Valdale Stakes
TP Race #4 6 1/2f Dirt Stake
Purse $125.000 For Fillies Three Years Old.

1 End Of The Devil Maxmillion Farm Cedillo A 122 —

I read this name wondering whether the trainer had something in mind when they named her but then I noticed the sire and dam and it all made sense. This is a filly that broke her maiden in one of those big-ticket juvenile races at SAR and then like pretty much all of those maiden winners got an automatic ticket into the early juvenile stakes races. Although she hasn’t picked up a paycheck in three stakes starts, she ran very well in all of them, and it seemed like it was her early pace that beat her rather than the opposition. She made all to win her maiden pretty convincingly, so it is a mystery as to why she has been racing as a close ever since. Today though with an inside draw the race engine should allow her to stay closer early on and if it all goes well then, she is a winning chance.

2 Jeanie Love Phone D J C Racing Stables Hernandez R M 122 —

Claimed from Apache Warrior she did OK on seasonal debut making ground for third in a HOU allowance. Her works say she has improved with the run and a great draw certainly gives her the chance of adding to her two wins so far.

3 Hawaiian Blaze Fractious Beschizza A 122 —

An on-pace type, she is working very well, though it took her five starts to break her maiden so certainly looks up to this grade going forward. The trainer is a big plus as they are in the winning groove at the moment and the draw should allow her to have every chance of getting on pace.

4 Marquesa Threshold Jimenez A 122 —

A solid type, her works are telling us she may need this run but then that would make sense as her last start was in November. Having said that, very often things don’t make sense, so I wouldn’t write her off.

5 July Coke Williams9 Hernandez C J 122 —

Two runs one win in a decent PRX maiden, she is working in the zone so shouldn’t be overlooked.

6 Dream Chaser Fractious Talamo J 122 —

The stable is represented twice here and although this one only won at the free track in her only start, we mustn’t forget that this is HRP and class levels in these early starts mean very little. Oh, to be Fractious as this filly went from a 59 and 4 pre-race work to a 58 and 1 post-race work telling us that she may just be the dark filly here and could end up being very good indeed.

7 Techfluence Tiara The Sidley Stud Conner T 122 —

Difficult to weight up, she may end up be taken back by the race engine which could work out if the pace is hot but if it’s just average then she may be up against it. I can see her making ground, but there is only one scenario that sees her winning. Having said that of course we could see the trainer game the system by gunning her out and making all which has happened more than once with these wide draws in recent races.

SUMMARY

On form this looks like End Of The Devils race to lose, but if she gives too much ground at the start then that may happen. If it does, then I reckon Dream Chaser may have got some of the shine from the trainers Midas touch and she could spring a surprise.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded