Broadway's Alibi Sharp in Forward Gal

E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Broadway ‘s Alibi made it look easy when she galloped to 16 ¾-length length victory over Say a Novena and Sacristy in the 34th-running of the $200,000 Forward Gal (G2) Sunday at Gulfstream Park. 

The daughter of Vindication was making her fourth start for trainer Todd Pletcher and running over a sloppy track for the first time. 

“She’s fast,” commented Pletcher.  “I don’t know about distance.  I guess we’ll have to find out at some point.”

Broadway’s Alibi made her first start in a six furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park on Aug 10, where she raced about eight lengths off the pace and finished second beaten a length.  She broke her maiden in her second start where she took the lead from the gate, in a maiden special weight at Delaware Park, and drew off by seven lengths.  She was then given about three months off and returned to the races on Dec. 15 at Gulfstream Park.  The filly was in front in that allowance race, by a length after running a quarter of a mile, drifted out on the turn, but drew away to a 5 length victory.

“Last time I rode her I tried to take a bit of a hold and she didn’t like that,” said  jockey John Velazquez “She threw her head up and drifted out pretty bad.”

In the Forward Gal, Broadway’s Alibi broke well and immediately went to the lead.  She settled into her groove when leading by 1 ½ lengths and set very fast fractions of :22.35 and  a half in :44.94.  The dark bay filly increased her lead in the stretch, drifted out as she came to the wire, but her winning margin was already over16 lengths at that point.

“Today I decided to just let her rock-n-roll and it worked better,” Velazquez said.  “She still drifted a little. I guess it’s just a bad habit.  She’s just so fast I wasn’t going to fight her. The track was pretty sticky but she liked it.”

Trainer Eddie Plesa’s Say a Novena finished second by two lengths while chasing the winner.

“I’m happy with the way our filly ran,” said Plesa.  “She improved off her last start.  We ran into a buss saw.  That other filly (Broadway’s Alibi) looks like she could be anything.  I’m glad she’s going to New York.”

It was another three and three quarter lengths back to the third place finisher, Sacristy.  The daughter of Pulpit stalked off the pace but could not make up much ground on the winner.

“The winner is a pretty nice horse,” commented trainer Wayne Catalano “We ran our race.  You hate to see the track come up like that.  I’d like to run her back on a fast track. She handled the mud from what (jockey) Kent  (Desormeaux) said.  I’m going to freshen her up and make a plan for her.”