Congrats two year-old Top Decile joined Pangburn in Breeders’ Cup contention when runner-up in the G1 Alcibiades Stakes (1700m) at Keeneland on Friday and fellow 2yo Thank You may head the same way following its second placing in the $250k Futurity S.
Trainer Al Stall was upbeat after the daughter of Vinery shuttler Congrats returned to his Churchill Downs barn on Saturday. “We will see how she does in the next couple of days but there’s a very good chance we will go the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile,” he said. “It was a tough track yesterday. That last shower that came through when we were in the paddock really souped it up.”
Pangburn was scratched from the race but is already qualified for the Breeders’ Cup juvenile.
Long-shot Peace and War (War Front) got up in the final strides to edge Top Decile by a half-length in the Alcibiades. “If we go to California, she will travel the week of the race,” he continued. “We flew out there in 2008 and it turned out OK with My Pal Charlie (Dirt Mile) & Terrain (Juvenile) and they both ran fourth.”
Top Decile (2f Congrats – Sequoia Queen by Forestry) had won her maiden at Saratoga in August before stepping up straight up to the Group 1 at Keeneland. “She’s classy,” jockey Rosie Napravnik said after dismounting on Friday. “She ran an excellent race and I can’t complain at all. It’s not like she had anything easy. I would not trade places with anyone.”
There was more two year-old black-type for Congrats on Saturday when Thank You was runner-up in the LR New York Breeders’ Futurity (1200m) at Finger Lakes.
Thank You (2g Congrats – Actceptional by Noactor) is part-owned and trained by Michael Mareina and finished resolutely to beat all bar Good Luck Gus. He is a half-brother to LR Monmouth Majestic Light Stakes winner Omniscient (Pulpit) and made $60,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale.
Congrats (A P Indy) now has 5 black-type two year-olds from his first crop bred in Kentucky. He is standing at Vinery for a $22,000 (inc gst) fee.
