Rising Stars Face Off in Alcibiades

A trio of ‘TDN Rising Stars,’ including unbeaten Thoughtfully (Tapit), will square off in Friday’s GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The rail-drawn Thoughtfully, tabbed as a ‘Rising Star’ out of a blowout debut win for Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs June 11, made good on the promise with a sparkling performance in Saratoga’s GII Adirondack S. Aug. 12. The $950,000 FTSAUG graduate tries two turns for the first time here.

Drawn one to her outside is fellow ‘Rising Star’ Travel Column (Frosted), herself a flashy debut winner going six furlongs on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Sept. 4. Brad Cox trains the $850,000 FTSAUG yearling.

Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) posted a ‘Rising Star’ performance at second asking in the Runhappy Debutante S. at Ellis Aug. 9. She was second as the favorite with a troubled trip in the one-turn mile GIII Pocahontas S. last time Sept. 3.

Trainer Ken McPeek will also saddle the two-for-two, rained-off P. G. Johnson S. heroine Simply Ravishing (Laoban) and grassy Mint Juvenile Fillies S. third Oliviaofthedesert (Bernardini).

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Undefeated Thoughtfully Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Friday’s Alcibiades

Heider Family Stables' undefeated Thoughtfully headlines a field of seven 2-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Friday's 69th running of the $350,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Keeneland.

The Darley Alcibiades is one of 10 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races in the coming days at Keeneland that will award the winners fees-paid berths into their respective World Championship races. The Darley Alcibiades winner gets a free pass into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run here Nov. 6.

The Darley Alcibiades will go as the ninth race on Friday's 10-race opening day program for the Fall Meet that runs 17 days through Oct. 24. First post time is 1:05 p.m. ET with the Darley Alcibiades going at 5:40 p.m.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Thoughtfully debuted June 11 at Churchill Downs and romped to an 8 ¾-length score going 5 ½ furlongs. A month later at Saratoga, the Tapit filly scored a 5-length victory in the Adirondack (G2) going 6½ furlongs.

Ricardo Santana Jr., who has been aboard for both victories, has the call Friday and will break from post position one.

Likely to vie for favoritism with Thoughtfully is Phoenix Thoroughbred's Crazy Beautiful.

Trained by four-time Darley Alcibiades winner Kenny McPeek, Crazy Beautiful won the Aug. 9 Runhappy Debutante at Ellis Park before running a troubled second as the favorite in the Sept. 3 Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount and will break from post position four.

McPeek will have two other starters in the race: Susan Moulton's Oliviaofthedesert and Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Simply Ravishing.

Oliviaofthedesert has three starts won her lone race on dirt by 5½ lengths at Ellis in August. She will be ridden Friday by Corey Lanerie and break from post position three. Simply Ravishing is perfect in two starts and enters Friday's race off a daylight victory in the off-the-turf P.G. Johnson at Saratoga Sept. 3. Luis Saez has the mount and will exit post position seven.

The field for the Darley Alcibiades, with riders from the rail out, is: Thoughtfully (Santana Jr.), Travel Column (Florent Geroux), Oliviaofthedesert (Lanerie), Crazy Beautiful (Hernandez Jr.), Xtrema (James Graham), Gramercy (Joel Rosario) and Simply Ravishing (Saez). All starters will carry 122 pounds.

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Uncle Mo Filly Girl Daddy Earns Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Berth With Pocahontas Score

Albaugh Family Stables' Girl Daddy collared dueling leaders Inject and Mania at the head of stretch and then repulsed a bid from favored Crazy Beautiful to win the 52nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Pocahontas for 2-year-old fillies by two lengths at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and take the first step toward the 2021 running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Joe Talamo, Girl Daddy covered the mile on the fast main track in 1:34.94. The victory was a record-setting fourth in the Pocahontas for Romans who previously won with Sara Louise (2008), Sassy Image (2009) and Cristina's Journey (2014).

Girl Daddy picked up 10 points toward next year's Oaks with the second- through fourth-place finishers picking up four, two and one point, respectively.

The victory also earned Girl Daddy a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Inject and Mania led the field of nine through fractions of :22.22 and :44.97 as Talamo had Girl Daddy racing in the second tier on the outside. Moving three-wide at the head of the lane, Girl Daddy shot to the lead and got the jump on Crazy Beautiful who was caught in traffic.

“What a talented filly she is,” said Talamo. “In the paddock Dale (Romans) just said to ride her like I did last time. Fortunately, it worked out that way.  I just let her do her thing. It's crazy that they went in :44 and change. The way she was going, it felt like :46 and change. That's how you know you're on a good one. Her mind is what makes her so talented. When she won at Ellis Park she acted like she had run 12 times. It was the same thing today. She was on the muscle, but in a good way.”

Girl Daddy is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo out of the Unbridled's Song mare Cara Marie. Now perfect in two starts, Girl Daddy picked up the winner's share of $119,040 and increased her bankroll to $141,240.

“This filly was super impressive with that fast pace up front,” said Romans. “They were running really fast but Joe (Talamo) got her in a great spot. She's shown some incredible talent for this stage of her career. It's exciting having a filly developing this quickly. We're thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup.”

Girl Daddy returned $8.60, $3.60 and $3.20. Crazy Beautiful, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., returned $3 and $2.60 with Alexandria finishing another 3 3/4 lengths back in third and paying $5 to show under Gerardo Corrales.

It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Xtrema who was followed in order by Fabricate, Mania, American Grace. Inject and Blissful Change.

Friday's 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern) is headlined by the 146th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). In addition to the Oaks, five other graded stakes are on tap including the $500,000 La Troienne  (G1) for fillies and mares that features 2018 Eclipse Award winner and Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl.

“We're thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup,” said Dale Romans, trainer of Girl Daddy

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Girl Daddy Leads Home ‘Rising Star’ Exacta in Pocahontas

TDN Rising Star‘ Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) was kept in the clear by jockey Joe Talamo, was given her cue nearing the stretch and sprinted home an impressive winner of Thursday’s GIII Pocahontas S., clinching a spot in the field for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on the first weekend of November.

Girl Daddy tracked a fast early pace, first from midfield before improving to be third and three deep rounding the turn. Cut loose by Talamo leaving the quarter pole, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling opened a bit of daylight and was always holding favored fellow ‘Rising Star’ Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) in the run to the wire. The chalk lingered at the back of the pack early and made stealthy progress into the final three furlongs, but was stopped behind horses. Bumping with Xtrema (Exaggerator) cost her a bit more momentum and she finished a meritorious second. Alexandria (Constitution) came home a distant third.

“This filly was super impressive with that fast pace up front,” said trainer Dale Romans, winning the Pocahontas for the fourth time. “They were running really fast but Joe [Talamo] got her in a great spot. She’s shown some incredible talent for this stage of her career. It’s exciting having a filly developing this quickly. We’re thrilled to only have to take a short trip down the road to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Girl Daddy was favored at 9-5 for her July 24 debut at Ellis Park and missed the break by a couple of lengths. She made good mid-race progress and loomed up full of run before sprinting home to graduate by 5 1/2 lengths in a performance that didn’t set figure-makers’ heads spinning, but was nonetheless highly impressive.

Pedigree Notes:

Girl Daddy continues a remarkable run for her sire, who has now been represented by 65 stakes winners, 37 graded winners and 12 in 2020. She is also the 183rd black-type winner and 96th graded winner produced by a daughter of the late Unbridled’s Song. The same cross is responsible for Uncle Chuck, winner of this year’s GIII Los Alamitos Derby.

Girl Daddy is the second foal from her dam, who did her best running on the grass, winning the Indy Star S. and finishing third in the GII Lake George S. for Three Chimneys Farm and Kellyn Gorder. China Horse Club acquired Cara Marie for $650,000 in foal to Speightstown at Keeneland November in 2016 and sold that produce, a filly now name Sosua, for $260,000 at Keeneland September in 2018. Cara Marie is a half-sister to SW & GSP Abby’s Angel (Touch Gold), the dam of Comicas (Distorted Humor), a GSW & G1SP sprinter in Dubai.

Barren to Gun Runner for 2019, Cara Marie foaled a Quality Road colt this year and was bred back to Uncle Mo.

Thursday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GIII, $200,000, Churchill Downs, 9-3, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:34.94, ft.
1–GIRL DADDY, 118, f, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Cara Marie (SW & GSP, $103,650), by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Miss Caerleona (Fr), by Caerleon
‘TDN Rising Star’ 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($500,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC;
B-China Horse Club International Limited (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans; J-Joseph Talamo. $119,040. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$141,240. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Crazy Beautiful, 120, f, 2, Liam’s Map–Indian Burn, by Indian
Charlie. ‘TDN Rising Star’ ($250,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT).
O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $38,400.
3–Alexandria, 120, f, 2, Constitution–Spring Water, by Spring At
Last. O-Winstar Farm LLC, Blazing Meadows Farm LLC &
Michael Lewis; B-Blazing Meadows Farm LLC & WinStar Farm,
LLC (OH); T-Timothy E. Hamm. $19,200.
Margins: 2, 3 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 3.30, 1.70, 14.30.
Also Ran: Xtrema, Fabricate, Mania, American Grace, Inject, Blissful Change. Scratched: Ava’s Grace, Dream Quist, Scat’s Choice. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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