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2007 Darley Alcibiades Stakes and Lane's End Breeders' Futurity

Date: 10/06/2007


Country Star wins the Darley Alcibiades over A to the Croft and Grace Anatomy.
Photos courtesy of EquiSportPhotos.com

Lane's End Breeders' Futurity
Thoroughbred Club of America and Phoenix Stakes
Shadwell Turf Mile and First Lady Stakes

Kicking off the Grade 1 stakes action on "Fallstars Weekend" at the Keeneland fall meet is the $500,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1). This 1 1/16 mile trip over the Polytrack for 2-year-old fillies is one of the major prep races for the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Spinaway Stakes winner Irish Smoke was sent off as the 6-5 favorite over 4-1 Country Star, second in her debut last out. 5-1 A to the Croft, runner-up in both the Adirondack and the Spinaway, rounded out the top three on the board.

6-1 Dreaming of Liz was sent to the lead right away by jockey Robby Albarado and she set a pace of 24.23 and 49.69 first time past the stands and around the clubhouse turn, with 27-1 Marakami stalking her in second. After 5 1/2 furlongs Dreaming of Liz tired and dropped back, allowing Morakami to inherit the lead into the stretch getting 3/4 in a slow 1:14.79. However, she too would fade in the lane, as Grace Anatomy, who entered the stretch just off the pace, came on to get the lead with a furlong to go. Country Star and A to the Croft closed with a rush, as Country Star prevailed by a length over A to the Croft in a time of 1:45.85. It was just a neck back to Grace Anatomy in third. Favorite Irish Smoke bobbled at the start, raced in midpack sixth down the backstretch, but had nothing left for the stretch and finished last.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey         Win   Place  Show
10   Country Star       Bejarano     10.40    4.60   3.80
12   A to the Croft     Desormeaux            6.20   4.20
 9   Grace Anatomy      Smith                        4.20

Winning Time:  1:45.85

$2 Exacta 10-12              59.20
$2 Trifecta 10-12-9         310.60
$2 Superfecta 10-12-9-1    2804.20
Results Chart


Country Star wins the Darley Alcibiades. Her jockey Rafael Bejarano said, "She broke really good. She was a little excited in the gate but she broke right behind the horses and she was really relaxed. At the 1/2 mile, we started looking for a good spot but I saw that every horse was close together. I stayed right behind the bunch of horses. When we came to the outside, I moved to the outside and we were pretty clear. She just exploded. I know the horse can do that because I’ve ridden her before. She’s a superstar horse.”


Second place finisher A to the Croft in the post parade. Her trainer Ken McPeek said, “We tried to save some juice for the next time (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies).”

Her jockey Kent Desormeaux said, “There were some hairy moments on the first turn but she recovered very well. She’s a multi-talented filly and I’m very happy with her. Every time I get off her, I wish she would come around sooner.”


Third place finisher Grace Anatomy in the paddock before the race. Her trainer Doug O'Neill said, "We thought she ran a great race. When they sprung the latch, she jumped straight up in the air, was hung out wide and just didn’t have the greatest trip in the world. Mike (Smith) did a great job to have her in the proper spot after that situation. Breeders’ Cup, here we come. As long as she comes out of the race good, that’s the game plan.”

Her jockey Mike Smith said, “I think I was on the best horse. I gave them five lengths leaving the gate. She would have been laying third or fourth by herself, perfect and all I would have to do was move a little bit.”



Wicked Style winning the 2007 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity.
Photos courtesy of EquiSportPhotos.com

The $500,000 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) on Saturday is the major local prep for the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile. A field of twelve 2-year-old colts went 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack, with The Roundhouse sent off as the 2-1 favorite, coming off a second place finish in the Saratoga Special, over 9-2 second choice Slew's Tiznow, winner of a maiden event in his last start, and 8-1 third choice Fidelio, second in an allowance last time out.

11-1 shot Wicked Style went right to the front coming out of the outside post and contested the pace with Slew's Tiznow through fractions of 24.17, 49.64, and 1:14.65. Entering the stretch, jockey Robby Albarado asked Wicked Style for run and got it, as he quickly opened up a 2 1/2 length lead in mid-stretch. Kept to task he drew away to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Slew's Tiznow in a time of 1:45.21. It was just a neck back to late-running 25-1 outsider Old Man Buck in third, while favorite The Roundhouse failed to fire, finishing sixth.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey         Win   Place  Show
12   Wicked Style       Albarado     24.20   10.80   6.40
 6   Slew's Tiznow      Leparaoux             6.20   4.60
 9   Old Man Buck       Ouzts                       13.20

Winning Time:  1:45.21

$2 Exacta 12-6-9            170.80
$2 Trifecta 12-6-9        3,455.60
$2 Superfecta 12-6-9-8   25,851.00
Results Chart


Wicked Style in the paddock before the race. His jockey Robby Albarado said, "Most everybody takes back here, but with this colt I knew I had a chance to go for the lead, Today, it was either go or get hung wide. When he broke so sharp, that made up our minds to go."


Second place finisher Slew's Tiznow in the post parade. 9-2 second choice Slew's Tiznow battled for the lead the whole way under jockey Julien Leparoux until the stretch drive. The Patrick Biancone trainee improved his record to 1 win and 1 second in 3 starts, earning $140,300 for owner Josephm Lacombe Stable.


Third place finisher Old Man Buck in the paddock before the race. The 25-1 longest shot on the board, Old Man Buck was unhurried under jockey Perry Ouzts in 9th early, came out five wide into the stretch and got up for third. the Ken McPeek trainee improved his record to 2 wins and 2 thirds in 5 starts earning $187,050 for owner Lawrence Carroll.

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