Negilgee
an Attractive Alcibiades Winner Will Start in Juvenile Fillies
Sovereign Stable’s
Negligee came from off the pace, charged down the lane, and collared
6-5 favorite She Be Wild in the final strides to
score the $500,000 Darley Alcibiades (gr. I) at odds of 12-1 on
opening day at Keeneland Oct. 9.
A 2-year-old daughter of Northern
Afleet , Negligee received an automatic berth to the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 6 at Santa Anita. Winning trainer John
Terranova said the bay filly would
be pointed toward the race.
Negligee won for the second time in three starts. She broke her maiden
at first asking July 25 on the Woodbine Polytrack, then was second to
Franny Freud in the Aug. 16 Ontario Debutante by a half-length. She was
purchased privately after that effort and sent to New York with trainer
John Terranova.
“
She impressed us in Canada,” said Terranova, who also trains Franny
Freud, a starter in the Oct. 10 grade I Frizette at Belmont. “She
was second and very impressive in her second start. Sovereign Stable subsequently
purchased her. We brought her down (to New York) and she’s trained
real forward since.
“ We actually scratched out of the Miss Grillo (on Oct. 4 at Belmont) because
everything came off the grass. This was our second choice; our backup
plan.”
Under Rajiv Maragh, Negligee raced mid-pack through the backstretch of
the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades while Tidal Pool set the pace. Decelerator
pressed the leader and Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) winner
She Be Wild was sitting in perfect stalking position just off those two.
The opening fractions were :24.32 and :48.97.
Those three were in a line as they hit the quarter-pole, but when they
straightened away She Be Wild struck the front under Garrett Gomez and
took a one-length lead into the stretch. The previously undefeated daughter
of Offlee Wild led for most of the final furlong but Negligee, who was
angled wide for her bid at the three-sixteenth pole, came flying from
the outside and caught the favorite in the final yards. She hit the wire
a half-length in front.
The final time over Polytrack was 1:43.76. She Be Wild was 2 1/4 lengths
better than third-place Amen Hallelujah. Zilva was fourth in a field of
11.
“
She didn’t break like a true sprinter, so that was good,” said
Maragh, who won three races on the day. “She kind of relaxed and
got behind horses and was pretty much settled; so that made her finish
better. Once she got the lead in the stretch she pulled away pretty convincingly.”
Negilgee, now with $348,007 in earnings, was bred in Kentucky by Twin
Creeks Farm and is out of the Relaunch mare Naughty Notions. She was bought
for $52,000 at the Keeneland 2008 September yearling sale.
The upset winner paid $27.40, $8.40, and $5.60. The exacta (5-3) returned
$89.60 and the trifecta (5-3-9) was worth $567.40.
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