Alcibiades, Phoenix top Keeneland fall opener

The stakes action kicks off Friday with the Grade 1, $400,000

Alcibiades,

for two-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, and the Grade 3, $200,000

Phoenix,

for older horses going six furlongs.

The Alcibiades is led by My Conquestadory, who made a remarkable debut

against males in the September 14 Summer at Woodbine. Seizing control at the top

of the stretch in the one-mile grass test, the daughter of Artie Schiller drew

off to a 3 1/4-length victory under the mildest of encouragement from jockey

Eurico da Silva.

Another coming off a win against the boys is Richies Party Girl, who held on

by a nose in a recent turf allowance at Churchill Downs for trainer Wesley Ward.

The filly has won two of four starts, with one of her setbacks coming in a Group

3 at Deauville in France.

The top three finishers from the September 7 Arlington-Washington Lassie --

She's Offlee Good, Sweetsoutherndame, and Maria Maria -- renew acquaintances

while stretching out around two turns for the first time. She's Offlee Good

enters undefeated in two starts, while Sweetsoutherndame, who breaks from post

3, should be able to avoid a wide trip similar to the one she endured at

Arlington. Maria Maria, the beaten favorite in the Lassie, ran well in defeat

and figures as a major player again.

Grade 3 winner Hogy, a major player

in grass and synthetic stakes across the country over the summer, shortens up

Friday after posting a one-length score in last month's Presque Isle Downs Mile.

Other notables in the Phoenix include Sum of the Parts, who seeks to become the

first horse to win consecutive renewals of the Phoenix since Editorialist in

1962-63; Go Blue Or Go Home and Laugh Track, Grade 3 winners over Woodbine's

Polytrack over the summer; Hoofit, the 2011 Phoenix winner; the Todd

Pletcher-trained three-year-old Winning Cause, who captured the 1 1/16-mile

Lexington during the Keeneland spring meet; and Phipps Stable's Reload, an

impressive 6 3/4-length allowance winner over the Phoenix course and distance

April 12.

Completing the field is Marchman, Occasionall View, Global Power, Jasizzle,

Ghost Is Clear, and Laurie's Rocket. Console is on the also-eligible list.

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