Horse Racing News on October 7, 2011

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Stephanie's Kitten came motoring down the middle of the track to take the victory in Friday's $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes on Keeneland's opening day.

New Zealand-bred Hoofit held off Aikenite by a desperate nose to score an 11-1 upset in the $175,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Oct. 7 on opening day at Keeneland.

Most races have some unknowns - uncertainties regarding horses or the race conditions that cloud the picture of how the race will unfold.

Daveron, a German-bred with stakes wins in 4 of her last 5 starts, and Never Retreat, a perennial overachiever with four graded wins this year, will clash with as many as 10 others in a riveting 14th running of the one-mile turf race.

Since mid-summer, Mr. Commons has had a crash course in how to be a top-class turf miler in California.