Tommy Jo Stays Perfect in Darley Alcibiades After Percy’s Bar DQ at Keeneland
Undefeated filly Tommy Jo remains undefeated with a win in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades, though the win came via disqualification.
Although the Ben Colebrook trainee Percy’s Bar crossed the wire first at Keeneland Race Course, the stewards determined that Percy’s Bar interfered with Tommy Jo in the stretch and was placed second behind the Spendthrift homebred.
This wasn’t the first time that these two fillies went hoof to hoof.
Tommy Jo and Percy’s Bar met once before in Saratoga when contesting the Grade 1 Spinaway where they once again ran one-two. Tommy Jo crossed the wire that day nearly seven lengths over Percy’s Bar which gave Tommy Jo her first Grade 1 win. Todd Pletcher trains this daughter of Into Mischief.
The Spinaway is a seven furlong race run around one turn while the Darley Alcibiades is run at a mile and one sixteenth around two turns, making this a new test ahead for the heavy favorite.
Under jockey Luan Machado, Percy’s Bar broke alertly from the rail and hit the gas pedal. The daughter of Upstart set the pace and took the field of two-year-old fillies gate to wire. During the stretch run, Percy’s Bar bumped Tommy Jo off stride which encouraged the stewards to take a second look at the conclusion of the race.
In addition to the stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez claimed foul against Machado.
While Tommy Jo is undefeated, Percy’s Bar has finished in the exacta for all four of her career starts thus far. Percy’s Bar broke her maiden as a precocious filly during the April meeting at Keeneland. From there, she went on to win a listed stake at Churchill Downs in June before running second to Tommy Jo in Saratoga.
Percy’s Bar was a $58k purchase as a yearling at the Keeneland September Sale.
The connections of Tommy Jo will have another exciting runner at Keeneland during opening weekend.
In addition to winning the Spinaway with Tommy Jo, Pletcher, Velazquez, and Spendthrift won the Grade 1 Hopeful with Ted Noffey to close out the Saratoga meet. Ted Noffey will attempt to follow Tommy Jo’s back-to-back Grade 1-winning hoof steps when he contests the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland.
His main rival, Grade 2 Saratoga Special winner Ewing, was an early scratch after coming out of a workout not being “100 percent” per trainer Mark Casse. That leaves a field of five foes to take on heavy favorite, Ted Noffey.
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Mary Rufo is a Saratoga Springs-based contributing writer in horse racing. When not at the races, she is likely watching races on her phone, refreshing the tote board on her wagering app, or scribbling down trip notes.