Buy TicketsNakatomi, Serenas Ghost score stakes wins on Fall Stars Friday
Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen’s Emphatic locked up a spot in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships with a gutsy front-running victory in Friday’s 75th running of the $650,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland on opening day of the 17-day Fall Meet.
In other Friday stakes, Nakatomi scored his second consecutive $400,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) win and Serenas Ghost took the $400,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales.
Emphatic, a $260,000 purchase by agent Ben Gowans out of last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, took the lead early under Tyler Gaffalione and fended off multiple challenges from Grade 1 winner Summer Starlet to win the 1 1/16-mile Darley Alcibiades by 1 1/4 lengths. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Pennsylvania-bred 2-year-old daughter of Nyquist guaranteed a spot in the field for Oct. 30 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with the victory in the Darley Alcibiades.
The 3-1 third choice behind Spinaway (G1) winner and 4-5 favorite Summer Starlet and Saratoga maiden winner and 2-1 second pick Forever Carina, Emphatic improved to 3-for-3 with Friday’s victory. She added the Darley Alcibiades, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series, to victories in a 6-furlong Colonial Downs maiden race July 25 and the 1-mile Sorority at Monmouth Park Aug. 29.
Emphatic took the lead from post one, just ahead of Summer Starlet heading into the first turn. She led by a length through the first quarter in :24.45. Summer Starlet and Flavien Prat inched up on the backstretch and were within a half-length of the leader through the half in :48.74.
Summer Starlet, who came into the Darley Alcibiades unbeaten in two starts for trainer Steve Asmussen, inched up on the leader before backing off slightly at the five-eighths pole. Emphatic stayed in front around the far turn, with Summer Starlet continuing her run as the two leaders widened their advantage over Ever Forward in third turning for home.
Emphatic and Summer Starlet continued their battle through the stretch, with the former edging away late to win in 1:43.40 through a light shower over the fast track. Summer Starlet held second, 17½ lengths clear of Oh She Said Yes and jockey Jereth Loveberry, who were 1¾ lengths ahead of Ever Forward and Brian Hernandez Jr. in fourth. Forever Carina, High Speed Reed and For the Money completed the field.
Emphatic picked up $302,250 for the victory and boosted her earnings to $404,220. She returned $8.78, $3.08 and $2.66. Summer Starlet paid $2.42 and $2.10. Oh She Said Yes returned $3.82.
Nakatomi wins second straight Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix
Nakatomi defended his title in the 174th running of the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix to secure a spot in the Breeders’ Cup and give jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his first win since returning from injury this summer.
Owned by Qatar Racing and Mrs. Fitriani Hay, the 7-year-old gelding by Firing Line won the 6-furlong Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix by a length with a late charge in the stretch over Little Thunder. Nakatomi punched his ticket for the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland if his owners and trainer Wesley Ward choose to run back Oct. 31.
Ortiz, who also rode Nakatomi to win last year’s Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, guided the Kentucky-bred chestnut gelding in his fifth mount since returning from an injury sustained in a prerace incident Aug. 8 at Saratoga. He broke bones in his left foot and missed two months before returning on opening day of the Keeneland Fall Meet.
Nakatomi, the 2-1 second choice in the field of eight reduced by the scratches of Viking, C K Wonder and Hymn, raced at the back of the field while Grade 2 winner Mad House took the early initiative and led Booth through the opening quarter in :21.67 and half in :44.68.
Nakatomi made steady progress from the back of the field while racing on the inside through the stretch but still found himself in fourth and 3 lengths back in midstretch. Nakatomi slid through the inside to pass the frontrunners in deep stretch to win in 1:09.93.
Nakatomi improved to 8-for-28 with his latest Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix win and boosted his bankroll to $2,297,426. He won his fourth stakes and returned $6.64, $4.08 and $3.26.
Little Thunder, making his fifth start and coming off a win at Saratoga on Labor Day, finished second and returned $6.16 and $4.50. Mad House, winner of the 2025 Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx Racing, finished a nose back in third and paid $4.24. Booth, Classic of Course, Jack’s Promise, Verifire and Here Mi Song completed the order of finish.
Serenas Ghost rallies up rail to win Jessamine Presented by Keeneland Sales
Moving Forward Racing’s Serenas Ghost made a winning move up the rail in deep stretch to upset the 36th running of the Jessamine Presented by Keeneland Sales.
Luis Saez rode the daughter of Girvin through a tight opening on the inside to edge pacesetter Seneca Park in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths.
Trained by Joe Sharp, Serenas Ghost improved to 2-for-2 in the Jessamine Presented by Keeneland Sales after winning a maiden race at Horseshoe Indianapolis going 1 mile on the grass. Serenas Ghost also guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the Oct. 30 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland with her victory in the “Win and You’re In” race.
The third longest price on the board at 22-1 in the field of 11, Serenas Ghost settled in fourth early behind Seneca Park, Golden Maiden and Elegante Miz through early splits of :23.39 and :48.65 over the turf labeled good. Seneca Park and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. continued to lead by a half-length from Golden Maiden through 6 furlongs in 1:14.28.
Seneca Park looked to edge away in the stretch and drifted out in midstretch, forcing Saez to take Serenas Ghost to the inside approaching the sixteenth pole. Serenas Ghost pulled away from the leader from there to win in 1:45.57. Seneca Park held second, a length in front of a late-running Mel Went Home and jockey Cristian Torres.
Serenas Ghost’s victory gave Sharp plenty of reason to celebrate beyond the winner’s share of $229,400. Sharp trained Serenas Ghost’s sire, Grade 1 winner and $1,624,392-earner Girvin, and her multiple stakes-winning dam, Sirenusa, by Tiznow.
Bred in Kentucky by Barry Butzow and Joni Butzow, Serenas Ghost boosted her earnings to $248,600. She returned $47.44, $19.72 and $12.69. Seneca Park paid $5.06 and $4.18. Mel Went Home returned $8.04.
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Tomorrow is Fall Stars Saturday. The 11-race card includes five stakes led by the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Oct. 31. Post time for the Coolmore Turf Mile is 5:48 p.m. ET.
The races begin at 1 p.m.
Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $37,397.62.