British Idiom, Engage Win Opening-Day Stakes on Fall Stars Weekend to Earn Trips to Breeders’ Cup

By Amy Owens —-

British Idiom, Engage Win Opening-Day Stakes
on Fall Stars Weekend to Earn Trips to Breeders’ Cup

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 4, 2019) – Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables’ British Idiom swept to the lead at the head of the stretch and romped to a 6½-length victory to win the 68th running of the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) for 2-year-old fillies before a Fall Meet opening-day crowd of 16,427.

In the race prior to the Darley Alcibiades, Woodford Racing’s Engage held off a late charge from 2017 victor Whitmore to win the 167th running of the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).

Both winners earned fees-paid berths to the 36th Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held Nov. 1 and 2 at Santa Anita. British Idiom secured a spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 1 and Engage nailed down a spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run at 6 furlongs on Nov. 2.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Javier Castellano, British Idiom covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.80. Cox and Castellano earned their first victory in the Darley Alcibiades.

A debut winner going 6 furlongs at Saratoga in August, British Idiom rated in fourth place as Spitefulness and Sequin dueled through early fractions of :23.73 and :47.27.

On the far turn, Sequin took over but was quickly joined and passed by British Idiom, who erased any doubt about the outcome. Perfect Alibi also made a big move on the turn from fifth to take over second but was no threat to the winner
The victory was worth $240,000 and increased British Idiom’s earnings to $281,250 with a record of 2-2-0-0. British Idiom is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Flashback out of the Mr. Sekiguchi mare Rose and Shine.

British Idiom rewarded her backers with payoffs of $9.20, $4.40 and $3.20. Perfect Alibi, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $3.40 and $2.60 and finished three lengths in front of favored Alandra, who paid $2.60 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another three lengths back to Gone Glimmering, who was followed in order by Sequin, Three D Flag, Spitefulness, How Ironic, Micheline, Western Taffy and Heir of Light.

Quotes from the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)

Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with the winning connections

Brad Cox (winning trainer of British Idiom)

On what gave him the confidence to start the filly, a winner of her only start, in a Grade 1 race
“We were pointing for the Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill, but the week before she came down with a little bug Nothing major, but (I) just wasn’t happy with her blood work so we gave her a little time. She’s a real laid-back filly She’s a really nice filly that’s full of class. She never gets worked up. She does whatever you want in the mornings. She’s a good-sized filly, too, and obviously capable of getting around two turns. As long as she comes out of this in good shape, we’ll look at California (and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1).”

Javier Castellano (winning rider)

On how he got her to relax going two turns for the first time

“I think good horses can do that She broke good and got good position. She pulled a little bit, but I liked the way she did it on the backside. She relaxed, kept tracking the horses, and I liked the way she finished. She’s a good filly. She’s improved and stepped up in class. Credit to Mr. Brad (Cox) on the way he trained her. Made me look good today.”

Jose Ortiz (rider of runner-up Perfect Alibi)

“Perfect, clean trip, just second best. I was following Javier (Castellano on the winner) but he was still in a good position passing the three-eighths pole and I was already asking my filly to go. It took her a while to get going but when she did I wasn’t able to keep up with the winner.”

Mark Casse (trainer of Perfect Alibi)

“She ran well for her first time going two turns. I think she earned a (chance) in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies). She sure didn’t embarrass us today.”

Joel Rosario (rider of third-place finisher Alandra)

“She broke a little slow. This is her first time going two turns and only her second start. She came running. She put in a good effort.”

James Graham (rider of fourth-place finisher Gone Glimmering)

“She felt fantastic, she traveled beautifully. She’s learning, she’s figuring it out. She’s still a little immature but she’s very willing. She wants to do right for you. It just takes her a couple of extra steps to realize it’s OK to settle.”

Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)

In the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, 2018 winner and favored Promises Fulfilled was first out of the gate, with Zipp On By applying pressure through fractions of :22.22 and :45.43 as Engage raced in mid pack.

At the head of the lane, the pacesetters began to wilt as Engage, swinging six wide, steadily moved toward the front and had enough to hold off Whitmore, who had bobbled at the start and spotted the field nearly 10 lengths in the early running.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Engage covered the 6 furlongs in 1:10.21 over a fast main track. It is the first victory in the race for Asmussen and Ortiz

The victory was worth $150,000 and increased Engage’s earnings to $649,080 with a record of 12-5-4-0.

Engage is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief out of the Speightstown mare Nefertiti.

Engage returned $21, $8 and $6. Whitmore, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $5.40 and $4.40. A nose back in third was Lexitonian, who paid $12.60 to show under Adam Beschizza.

It was another three-quarters of a length back to Recruiting Ready with Hog Creek Hustle, Promises Fulfilled, Zipp On By, Cove Blue and American Pastime completing the order of finish.

Quotes from the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)

Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with the winning connections

Steve Asmussen (winning trainer of Engage)

“We’re very pleased with the outcome. It’s great to see this horse dig in. Quality field, rush to the wire and he found enough. He’s always been a quality horse. Belmont Futurity (G3) winner as a 2-year-old, fresh horse, very sound horse. Loved the opportunity for him. We felt good about our chances when we saw him over the race track here at Keeneland. This is a big win.”

Jose Ortiz (winning rider)

“He’s a very game horse. I know him very well and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me to ride him back. (The race unfolded) very good. I was expecting an honest pace, but they weren’t going that fast so I was able to lay close. The last sixteenth, he felt some horses coming – he pins his ears back and keeps going.”

Joel Rosario (rider of runner-up Whitmore)

“He was very comfortable where he was, then when he made that run I thought for a second we were going to get there. Good effort.”

Ron Moquett (trainer of runner-up Whitmore)

“I think the (slightly slow) pace might have affected him a little. He has not run in a while and I was glad to get him back in action. If the race had been a little faster earlier, then (leaving the gate) that far back would not have affected him at all. Breeders’ Cup is still a possibility.”

Adam Beschizza (rider of third-place finisher Lexitonian)

“I was (on) the underdog in the race, but it was his first time taking on elders and he showed his grit. That’s the way he likes to do it. He’s a solid horse. He’s just probably getting to the end of his 3-year-old campaign now. Things are going to get harder for him but he showed his all. True heart there. He ran huge.”

Dale Romans (trainer of sixth-place finisher and beaten favorite Promises Fulfilled)

“(Jockey) Luis (Saez) said he was switching leads a couple times. I don’t know (what happened). We’ll figure it out. He said he thought he was traveling good early and that he had a lot of horse I don’t know.”

On whether the Breeders’ Cup is still in play

“Oh yeah, we’ve got a Win and You’re in (from the John Nerud-G2). We’ll just have to figure something out over the next 30 days. Everything is still on the table (between the Sprint-G1 and Dirt Mile-G1).”

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Racing continues Saturday with a blockbuster 11-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET. Five graded stakes races, three of them Grade 1s, highlight the card with the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile serving as the day’s centerpiece.
Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $11,062 and a Super High 5 carryover of $2,423.

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For more than 80 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts four sales a year, in January, April, September and November, and its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2015 and will hold the event again in 2020. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains the Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.