Full-Field Alcibiades Kicks Off Keeneland Fall Stand

Trainer Kenny McPeek knows a thing or two about Keeneland and the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1). The Lexington native has spent more than his fair share of time saddling horses at the venerable track on Versailles Road and has won three runnings of the Alcibiades.

He'll saddle Restless Rider for the track's opening day feature Oct. 5 in the $400,000 race for juvenile fillies. The 1 1/16-mile event is a "Win and You're In" race for the Nov. 2 Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) down the road at Churchill Downs.

"It's a great two-turn race for young horses, whether it's the (Claiborne Breeders) Futurity (Oct. 6 for males) or the Alcibiades, they're both fantastic spots," McPeek said. "I'll admit that every year we try to take our better 2-year-old fillies and prepare them to go long. It seems like the timing is always good for us; we do gear for the fall and we've been pretty successful."

Restless Rider, by leading sire Distorted Humor  and a $150,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, races for Three Chimneys Farm and Paul Fireman's Fern Circle Stables. A maiden winner first-time out at Churchill, Restless Rider won the six-furlong Debutante Stakes under the Twin Spires June 30. At Saratoga Race Course she rallied to finish second Sept. 1 in the seven-furlong Spinaway Stakes (G1).

Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride.

Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Silky Serenade, Restless Rider was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Silky Serenade's Into Mischief  yearling colt sold in August for $750,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

"She's a freaky talented-type filly," McPeek said of his juvenile runner. "We've been waiting for a fall campaign with her. We were real conservative with her over the summer. I'm excited to give her a shot. Boy, it's a big field."

The Alcibiabes drew a full gate of 14 fillies with a pair of also-eligibles.

Expect betting support on John Oxley's Catherinethegreat, winner of Saratoga's Schuylerville Stakes (G3) at six panels for trainer Mark Casse. The gray filly backed out of the Spinaway after battling for the lead to the top of the lane.

Scott and Evan Dilworth's Lady T N T, by Justin Philip, was a handy winner of her last pair, breaking her maiden going 5 1/2 at Saratoga, then crushing allowance types at Churchill going six furlongs in 1:09.99. A half sister to Test Stakes (G1)-placed Sweet Hope, Lady T N T was a $335,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales' March graduate. She will be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

Donamire Farm's Into Trouble rallied from eighth to win the seven-furlong Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes in Chicago for trainer Ben Colebrook. The daughter of Into Mischief is two-for-two and gains the services of top New York rider Jose Ortiz for the first time.

Outside posts going the trip at Keeneland aren't the kindest, but if it is possible Friday, then Debby Oxley's Chocolate Kisses would have the best shot. The bay filly, bred by Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud, is by Candy Ride  out of the grade 3-winning Brownie Points, making her a half sister to  grade 2 winner Synchrony. A $410,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale purchase, Chocolate Kisses broke her maiden around two turns on the turf at Saratoga in July, then was third over yielding going Aug. 30 in the Spa's P.G. Johnson Stakes.

While the Alcibiades is a major race in itself, and a prep for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the double has not been pulled off since 1998 when Mike Pegram's Silverbulletday took the pair, with that year's Breeders' Cup being held at Churchill Downs.

Entries: Darley Alcibiades S. (G1)

Keeneland, Friday, October 05, 2018, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Reflect (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	-
2	Meadow Dance (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	-
3	Restless Rider (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	-
4	My Wynter Rose (KY)	Cory Orm	118	Tommy C. Short	-
5	Kim K (KY)	Heriberto Figueroa	118	Peter Miller	-
6	Into Trouble (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Ben Colebrook	-
7	Boujie Girl (FL)	Geovanni Franco	118	Peter Miller	-
8	Lady T N T (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Joe Sharp	-
9	Catherinethegreat (FL)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Mark E. Casse	-
10	Malocchio (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	John C. Servis	-
11	Somewhere (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	William B. Bradley	-
12	Abbo (MD)	Jevian Toledo	118	James L. Lawrence, II	-
13	Chocolate Kisses (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Mark E. Casse	-
14	Bella Ciao (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Antonio Sano	-
15	Champagne Anyone (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Ian R. Wilkes	-
16	Khairiya (KY)	Jack Gilligan	118	Michelle Lovell	-