First Lady Stakes 2021: Odds, projections, free PPs and more
Althiqa is a perfect 2-for-2 racing in the U.S. She can improve to 3-for-3 on Saturday and solidify herself as a division leader heading into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The Godolphin homebred Althiqa is 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $400,000 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland. Post time is 4:44 p.m. EDT, with TVG broadcasting the turf mile for fillies and mares.
Saturday’s winner receives a “win and you’re in” berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. This is one of five graded stakes and four Breeders’ Cup qualifiers on a loaded Keeneland card.
Charlie Appleby trains Althiqa, a 4-year-old Dark Angel filly. She made the first nine starts of her career in Europe and the Middle East, with the highlight a Group 2 win at Meydan Racecourse in January.
Althiqa made her U.S. debut on the Belmont Stakes undercard by winning the Just a Game Stakes (G1), then followed that up in July by scoring in Saratoga’s Diana Stakes (G1). After carrying Mike Smith and then Manny Franco for those two victories, she will have the services of jockey Jamie Spencer on Saturday.
Trainer Chad Brown will be well represented in the First Lady Stakes with Regal Glory (5-1), Blowout (8-1) and Viadera (8-1).
Regal Glory is 2-for-3 this year with a last-out win at Saratoga in the De La Rose Stakes. Blowout made the grade on the Kentucky Derby undercard in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2). Viadera is a Grade 1-winning mare who enters off a Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) score at Saratoga.
Harvey’s Lil Goil (6-1) returns to the Keeneland lawn, where she won last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), then was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. But the Bill Mott trainee has been off the board in her last three starts, including a seventh-place effort on the main track at Saratoga in August’s Personal Ensign Stakes (G1).
Saturday’s field lost a contender Friday when trainer Mike Stidham said Princess Grace (6-1), winner of her last four starts, would scratch. She will train up to a potential start against males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Eight qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf have run thus far in 2021, but only two have taken place on U.S. soil. War Like Goddess won the Flower Bowl (G1) at Saratoga and Going to Vegas took the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.
Here is a look at the field for the 2021 First Lady Stakes (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning line odds:
1. Abscond (Eddie Kenneally, Adam Beschizza), 30-1
2. Empress Josephine (Aidan O’Brien, John Velazquez), 10-1
3. Althiqa (Charlie Appleby, Jamie Spencer), 7-2
4. Star Command (Shug McGaughey, Brian Hernandez Jr.), 30-1
5. Hendy Woods (Mark Casse, Tyler Gaffalione), 10-1
6. Regal Glory (Chad Brown, Jose Ortiz), 5-1
7. Daddy is a Legend (George Weaver, Julien Leparoux), 12-1
8. Harvey’s Lil Goil (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado), 6-1
9. Blowout (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat), 8-1
10. Princess Grace, SCR
11. Dalika (Al Stall Jr., Miguel Mena), 12-1
12. La Signare (Brendan Walsh, Ricardo Santana Jr.), 20-1
13. Viadera (Chad Brown, Florent Geroux), 8-1
TimeformUS’ pace projections show Blowout going out to an early lead under jockey Flavien Prat in a race favoring a runner on or near the early lead. Favorite Althiqa is expected to attempt a rally from the back, though she will have to pass a full field of rivals to do so.
For more information on the First Lady Stakes and some of the day’s other graded stakes, visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page.
Other Saturday stakes
Here is a look at other graded stakes races taking place Saturday at either Keeneland or Belmont Park. All post times are EDT.
Related: Saturday plays: KEE Turf Mile, Breeders' Futurity, more
2:45 p.m. – $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G2), 3-and-up, six furlongs, Belmont Park, FS2
Baby Yoda (7-5) blazed to a Saratoga allowance win last month, popping a 114 Beyer Speed Figure, which is tied with Flightline for best this year among both 3-year-olds and runners going up to one mile on the main track. The Prospective gelding now makes his stakes bow in this Breeders’ Cup Sprint “win and you’re in” qualifier. Rather than fly to Keeneland, jockey Luis Saez stays in New York to ride for trainer Bill Mott. Firenze Fire (8-5) won last year’s Vosburgh for trainer Kelly Breen and enters off a runner-up effort at the Spa in the Forego Stakes (G1).
Related: Analysis: Which Vosburgh contender to play? |
Breen is at loss to explain Firenze Fire's savaging of Yaupon
3:15 p.m. – $150,000 Matron Stakes (G3), 2-year-old fillies, six furlongs (turf), Belmont Park, FS2
Bubble Rock (7-2) broke her maiden on second asking last out at Saratoga and makes her stakes debut here. Brad Cox trains the More Than Ready filly. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who earned the 3,000th victory of his career Thursday, gets the call. Wesley Ward conditions Chi Town Lady (4-1), whose 2-for-2 ledger includes a Bolton Landing Stakes victory in August at the Spa.
3:40 p.m. – $200,000 Woodford Stakes (G2), 3-and-up, 5½ furlongs (turf), Keeneland, TVG
Golden Pal (4-5) returns to the U.S. to prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at a track where his trainer Ward is based. The 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero made his last start overseas at York, settling for seventh in the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1). Jockey John Velazquez rides the 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the hard-knocking Extravagant Kid (5-2) makes career start No. 53 Saturday in search of graded stakes win No. 1.
3:47 p.m. – $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), 3-and-up, 1½ miles (turf), Belmont Park, FS2
Gufo (8-5) stamped his Breeders’ Cup Turf bid in August at Saratoga by winning the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1). Now the 4-year-old Declaration of War colt tunes up for the World Championships and runs for the third Grade 1 score of his career in this spot. Jockey Joel Rosario rides for trainer Christophe Clement. Two-time Group 1 hero Japan (5-2) finished as runner-up in the Sword Dancer for trainer Aidan O’Brien and makes this his second start on U.S. soil.
Related: Joe Hirsch Turf Classic 2021: Odds and analysis
4:12 p.m. – $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), 3-and-up fillies and mares, six furlongs, Keeneland, TVG
Bell’s the One (7-5), a Grade 1 winner, returns to a Keeneland course where she dead-heated for second in April’s Madison Stakes (G1). Trainer Neil Pessin will give a leg up to jockey Corey Lanerie for this Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint “win and you’re in” prep. Frank’s Rockette (5-2) is a multiple graded stakes winner for Mott. Juan Arriagada trains Estilo Talentoso (5-2), who finished alongside Bell’s the One for runner-up in the Madison.
5:15 p.m. – $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles, Keeneland, NBCSN and TVG
Double Thunder (4-1), winner of Churchill Downs’ Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) in June, leads this battle for a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile berth and 10 Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby points. Jockey Paco Lopez will ride the son of 2010 Derby hero Super Saver for trainer Todd Pletcher. Stellar Tap (9-2) is the colt whose Saratoga debut score in August made trainer Steve Asmussen North America’s all-time winningest conditioner. Anthony Dutrow trains Don’t Wait Up (9-2), who climbs to Grade 1 company off a second-out maiden win at the Spa.
Related: Taking a Stand: Against favorite in Breeders' Futurity | Flatter pod: Pletcher talks Belmont, Keeneland, BC |
HorseCenter: Top contenders for BC Juvenile, Juvenile Fillies |
2021 Breeders' Futurity: Odds and analysis
5:46 p.m. – $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes (G1), 3-and-up, one mile (turf), Keeneland, NBCSN and TVG
Order of Australia (7-2) upset the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile as a 73-1 long shot and returns to the site of that score to lead this “win and you’re in” qualifier toward the Mile’s 2021 edition. Velazquez rides the 4-year-old Australia colt for O’Brien, who won this race in 2006 with Aussie Rules and ’02 with Landseer. Mike Stidham trains Pixelate (9-2), last-out winner of Kentucky Downs’ Mint Million Stakes (G3). Somelikeithotbrown (9-2) finished second to Pixelate in that event for trainer Mike Maker.
Related: Super Screener: Keeneland Turf Mile offers value
First Lady preview
From Keeneland’s communications team:
Godolphin’s Althiqa, already a two-time Grade 1 winner in the U.S. in two attempts, headlines a talented field of 13 fillies and mares entered Wednesday for the Grade 1, $400,000 First Lady Stakes.
Scheduled as Saturday’s eighth race with a 4:44 p.m. EDT post time, the First Lady is a “win and you’re in” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
Trained by Charles Appleby, Althiqa already was multiple group-placed in Europe as well as a Group 2 winner in the United Arab Emirates before coming to North America, where she took the Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park in June and the Diana (G1) in July at Saratoga.
Althiqa will be ridden Saturday by Jamie Spencer and exit post three.
She will have to contend with another European invader in the Aidan O’Brien-trained Empress Josephine.
Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Empress Josephine has made her past four starts in Group 1 company and won the Irish One Thousand Guineas. John Velazquez has the mount Saturday from post position two.
Heading the U.S. contingent is the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman’s Harvey’s Lil Goil.
Trained by Bill Mott, Harvey’s Lil Goil won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) here last fall and followed that with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in which she was defeated by a neck.
A winner in one of four starts in 2021, Harvey’s Lil Goil will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post position eight.
Trainer Chad Brown, who has saddled the past three First Lady winners and four overall, will be represented by three runners: Juddmonte’s Viadera and Peter Brant’s Regal Glory and Blowout.
Viadera, a three-time graded stakes winner in the U.S., comes into Saturday’s race off a victory in the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga. Florent Geroux has the mount Saturday and will leave post position 13.
Regal Glory, a multiple graded stakes winner, captured the De La Rose at Saratoga in her most recent start. Jose Ortiz will ride Saturday and exit post position six.
Blowout, who figures to be the pacesetter, is 1-for-2 in 2021 with the victory coming in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill on May 1. She was fourth in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga. Blowout will start from post position nine and be ridden by Flavien Prat.
The field for the First Lady, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Abscond (Adam Beschizza, 124 pounds), Empress Josephine (Velazquez, 121), Althiqa (Spencer, 124), Star Command (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124), Hendy Woods (Tyler Gaffalione, 124), Regal Glory (Ortiz, 124), Daddy Is a Legend (Julien Leparoux, 124), Harvey’s Lil Goil (Alvarado, 124), Blowout (Prat, 124), Dalika (Miguel Mena, 124), La Signare (Ricardo Santana Jr., 124), Viadera (Geroux, 124).