Racing

Candied Stays at Keeneland Following Darley Alcibiades Triumph

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ undefeated Candied, who arrived at Keeneland Tuesday from Saratoga, remained on the grounds Saturday morning following her 1-length victory in Friday’s Darley Alcibiades (G1). 

With the victory, the first for trainer Todd Pletcher in the race, Candied earned a fees-paid berth into the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. 

Pletcher was at Churchill Downs Saturday morning overseeing his string there. 

Five fillies have won the Darley Alcibiades and then gone on to win the Breeders’ Cup with the most recent coming last year when Wonder Wheel achieved the double. 

Plans for V V’s Dream, who just missed giving trainer Kenny McPeek a record-tying sixth Darley Alcibiades victory, are undecided. 

Greg Tramontin’s Alys Beach, who set the pace and wound up third, remained at Keeneland after the race. 

“She is still here and will go back to Churchill Downs, and we will go from there,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “I was surprised where she was (in the race). She is still learning.” 

Trainer John Ortiz said “the Breeders’ Cup is not out of the question” for WSS Racing’s Brightwork, who finished fifth after stalking the pace set by Alys Beach. 

The setback was the first in five races for the previously undefeated Brightwork, who won the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga in her previous start. 

“She’s doing good this morning, a little tired,” Ortiz said. “It was not her day yesterday. She was a little flat down the stretch, and that’s not like her.”