Favorite Juju's Map wins the G1 Alcibiades to secure BC berth

Lexington, Ky.

Even as Knicks Go and Essential Quality have made 2021 another banner year for trainer Brad Cox, he is always looking ahead. A preview of coming attractions in 2022 might have been on display Friday at Keeneland in the form of Juju’s Map.

“You’ve just got to put your head down, and you’ve got to keep going,” Cox said after his standout 2-year-old filly ran away to a 4 1/4-length win in the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes, earning her a berth in next month’s Breeders’ Cup.

The outcome served notice that Echo Zulu, the undisputed leader of the division, will not have an uncontested run to an Eclipse Award, let alone in the Juvenile Fillies race Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

“That filly is very good,” Cox said. “We actually ran second to her when she broke her maiden first time out at Saratoga.”

But that was with a filly named Lady Scarlet, who is winless in three starts. Juju’s Map looks more than a cut above, collecting a Grade 1 victory Friday from a field of 12 that included another Cox filly, Matareya (5-2), who finished in a dead heat for fifth.

“I thought this was a good group of fillies,” Cox said. “I had a lot of confidence in both my fillies, and obviously one performed a little bit better than the other one. ‘Juju’ showed up and got the job done.”

Off to an average start from the rail post, Juju’s Map was hurried forward into second place making the quick first turn in the 1 1/16-mile race.

“She broke good, but she didn’t break crazy fast,” said winning jockey Florent Géroux, who chose to ride Juju’s Map rather than Matareya. “She broke good enough to put her in the race.”

Géroux and Juju’s Map let pacesetting Runup (15-1) set fast early fractions of 22.75 and 46.00 seconds. When Runup began her fade to finish ninth, Géroux quickly made up ground, especially since Matareya was lurking.

Juju’s Map seized the lead in the second turn. By the time they straightened into the homestretch, she was ahead by three lengths. Géroux urged her for a couple more strides before it became obvious the win would be lopsided.

Distinctlypossible (7-1) made a late run to finish second, a neck ahead of Sequist (24-1) in third. Mama Rina (29-1) was another 1 1/4 lengths behind in fourth, just ahead of the dead-heating Matareya and Dream Lith (14-1).

After Juju’s Map went the first three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.23 and the mile in 1:36.93, she had a finishing time of 1:43.52 on a track baked fast and deep on a muggy, 73-degree afternoon.

“I would believe she would be one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup,” Géroux said. “Echo Zulu may be the heavy favorite, but I would think we should be second choice.”

Having another Breeders’ Cup contender is all in a day’s work for Cox. All in a year’s work. His four wins last year at Keeneland tied the training record for the championships and earned him his first Eclipse Award. He may be on the verge of a repeat with a stable that is getting deeper and deeper in talent.

“I say it all the time, and I’m going to continue to say it,” he said. “We have a great team. We have great horses and great clients.”

Dennis Albaugh’s family is one of them, spending $300,000 about 13 months ago to buy a Liam’s Map filly at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, name her Juju’s Map and send her to Cox.

“We’ve had a great year,” Cox said. “We’ve won the Travers and the Pegasus World Cup and the Belmont. You know, they’re great races. But it was great to win this race.

“We’ll enjoy it today, but look, tomorrow we’ve got to start preparing for the Breeders’ Cup, and that’s the mentality you have to have to complete the momentum.”