DARLEY ALCIBIADES

(Grade 1)

SOUTHERN California raider, Gomo impressed on a rainy opening day at Keeneland last Friday week, when rallying to a decisive two and three-quarter length victory in the $400,000 Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes.

Gomo thrived over the wet track, going from fifth place early in the eight and a half furlong race for two-year-old fillies. Winning trainer Doug O’Neill was confident Gomo, who made her first four previous starts in California, would handle the sloppy track.

“It was something new but she’s a real sure-footed filly and we knew she had some speed leaving the gate,” O’Neill said. “On these kinds of tracks, I think you want a sure-footed horse who has some speed, so I liked that, but you never know.”

Gomo earned her place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies where O’Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam plan to send Gomo and Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes runner-up Land Over Sea in the Juvenile Fillies with Grade 1 winners Nyquist and Ralis in the Grade 1 Juvenile.

O’Neill said he’s never had a group of two-year-olds like this year. O’Neill went to $75,000 to get the daughter of Coolmore America’s freshman stallion, Uncle Mo from Florida-based Irishman Eddie Woods’ consignment at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. March select sale of two-year-olds in training.

BREEDERS’ FUTURITY

Towards the back of the field of 11 through much of the race, Brody’s Cause got up to win the eight and a half furlong Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last Saturday at Keeneland, unleashing a late drive to take the juvenile contest.

Under jockey Corey Lanerie, the Giant’s Causeway colt moved up three-wide on the turn, sat fifth coming for home, and went by the favourite Exaggerator to score by a length for trainer Dale Romans. “He was so professional - never even blinked an eye about the dirt. He never even thought about backing out of it. I think the sky is the limit for him. Just the way he does things, he does it so easy,” Lanerie said.

“He’s just a damn good horse,” Romans said. “You can’t train speed into them. He’s fast.”

Brody’s Cause was bred in Kentucky by Irishman Gabriel Duignan, William Arvin, Jr., & Petaluma Bloodstock, out of the Sahm mare Sweet Breanna. He was a $350,000 purchase by his connections from the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.