Immersive best in Alcibiades

Oct 04, 2024 James Scully

Godolphin’s homebred Immersive drove to the lead leaving the far turn and padded her Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) credentials in Friday’s $600,000 Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, remaining unbeaten with a 1 1/4-length decision. Winner of the Aug. 31 Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, the Brad Cox-trained filly tracked the pace in third before making her move with Manny Franco.

“We thought she was very good,” Cox said. “I want to start by thanking Sheikh Mohammed (owner of Godolphin) and the whole Godolphin team. She stamped herself as a very good filly from Day 1 when she arrived here at Keeneland in the spring. It’s a big win for her. She always acted like she would carry her talent around two turns. I want to thank Manny Franco for being aggressive and putting her in the race. She finished up well.”

Along with picking up an expenses-paid berth to the Nov. 1 Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, Immersive picked up 10 points toward a Kentucky Oaks (G1) berth next spring in the early qualifier. The daughter of Nyquist easily handled the stretch out to two turns, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.64.

“We wanted to go farther with her since she won first time out, and today she proved that she wanted to go the distance,” Franco said. “She’s a grinder and today she broke running. That was the plan: to break running and go forward. She was traveling so comfortable. I was pleased with what I had under me. It was a matter of time. At the quarter pole I asked her for more, and she took a little bit to get going, but she got it done. She’s a nice filly.”

“She broke and (Manny) did a good job tracking the leaders, and she finished up well,” Cox added.

Favored at 1.67-1, Immersive improved her record to 3-for-3, and the Kentucky-bred bay miss confirmed herself as a top contender for the Juvenile Fillies.

Quickick, a last-out Saratoga maiden winner for Tom Amoss, launched a rally from the back of the pack, threatening to overhaul Immersive in upper stretch, but lacked the necessary finishing kick in second.

“Turning for home, I really thought I was going to catch Manny (Franco), but on the side of the grandstand she lost a little focus,” jockey Dylan Davis said of Quickick. “I couldn’t get her back to the right lead. I tried, but she was losing a little bit of momentum. She ran great; we had tough competitors. She’s still learning.”

Spinaway runner-up Quietside finished another two lengths back in third, and Continuity, Sherbini, Rich City Girl, and Liam in the Dust completed the order.