Surface Switchers Make for Muddled Alcibiades

Juvenile fillies are generally hard to figure out at this time of year, but the field for Keeneland's opening day feature, the GI Darley Alcibiades S., throws an additional wrench into the perennially inscrutable event with six of the 10 lasses entered having made their last start on a surface other than dirt.

Narrow morning line favoritism resides with Lothenbach Stables' Bet She Wins (First Samurai), a dazzling winner of the synthetic-surface Arlington-Washington Lassie last out Sept. 9. Squeezing through a rail opening in early stretch, the $230,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad powered away in the final furlong to a 9 1/2-length romp, earning a field-best 90 Beyer for the effort. Prior to that, the gray started twice on turf. She got her first feel for a traditional main track when breezing a half-mile in :48 2/5 (11/53) Sept. 30 at Keeneland. Both her first and second dams broke their maidens over dirt, although both were slightly superior figure-wise on grass.

The most compelling dirt form in the race belongs to Evan, Matthew and Andrew Trommer's Princess Warrior (Midshipman), who debuted with an impressive off-the-pace victory Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs (video), getting her final furlong of the six-panel test in under 12 seconds and receiving an 86 Beyer. The $60,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic buy has to handle a significant stretch-out, but has some breeding to do so, as her second dam is a half-sister to champion and sire of numerous star stayers Unbridled (Fappiano).

Of the five runners coming in off of turf efforts, Debby M. Oxley's Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon) stands out. The homebred showed late interest after a slow start to be third debuting on the Gulfstream main track June 24 and, after a brief layoff, exploded away to a five-length graduation with ears pricked Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs (video). The bay has shown promise on dirt in the mornings, touting three sharp breezes at Churchill in the summer, including a best-of-56 half-mile spin in :47 flat Aug. 11. She is a half-sister to GSW dirt runner Forever Darling (Congrats) out of a dam who won both the Raven Run S. and Doubledogdare S. on the local dirt and placed in the GI Matron S. and GI Frizette S.

Tobey L. Morton's Pacific Gale (Flat Out) became the first stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Flatter) when kicking away to a convincing score in the Sorority S. Sept. 2 at Monmouth. Picked up for $72,000 at OBS April, the bay stretches out beyond six furlongs for the first time.

Zayat Stables' Sassy Sienna (Midshipman) merits a look. An open-lengths victress at odds-on over the Indiana Grand turf July 19, the $65,000 Keeneland September purchase ran a sneaky-good third in the P. G. Johnson S. Aug. 31 at Saratoga, overcoming some early trouble and rallying into a slow pace to just miss second. Trying dirt for the first time, the dark bay has reason to like it, as second dam Golden Reef (Mr. Prospector) was a GSW/MGISP juvenile on the main track.