GRADE I WIN FOR DENALI SALE GRAD

John Oxley’s Spring in the Air (Spring at Last), sent off as the slight 4-1 choice in Friday’s GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland, was unhurried in 10th through a half mile in :47.13, and unleashed a strong run down the center of the track to annex the “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies by a length over 21-1 shot Broken Spell (Broken Vow). Magical Moon (Malibu Moon) was third. Spring in the Air, trained by Mark Casse, was coming off a second-place finish to stablemate Spring Venture (Spring at Last) in the grassy GII Natalma S. at Woodbine Sept. 15. A debut second as the 7-5 chalk in the Shady Well S. over the synthetic July 15, she rolled by 10 1/4 lengths in a maiden allowance Aug. 4, also over the Woodbine all-weather. “I did an interview yesterday and I told them, I think these two fillies (Spring in the Air and Spring Venture) are as good going back to (Canadian Horse of the Year) Sealy Hill, who won a couple million dollars and was second in the Breeders’ Cup (Filly and Mare Turf in 2008),” Casse revealed. “They’re exceptional fillies and I only ran them on the turf because that was available (last time).” Casse concluded, “Spring in the Air is just pure class.”

Denali sold the 2yo last year at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale on behalf of breeder WinStar Farm LLC for $50,000. She had a record of 4-2-2-0, $371,519. She is the second graded stakes winner for WinStar freshman sire Spring at Last (by Silver Deputy).