British Idiom rolls to a win in Keeneland’s Alcibiades Stakes

Debut Saratoga winner British Idiom put herself on course for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies — and perhaps the 2020 Kentucky Oaks — when cruising to a 6 1/2-length victory Friday in Keeneland’s Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes.

The Flashback filly stalked until turned loose through the turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup that also awarded 10 Oaks qualifying points to its winner.

She’s trained by Brad Cox for the ownership group of Michael Dubb, the Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables — lofty connections for a mere $40,000 yearling purchase.

"She pulled a little bit," said jockey Javier Castellano, with British Idiom having never gone around two turns, "but I liked the way she did it on the backside. She relaxed a little. She switched off."

British Idiom, who made her second start Friday, won at first asking on Aug. 15 at the Spa, where conditions of her race restricted it to horses sold or RNA'd at auction for less than $45,000.

"She gave us enough confidence in her morning works, and we took advantage of the auction race at Saratoga and produced a Grade 1 winner," Cox said. "She's a really nice filly that's full of class. She never gets worked up."

Mark Casse, who trains Perfect Alibi, said it may still be on to the Breeders' Cup.

“She ran well for her first time going two turns," Casse said. "...She sure didn’t embarrass us today.”

British Idiom’s final time was 1:45.80 as she rallied off opening fractions of 23.73 and 47.27 set by Spitefullness, who faded to miss the board.

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runs Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park, where British Idiom now figures to be among the top betting choices. Already, this represented a first stakes winner win for Flashback, a son of Tapit who stood in Pennsylvania in 2019 for a mere $3,500.

Cox said he'd intended to run British Idiom back in last month's Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill Downs, but a "little bug" resulted in a setback connections certainly don't mind given Friday's results.