Valedictory Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
WO- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Dirt
December 4, 2022

When races can look similar all too often, when something out of the ordinary happens, it’s at least interesting to write up as an observer. In the 13th running of the Valedictory Stakes, there was nothing common about the way the two horses jumped out to a massive lead, leaving the third place and eventual winner of the race, Crimson Rioja, a total of 14 lengths behind after a half mile. Predictably, the pace collapsed, although the two front runners did an admirable job of running well all the way to the wire. They still ended up second and third as Crimson Rioja scores the win for Mo Mentum. For the trainer, it is his first win in his race, and that is also true for the jockey, L Salles. Congratulations to them! The race was run in a time of 2:30.36, which is the slowest edition of the race since 2011. Let’s take a look at it, shall we?

(1/2 Mile- :46.32)- At the start of the race, we get ourselves a massive breakaway by the top two horses out of the gate. Burnin Red Hooves simply explodes to the front, but does have one right behind him in the form of Smokey Stover’s Anna Da Artist. As for everyone else, they are falling off the viewer after just a quarter mile. Then, after half a mile, Burning Red Hooves has two and a half lengths on Anna Da Artist. So, what else is going on in this race? Well, as we eventually move the viewer, way, way back, we can see the third place Crimson Rioja, our eventual winner from Mo Mentum Farm being a total of fourteen lengths from the lead. If the pace collapses, he is in the catbird’s seat, however. He leads The Hook (Arindel) by a length, and then comes Joe Grind (Night Rider Stables) and Junkyard Stables (Nakamura Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.37)- Down the frontstretch and into the clubhouse turn, Burnin Red Hooves continues to hold a commanding lead. Anna Da Artist is just two lengths behind him, so it’s not his lead over him that’s as powerful, but everyone else is still way up the track. Crimson Rioja is now scored a massive seventeen lengths from the front, with everyone else having a lot more work to do.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Down the backstretch and moving into the turn, we continue to see our two frontrunners dominating this race, but surely that would not last forever. Within the turn, Burnin Red Hooves tires sooner than Anna Da Artist, and that one begins to make his move at the top of the stretch. However, you could see that they were wearing out and the rest of the field was coming on quickly. Crimson Rioja, who had been in the best position to strike as the lead horse of the pack did well in the turn to get about two lengths on the rest of the field moving into the stretch. Even though he was still scored as being over ten lengths back at this point, you had to really think that he would end up being the one to beat.

(Finish- 2:30.36)- Anna Da Artist inches away from Burnin Red Hooves, and would do everything he possibly could in the stretch. Crimson Rioja was coming very quickly, and with no one gaining on him from behind, the story of the stretch would be whether or not he could get to Anna Da Artist in time. It ended up being a lot closer at the wire than I thought it would be, but Crimson Rioja is able to come on between Anna Da Artist and Burnin Red Hooves, who finish second and third respectively, to get the win! Junkyard Dog ends up fourth, but conceded too much ground to Crimson Rioja, let alone the pacesetters, to be a threat for more. Joe Grind and The Hook round it out.

About The Winner- Crimson Rioja, trained by Mo Mentum Farm, and ridden to victory L Salles, is a four year old gelding by Royal Crimson Cat and is out of Alliances. He was bred in California by TwinTowersRacing as a second quarter two year old, and was acquired by Mo Mentum Farm in May 2020 for $26.770 in private sales when he was still unraced. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his seventh in 25 starts, his third stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $425.310.

Track: Fast
Time: :46¹  1:10¹  2:01⁴  2:30¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 5 Paid 44.90
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 5 – 2 Paid 895.80

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES