Marquee Miss Steps into Deeper Waters in Alcibiades

Joe Ragsdale’s Marquee Miss did not waste any time making her presence felt on the race track by winning the seven-furlong Arlington-Washington Lassie by three lengths in her career debut.

From that victory on Aug. 29, Marquee Miss will step into deeper waters when she goes postward in Friday’s $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1).

“She is a big, strong filly and she is all route,” trainer Ingrid Mason said about the filly. “She’s not like Sarah Sis was last year.”

Sarah Sis, by Sharp Humor, gave Mason her first Keeneland victory last fall when she won a 6½-furlong sprint in which she defeated Lovely Maria, who would go on to win this year’s Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Ragsdale, who lives in Tulsa, Okla., also owns Sarah Sis, now a two-time Grade 3 winner with earnings of more than $400,000. Both fillies were bought for $20,000.

“That’s the magic number,” Mason said with a laugh. “I liked Marquee Miss’ looks. She was well put together and I liked her pedigree (Cowboy Cal out of a Marquetry mare). She was the right price and for $20,000, I thought I had stolen her.”

Florent Geroux will have the mount Friday and break from post position two in the 1 1/16-mile main track test. She will be one of two starters on Friday for Mason, who seeks to build on a banner 2014 Fall Meet.

Mason has 26 stalls this meet, up from 16 last fall when she started 15 runners with five wins, four seconds and three thirds for an 80 percent in-the-money rate. Her five victories tied for seventh in the trainer’s standings.