Tracy Farmer's Perfect Alibi (Sky Mesa), who survived a rough stretch duel to capture the GII Adirondack S. four weeks ago at Saratoga, showed her courage once again when digging in at the rail to deny favored Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief) for the second straight time in the GI Spinaway S. Sunday at the Spa.
“She's game. She likes to fight and she has a strong kick,” jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. said of the winner. “She wanted to win and there was some contact, but when she made the hole, she made it through. Everything worked out good for her today. I think she can go better going longer, but we'll enjoy this right now and see what happens next.”
A dominant 9 1/2-length winner on debut May 16 at Churchill, Perfect Alibi narrowly missed when second in the Astoria S. June 6 at Belmont before bulling her way to victory in the Adirondack. Somewhat overlooked in the wagering Sunday to be 26-5, while Frank's Rockette was backed to 9-5, Perfect Alibi settled second-last early behind a :22.65 quarter. Advancing steadily along the inside on the turn, she snuck through a rail opening at the top of the lane and hooked up with the favorite outside the furlong grounds. Those two threw down head and head until just inside the sixteenth marker, where Perfect Alibi began to prove superior, edging away to a 1 1/4-length score in 1:23.44.
“She showed she had a lot of fight in her last time out as well, so I wasn't afraid to make that tight space [along the rail] with her,” Ortiz said. “I didn't have too many options and when I saw the space along the rail, I went for it.”
Winning trainer Mark Casse said there is plenty to look forward to with the Spinaway winner.
“This filly is just a fighter,” Casse said. “She keeps coming. I think the farther she runs, the better she likes it. Now, we have to decide if we go to the [Oct. 6 GI] Frizette [at Belmont Park] or the [GI Darley] Alcibiades S. [at Keeneland]. Hopefully, if all goes well, we'll head to the Breeders' Cup. I think she's proven she at least deserves a chance.”
Pedigree Notes:
Perfect Alibi's GI Spinaway score continued a big year for her breeder, Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud. The farm also bred this year's GI TVG Pacific Classic winner Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro). That Grade I winner's half-brother Alternation stands at Pin Oak and is the sire of 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. The same day Higher Power won the Pacific Classic, Tone Broke, a son of Pin Oak stallion Broken Vow, won the Breeders' S. at Woodbine.
Perfect Alibi is a third-generation Pin Oak bred. Her dam No Use Denying won the 2009 John W. Rooney Memorial S. and placed in an additional four stakes. Her second dam, Rumors are Flying (Kris S.), was a Pin Oak homebred who raced only twice in 1999 before joining the farm's broodmare band and produced multipled graded placed Badge of Truth (Silver Deputy). The Spinaway winner's third dam, Missed the Wedding, also made two starts in the Pin Oak colors, but had more success in the breeding shed where she produced 1993 GI Test S. winner Miss the Storm (Storm Cat), as well as multiple graded stakes winner Green Means Go (Green Dancer).
No Use Denying, also dam of graded placed Noble Thought (Harlan's Holiday), produced a filly by Flatter this year and was bred back to Carpe Diem. The mare's now 3-year-old Dark Corner (Into Mischief) sold for $120,000 at last year's OBS April Sale.
Sunday, Saratoga
SPINAWAY S.-GI, $350,000, Saratoga, 9-1, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.44, ft.
1--PERFECT ALIBI, 122, f, 2, by Sky Mesa&log=">Sky Mesa
1st Dam: No Use Denying (SW, $219,016), by Maria's Mon
2nd Dam: Rumors Are Flying, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: Missed the Wedding, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($220,000 Ylg '18 FTSAUG). O-Tracy Farmer;
B-Pin Oak Stud, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$192,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $380,988. *1/2 to Noble
Thought (Harlan's Holiday), GSP, $270,448.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–Frank's Rockette, 120, f, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Rocket Twentyone, by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Symphonic Lady, by Blare of Trumpets
3rd Dam: Wavering Lady, by Wavering Monarch
'TDN Rising Star' O-Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc.;
B-Frank Fletcher (KY); T-William I. Mott. $70,000.
3–Figure of Speech, 120, f, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Starlight Lady, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Colcon, by Pleasant Colony
3rd Dam: Continental Girl, by Transworld
($200,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $42,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 5, 1. Odds: 5.20, 1.95, 3.65.
Also Ran: Miss Peppina, Shippy, Risky Mischief, Mundaye Call. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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