Simply Ravishing Dominates in Darley Alcibiades on Opening Day of Keeneland’s Fall Meet

Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables’ Simply Ravishing grabbed the lead out of the gate, set an unpressured pace and then drew off in the stretch to win the 69^th running of the $350,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) for 2-year-old fillies by 6¼ lengths and give trainer Kenny McPeek his fifth victory in the race.

In the race prior to the Darley Alcibiades, Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Diamond Oops won the 168^th running of the $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2). Both performances earned the winners fees-paid berths to the 37^th Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held here Nov. 6-7.

In the Darley Alcibiades Simply Ravishing earned a spot in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 6. Under Luis Saez, she covered the 1 1/16 miles Friday on a fast main track in 1:43.58.

A New York-bred daughter of Laoban out of the More Than Ready mare Four Wishes, Simply Ravishing was unopposed on the lead as she led the field of seven through fractions of :24.43, :48.59 and 1:12.94.

On the far turn, her stablemate Crazy Beautiful and Travel Column began to close in only to see Simply Ravishing kick away again and coast to victory, the second-largest margin in the race only behind the 6½-length victory by future Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and division champion British Idiom last year.

McPeek’s other Darley Alcibiades winners are She’s a Devil Due (2000), Take Charge Lady (2001), Dream Empress (2008) and Restless Rider (2018). With Crazy Beautiful’s runner-up finish, McPeek hhas eight second-place showings in the race. 

Undefeated in three starts with victories going two turns on the grass, 7 furlongs on the dirt and two turns on the dirt, Simply Ravishing boosted her earnings to $304,600 with Friday’s $210,000 check.

Simply Ravishing paid $6.40, $2.80 and $2.60. Crazy Beautiful, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., returned $3.20 and $2.40 and finished 1¼ lengths in front of Travel Column, who paid $3.40 to show under Florent Geroux.

It was another 4¾ lengths back to Thoughtfully, who was followed in order by Oliviaofthedesert, Xtrema and Gramercy.
 

Favored Diamond Oops takes Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix

In the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, Diamond Oops collared 51-1 longshot Empire of Gold inside the sixteenth pole and pulled away to a three-quarter-length victory under Florent Geroux to earn a berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run at 6 furlongs on Nov. 7.

Diamond Oops, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva, covered the 6 furlongs in 1:09.24. It is the 20^th Keeneland stakes victory for Geroux, who earned his first one in 2014 in this race on Work All Week.

No Parole and Empire of Gold dueled through early fractions of :22.24 and :44.73 with Diamond Oops saving ground and racing third. Empire of Gold put away No Parole in the upper stretch and opened a 3-length advantage at the eighth pole only to have Diamond Oops swoop past in the final 100 yards.

The victory was worth $120,000 and made Diamond Oops a millionaire with earnings of $1,058,590 with a record of 16-7-3-1. It was the second victory in a row for Diamond Oops, who won the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4.

Diamond Oops paid $8.60, $5.20 and $3.60. Empire of Gold, ridden by Declan Carroll, returned $33 and $11 with Echo Town finishing 2 lengths back in third and paying $4.40 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr.

It was another head back to Whitmore, who was followed in order by Absolutely Aiden, No Parole, Midnight Sands, Mo Dont No and Lexitonian.

Racing continues Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET with an 11-race program that features five graded stakes, four of which are “Win and You’re In” races for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be contested here Nov. 6-7.

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Before Friday’s first race, Keeneland paid tribute to the late Katherine McKee, who spent 15 years here, most recently asDirector of Racing Administration. McKee died July 27.

“Katherine was a wealth of institutional knowledge and a specialist in her position,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “Her absence has certainly left an emptiness. Preparations for this race meet have not been easy, and I commend the team for rising to the challenge, upholding Katherine’s expectations and preparing the experiences for which Keeneland is known.

“Katherine had two wishes: ride a tractor on the track and ride a horse around the track,” Thomason continued. “While her tractor goals were achieved, she was never able to fulfill the wish to ride a horse with the outriders. Her outrider team has never forgotten this and feels this Fall is the perfect opportunity to make that wish come true.”

Around 12:20 p.m., Keeneland outriders Darren Cain, Scott Cole, Colby LaVergne and Robin Riesenbeck led a saddled horse through the Paddock to meet Thomason, Keeneland President-Elect Shannon Arvin, McKee’s parents and her two children. A garland of white hydrangeas, calla lilies and roses was placed over the saddle of the riderless horse, who accompanied the outriders onto the track for a special memorial.

“While this will be an unusual start to an unusual race meet, I honestly can’t think of anything more appropriate,” Thomason said. “It is just like Katherine to bring us together, putting into perspective what truly matters at the end of every day: our health, safety and the love of our friends and family.”