Valedictory Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
WO- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Dirt
December 6, 2025

Up north on Saturday, we will have the sixteenth edition of the Valedictory Stakes, which is for horses that like to keep on running and running, at a mile and a half on the main track. The details for the race have been constant through time, remaining a Grade 3 since 2011, and little movement with the purse level. There will be eight in the field, including several with over $600.000 in earnings, but also one that will be looking to make his first penny. Last year’s winner was El Gran Cambio, doing so for Bears Stable. He’s still active and running in races like this one but has become inconsistent. Here’s a look at this year’s entrants:

1- Commander Doom (The Sidley Stud, ridden by O Moreno)- The Sidley Stud has won this race twice, including in 2016 with Techfluence, who’s probably the most recognizable past winner of the stake. Commander Doom raced modestly for the majority of his career and only recently has he shown himself to be worthy of more challenging assignments. Three weeks ago, he won the $100.000 CC Iron Horse, his biggest win this far, and looks to carry that momentum into his graded debut here.

2- Dangerous Fugitive (Night Rider Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- Night Rider brings two to this race, but Dangerous Fugitive is clearly the one that gives him his biggest shot at a win here. His last four races have been against top company on the turf and includes a third-place effort in the Sword Dancer at SAR, and a runner up here in the Pattison two months ago. Prior to moving to the grass, he was just as good on the main track, winning the $200.000 Marathon at CD. Him and Cheap Ways seem to be the class of this field.

3- Lord Cherokee (Threshold, ridden by L Salles)- No one this field has made more than Lord Cherokee, who is a bit above $850.000 in overall earnings. However, unlike the two starting on each side of him, the majority of that has not come this year, or even over the last two years. He’s won two of his last 12, but they are not at the stake level, and his only win for Threshold was an open allowance at TUP in March. At times, he has been promising still, such as when he was third in the $200.000 Chorleywood Stakes in June, but hasn’t run since an ugly effort in late August.

4- Cheap Ways (Riggins Racing, ridden by P Moran)- While the unexpected can and will happen, as we look at the form now, we can envision a stretch battle between Cheap Ways and Dangerous Fugitive for the win. Overall, Cheap Ways has earned back-to-back 100 SRF’s and has regularly been running on the main track. When we last saw him, he came on strong in the Grade 3 Fayette at KEE and will have a lot more room to run this time around. He’s won eleven times for his career, though his lone stake win of 2025 was in January at the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes. He is a good fit for this race.

5- Don’t Ever Try It (Night Rider Stables, ridden by D Fukumoto)- Very early in his career, Don’t Ever Try It did run at the graded level, but the vast majority of his 29 starts have been in overnights. He has been consistent in them, with ten third place efforts helping him earn close to $400.000 overall. He had been dropped in class at the start of the year, but after bouncing around between a couple trainers, he may be resurgent. That, to me, is still a question mark right now but since Night Rider also has Dangerous Fugitive here, he can try it with Don’t Ever Try It.

6- Eastern Empire (Barcelona Farms, ridden by D Moran)- After three wins in four races, Eastern Empire will get the chance to show what he can do in his stake debut. Two of those wins were in claimers, including a three-horse field at SAR and also at LAD. Last time out, he ran against better at PRX in a starter allowance where he also won. Been better since he was gelded and could be competitive in here.

7- Yes Yes Yes (Mojica Racing, ridden by S Civaci)- Yes Yes Yes is looking for a trainer to say yes to keeping him around, as he has bounced around between six different trainers within the claiming ranks. His home might be right here with Mojica Racing, as the trainer has moved him out of claimers and has been rewarded. After winning an allowance at BTP, Yes Yes Yes ran in the $25.000 Jackson at ALB and settled for second in a photo. SRF’s are increasing, and he might like this distance. If you’re looking for a spoiler, he may be appealing.

8- U S A Arsenal (Williams9, ridden by M Z Buchanan)- Certainly the most interesting horse in the field, considering he has not even made a penny in earnings. In just one start, which came at the free track, U S A Arsenal put together a wire-to-wire effort about five weeks ago. Williams9 is certainly pumped up about that, but even post-race, his works will not amaze anyone. I will have to see it first, before I can consider him.

Prediction: 2-4-1-7

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES