Kelly’s Humor gets new rider for G1 Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland

Keeneland Alcibiades Stakes Is Up For Grabs

Friday’s $400,000 G1 Darley Alcibiades for two-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles is one of two Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on opening day card at Keeneland with the winner guaranteed a spot in the gate for the BC Juvenile Fillies next month at Del Mar.

Kelly’s Humor has won twice in three starts and was a late closing second in the G2 Pocahontas last time out at Churchill after back-to-back wins at Ellis. Javier Castellano will get the leg up for the first time when she’s sent to the track by trainer Brad Cox who will also send out Sassy Sienna going turf to dirt for the first time.

The Darley Alcibiades will go as the afternoon’s ninth race with a 5:30 ET post time. First post time is 1:05 p.m. ET.

Bet She Wins will open as the 7-2 favorite off a nine length win in the Arlington Washington Lassie going 7/8 miles on the all-weather last time out. Her 90 Beyer speed rating is tops in the field and gets a new rider in Jose Valdivia for trainer Chris Block who is 0 for 15 in graded stakes tries this year. In her first two career races the daughter of First Samurai was sent out over the Arlington turf going 1 mile. She was the winner by default two back when placed first through disqualification when she hit the gate at the break before finishing second. In the Lassie victory, she was fractious before the start and hit the gate again before going on to get the win.

Add to that the fact that Arabella Bella was the winner when the two hooked up on August 6 and she’ll go in here as a 30-1 long shot.

Bet She Wins may be her name but she obviously has issues. And all things considered, she may not be the best choice in here.

Several others have a shot at the BC Juvenile spot including Princess Warrior who broke her maiden at Churchill last month. She’ll break from post position one for trainer Kenny McPeek and has the second highest Beyer speed figure 86.

Keeneland Alcibiades Stakes PPs