{"id":472328,"date":"2025-10-04T00:07:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T00:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/472328\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T00:07:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T00:07:09","slug":"tommy-jo-wins-alcibiades-stakes-by-dq-to-headline-keenelands-opening-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/472328\/","title":{"rendered":"Tommy Jo Wins Alcibiades Stakes by DQ to Headline Keeneland\u2019s Opening Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spendthrift Farm<\/a>\u2019s Tommy Jo<\/strong><\/a> improved to 3-for-3 in capturing the $650,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes<\/strong><\/a> on opening day of the fall meet Oct. 3 at Keeneland Race Course, though only after a five-minute stewards\u2019 inquiry and the disqualification of the first-across-the-wire finisher, Percy\u2019s Bar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The six-horse race for 2-year-old fillies essentially proved to be a two-horse contest from start to finish between Percy\u2019s Bar, the distant runner-up to Tommy Jo in the Aug. 30 Spinaway Stakes<\/a>, and Tommy Jo, the 0.44-1 favorite. The rail-drawn Percy\u2019s Bar, in a change of style from her three sprint races, shot to the front under Luan Machado<\/a>, with Tommy Jo in pursuit.<\/p>\n

The two remained this way from start to finish, with Tommy Jo dialing up the pressure on Percy\u2019s Bar, only for the latter to gradually inch clear again. As the duo raced just inside the final furlong of the 1 1\/16-mile race, Percy\u2019s Bar ducked out under left-handed urging from Machado, fouling Tommy Jo and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez<\/a>, who had trailed by about a length. Tommy Jo then swapped back to her left lead and sputtered, fading to finish 2 \u00be lengths behind Percy\u2019s Bar.<\/p>\n

Velazquez told stewards in a customary telephone conversation during the inquiry that Percy\u2019s Bar \u201chit my horse sideways,\u201d and opened up \u201ca length and a half\u201d on him, and that he needed to ask his filly to re-engage. He added to the stewards that he informed an outrider he wished to claim foul multiple times when galloping out, though that claim of foul was not announced until after his discussion with the stewards.<\/p>\n

Machado expressed disappointment with the disqualification, feeling he was aboard the best horse. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair, but it\u2019s how it is, I guess,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Percy\u2019s Bar \u2013 who races for Hat Creek Racing<\/a>, an ownership group headed by Keeneland vice president of racing Gatewood Bell \u2013 was demoted to second. She set fractions of :23.13, :46.90, 1:11.52, 1:37.47 on her way to a final time in 1:44.69.<\/p>\n

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher<\/a> acknowledged Tommy Jo\u2019s performance Friday was not at the same level as her two earlier starts at Saratoga<\/a>, where she blitzed maidens when racing 6 furlongs by 3 \u00be lengths and rolled by 6 \u00bd lengths in the seven-furlong Spinaway. He maintains faith in Tommy Jo as a router based on numerous factors, including her training.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had two good races in Saratoga. She shipped into Keeneland against some horses that are based here, training here, and (Tommy Jo\u2019s) first time around two turns,\u201d Pletcher said. \u201cSo I\u2019m hoping that that builds her up for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cnext one\u201d is the Oct. 31, $1 million NetJets Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Fillies<\/a> at Del Mar<\/a>, a race for which Tommy Jo has a paid, automatic berth. Both the Spinaway and Aclibiades are part of the Breeders\u2019 Cup Challenge Series: \u201cWin and You\u2019re In,\u201d providing guaranteed entry into the Juvenile Fillies.<\/p>\n

Imaginationthelady\u00a0Impresses in Jessamine Stakes<\/p>\n

Trainer Brendan Walsh<\/a> said Imaginationthelady<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s victory in the $400,000 Jessamine Stakes Presented by Keeneland Sales<\/a><\/strong> earlier on the Oct. 3 card at Keeneland came with a double bonus \u2013 a \u201cWin and You\u2019re In\u201d ticket to the John Deere Breeders\u2019 Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf through the Breeders\u2019 Cup Challenge Series and no pressure from the owner to accept the bid.<\/p>\n

But he said he sees no reason why the Not This Time filly won\u2019t show up in the big race at Del Mar Oct. 31.<\/p>\n

Imaginationthelady was making just her second start in the Jessamine, following a front-running, 1 \u00bd-length victory in a valuable maiden affair at Kentucky Downs<\/a>. Walsh said, as a youngster still learning her business, the filly benefitted from a sharp ride by Frankie Dettori<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sitting behind the early speed, \u201cthere were a lot of fillies moving outside of him,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cIt\u2019s natural to want to go with them but Frankie waited and it paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving smoothly through the final sixteenth, Imaginationthelady finished one length to the good of runner-up Infinite Sky<\/a>, a Godolphin<\/a> homebred also by Not This Time and who also broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs in her last start.<\/p>\n

Time to Dream<\/a>\u00a0completed the trifecta for sire Not This Time. The only starter who did not make her last start at Kentucky Downs, she entered the Jessamine undefeated with impressive victories in two starts at Saratoga.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrendan was very confident going into the race,\u201d Dettori said. \u201cShe\u2019s a big filly with a long stride and I was able to get her to relax. She can do whatever. She improved and we thought she would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walsh said owner Mark Dobbin<\/a> is \u201cbased in New York but he has a lot of horses in Ireland. He\u2019s been great with me. There was no pressure before the Kentucky Downs race and there was no pressure to bring her here after she won that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still no pressure for the Breeders\u2019 Cup. But if everything looks good, I see no reason we wouldn\u2019t be there. She\u2019s become a very good 2-year-old and she\u2019ll turn into a very good 3-year-old,\u201d he said.\u2013 Bob Kieckhefer<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Third Time\u2019s the Charm for Nakatomi in Phoenix Stakes<\/p>\n

With a new stakes winner\u2019s circle at Keeneland to welcome him, a third try at the $390,125 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes<\/strong><\/a> proved the charm for Nakatomi<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

After longshot Durante<\/a> opened a clear lead in midstretch in the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and older, Nakatomi found his best stride late, mustering a last-to-first rally and edging that foe by a neck at the finish. The 6-year-old gelding secured the third stakes win of his career, his seventh overall, and boosted his earnings to over $1.97 million.<\/p>\n

The winning effort followed runner-up finishes by Nakatomi in the 2024 and 2023 editions of the Phoenix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell you, this is a race that I\u2019ve been coveting for a long, long time,\u201d said trainer Wesley Ward<\/a>, who is based at Keeneland. \u201cIt\u2019s a sprint race, which predominantly, has been the focus of the majority of my career. We\u2019ve been trying to get it done and to have it, to finally have it, it\u2019s just gratifying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ward was speaking from the new stakes winner\u2019s circle at Keeneland, which is beside the paddock and had once been used as the \u201crider\u2019s up\u201d area. Nakatomi was the first horse to use the new winner\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n

The Phoenix is a Breeders\u2019 Cup Challenge Series: \u201cWin and You\u2019re In\u201d race, offering a fees-paid berth in the $2 million Cygames Breeders\u2019 Cup Sprint<\/a> Nov. 1 at Del Mar, also held at six furlongs.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing over there to Del Mar with that short stretch that they have, it\u2019s going to take a quick early pace up front, and he\u2019ll have to come running. So everything will have to fall our way,\u201d Ward said. \u201cBut the horse is feeling good and is doing well. With an older, seasoned, sound horse like him; hopefully we get lucky.\u201d\u2013Frank Angst<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spendthrift Farm\u2019s Tommy Jo improved to 3-for-3 in capturing the $650,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes on opening day of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472329,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-472328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115312990877093867","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}