Valentine Stakes
1 Mile Stake Purse $100.00 Fillies And Mares Three-Year-Old And Upward. At SA

Valentine Stakes brings a nice match-up of fillies and mares at this time of year each spring… always a colourful array of track and horses. This year we have champions from the last two years entered to compete for a repeat win. Mo Mentum Farm’s More Interest won this race in 2024, and last year’s winner Paradise Stable’s Outrageous Nevada will be standing in the gate right next to her. A complete unknown last year, The Sidley Stud’s Eva is expected to be the favourite for this year’s edition and as far as second is concerned, it could be just about anyone in the field as it is a pretty contentious field. Here’s the field:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Eva                                     The Sidley Stud                 *2-1        89

Outrageous Nevada            Paradise Stable                3-1        93

Count The Gold                   Spb Racing                       7-2        93

Aunt Kat                             Royalty Stables                  4-1        93

Cheryl Fury                        The Sidley Stud                  5-1        93

More Interest                      Mo Mentum Farm               6-1        93

Prairie Person                    Mo Mentum Farm               8-1        90

1  Prairie Person                      Mo Mentum Farm                90

Prairie Person has been fed a steady diet of $7.50 claiming races lately. Just one race ago he was claimed from Riggins Racing who then lost him to Mo Mentum Farm for $7.50 who must suspect he has a diamond in the rough.

2  Eva                      The Sidley Stud                   89

Last year at this time, Eva, then a four-year-old filly, had hardly been heard of. She had had one race and finished fourth. So, her then owner, Wood Duck Stables decided to let her go for $2.00 and three races later she broke her maiden by five lengths in a TAM turf marathon maiden, two races later she was placing in stakes races, a few more races and she ran third in the Grade III Orchid at GP. So, unless someone can make an argument that she will have trouble with a mile, and that race on December 24 would argue otherwise, she’s my choice to win this race.

3   Cheryl Fury                            The Sidley Stud                93

Lightly raced Cheryl Fury has won half of her ten races and been out of the money in only her debut start. The catch is all the races are at low level tracks, and she has yet to prove herself against stakes-level competition.

4   Aunt Kat                         Royalty Stables                    93

Aunt Kat just scored a beautiful deep closing win in a TUP overnight that made me sit up and take notice especially with that win at FG at long odds back in December. She comes from a sharp, reliable stable that produces winners at a regular pace.

5   Outrageous Nevada                   Paradise Stable            93

Outrageous Nevada makes the occasional foray into graded stakes races and gets beat up nearly every time she tries then drops down to this level and makes a comfortable living down here. For instance, she is the defending champion in this race and returns with the same jockey for a loyal attempt at a repeat.

6   More Interest              Mo Mentum Farm          93

More Interest has been around a long while, even had some success at graded stakes level. She is the 2024 winner of this race and has built a decent bank balance racing in this level of stakes conditions. Her recent form has not been the most exciting and has not been true to turf lately.

7   Count The Gold                Spb Racing                      93

Up to now Count The Gold has only tried a couple of stakes races and missed in both, but she is very hot right now, having won three of her last four allowance starts, the most recent of which was a $71.00 NW-3 at SA. A little short, but she has shown her ability to handle a mile.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded