likely favorite, having compiled a 3-for-4 record this year. Besides her victories in New York, she also captured the Jan. 28 Cape Verdi Presented by Longines (G2) in Dubai before her defeat there in February in the Balanchine Sponsored by Range Rover (G2).
With a relatively short run to the first of two turns, she is well drawn in post 3 under jockey Jamie Spencer.
Video
Making her first start in the U.S. is Empress Josephine, who races for the Coolmore-affiliated Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. The lone 3-year-old in Saturday's race, she won the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) earlier this year at the Curragh before going unplaced in three subsequent starts. Last out she was fourth in the Coolmore America "Justify" Matron Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown.
The impeccably bred filly is by Galileo out of the dual group 1-winning Danehill Dancer mare Lillie Langtry , making her a full sister to seven-time group 1 winner Minding .
Brown's high-class trio includes Juddmonte's Viadera and Regal Glory and Blowout , both owned by Peter Brant. All three are graded winners at a mile, Viadera at the highest stakes level, having captured the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) last fall by a nose over Blowout.
Brown has won the First Lady four times, including the last three years, most recently with Uni in 2020.
Another entrant, Susan and John Moore's homebred Princess Grace , will be scratched, according to published reports.
Abscond , Harvey's Lil Goil , Daddy Is a Legend , Dalika , and La Signare are other graded stakes winners in the First Lady.
Entries: First Lady S. Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T)
Keeneland, Saturday, October 09, 2021, Race 8
- Grade IT
- 1m
- Turf
- $400,000
- 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
- 4:44 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Abscond (KY) |
Adam Beschizza | 124 | Eddie Kenneally | 30/1 |
| 2 | 2Empress Josephine (IRE) | John R. Velazquez | 121 | Aidan P. O'Brien | 10/1 |
| 3 | 3Althiqa (GB) | Jamie P. Spencer | 124 | Charles Appleby | 7/2 |
| 4 | 4Star Command (KY) | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. | 124 | Claude R. McGaughey III | 30/1 |
| 5 | 5Hendy Woods (KY) |
Tyler Gaffalione | 124 | Mark E. Casse | 10/1 |
| 6 | 6Regal Glory (KY) |
Jose L. Ortiz | 124 | Chad C. Brown | 5/1 |
| 7 | 7Daddy Is a Legend (PA) |
Julien R. Leparoux | 124 | George Weaver | 12/1 |
| 8 | 8Harvey's Lil Goil (KY) | Junior Alvarado | 124 | William I. Mott | 6/1 |
| 9 | 9Blowout (GB) | Flavien Prat | 124 | Chad C. Brown | 8/1 |
| 10 | 10Princess Grace (KY) | Kent J. Desormeaux | 124 | Michael Stidham | 6/1 |
| 11 | 11Dalika (GER) | Miguel Mena | 124 | Albert M. Stall, Jr. | 12/1 |
| 12 | 12La Signare (FR) | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | 124 | Brendan P. Walsh | 20/1 |
| 13 | 13Viadera (GB) | Florent Geroux | 124 | Chad C. Brown | 8/1 |