Immersive. (Coady Media)
Punches Breeders’ Cup Ticket on Opening Day of Keeneland Fall Meet
Keeneland Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Godolphin’s homebred Immersive took charge at the head of the stretch en route to a 1¼-length victory over Quickick to win the 73rd running of the $600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) for 2-year-old fillies and earn a fees-paid berth into the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Also securing Breeders’ Cup berths Friday were WinStar Farm and Siena Farm’s Federal Judge for the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) by virtue of his victory in the 172nd running of the $350,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) and KatieRich Stables’ May Day Ready for the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with her victory in the 34th running of the $350,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales for 2-year-old fillies.
In the Darley Alcibiades, Immersive completed the 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:44.64 to give trainer Brad Cox his third victory in the race and provide jockey Manny Franco with his first. Cox’s previous winners were British Idiom in 2019 and Juju’s Map in 2021.
Rich City Girl and Liam in the Dust led the field through fractions of :23.01, :46.89 and 1:11.26 with Immersive tracking in third just off the top two. Immersive began to close in on the turn, hit the front turning for home and was not threatened in the run to the finish.
Now undefeated in three starts and a two-time Grade 1 winner, Immersive is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year. The victory was worth $362,700 and increased her earnings to $582,700.
Favored in the field of seven, Immersive returned $5.34, $3.56 and $2.58. Quickick, ridden by Dylan Davis, returned $4.50 and $2.82 and finished 2 lengths in front of Quietside, who paid $2.76 to show under Luis Saez.
It was another 1¼ lengths back to Continuity, who was followed in order by Sherbini, Rich City Girl and Liam in the Dust.
Quotes from the $600,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)
Brad Cox (winning trainer of Immersive): “We thought she was very good. 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 (jockey) Manny Franco for being aggressive and putting her in the race. She finished up well. Looking at the race, it felt like there were a lot of fillies who would want to do the same thing (stay close to the early pace), based on the pace figures. You can’t take speed out of a horse, and she broke and (Manny) did a good job tracking the leaders and she finished up well.”
Manny Franco (rider of Immersive): “We wanted to go farther with her since she won first time out, and today she proved that she wanted to go the distance. 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.”
Dylan Davis (rider of runner-up Quickick): “Turning for home, I really thought I was going to catch Manny (Franco on Immersive), but on the side of the Grandstand she lost a little focus. 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.”
Tom Amoss (trainer of Quickick): “There were a lot of things that worked against Quickick. This filly’s best part of the race was at the end. She ran really well from off the pace and going wide.”
Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Quietside): “Good trip, she broke from there pretty nice. She was in a good spot – the winner just kept going.”
John Ortiz (trainer of Quietside): “She ran a tremendous race again. We have not seen the best of her yet. She looked like she was shying away from the crowd. The biggest thing we can take away is that she can handle two turns with a big field. I wish she was more straight coming down the stretch. The crowd was cheering; the Keeneland crowd is amazing. This was a good experience for her.”
