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Broadway’s Alibi eye-popping winner of Forward Gal

Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2012 6:51 PM

BROADWAY'S ALIBI

Coglianese photos

To view the Forward Gal Stakes, click here.

by Myra Lewyn

Broadway’s Alibi controlled the pace and rolled through the stretch to a 16¾-length tour de force in the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes (G2) for three-year-old fillies on Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Making her 2012 debut, the E. Paul Robsham Stables’ homebred took command at the start under John Velazquez and left five opponents in her wake as she romped unchallenged to a dominant victory as the 6-to-5 favorite.

The dark bay or brown filly has won three consecutive races by a combined margin of 28¾ lengths. She closed her juvenile campaign with a five-length win in a 6½-furlong optional claiming race at Gulfstream on December 15 that followed a seven-length maiden win going six furlongs on September 10 at Delaware Park.

With Sunday’s win, her record improves to three wins and a second from four career starts and $189,500 in earnings.

Velazquez said a change in riding tactics was the key to another success.

“Last [time] I rode her, I tried to take [too] big of a hold and she didn’t like that,” he said of her December victory. “She threw her head up and drifted out pretty bad. Today, I decided to just let her rock and roll and it worked better. She still drifted a little. I guess it’s just a bad habit. She’s just so fast, I wasn’t going to fight her.”

Broadway’s Alibi competed seven furlongs in 1:21.94 on sealed, sloppy track.

The Forward Gal is a traditional prep on the road to the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Pletcher said Broadway’s Alibi has a swift turn of foot but he is unsure about her ability at longer distances.

“She’s fast,” he said. “I don’t know about distance. I guess we’ll have to find out at some point.”

Say a Novena, a Grade 2-placed multiple stakes winner, pursued Broadway’s Alibi from second, about 1½ lengths back, through a half-mile. She could not keep pace with the winner but held on for the runner-up spot, 3¾ lengths in front of Old Hat Stakes (G3) winner Sacristy.

“We ran into a buzz saw,” said Say a Novena’s trainer, Eddie Plesa. “That other filly looks like she could be anything.”

Kentucky-bred Broadway’s Alibi is from the final crop of Vindication, the undefeated champion two-year-old male of 2002 who died in 2008 from a gastric rupture. The filly was produced by the stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare Broadway Gold, who also is the dam of stakes winner R Gypsy Gold, third-place finisher in the 2011 Mother Goose Stakes (G1). Broadway Gold is a half sister to 2011 Florida Derby (G1) and Holy Bull Stakes (G3) winner Dialed In and is from the family of champion Eliza.

For an Equibase chart, click here.