Valley View (Grade 3)- $300.000 Purse
KEE- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
October 28, 2022
On Friday at KEE, a field of six fillies will be going to post for the 17th running of the Valley View and they will get a chance to enjoy the largest purse that has ever been offered by the race. In the previous sixteen editions, the purse was either $125.000 or $150.000, making this year’s amount double the prior high. Coming so close to BC time, as well as soon after “last chance” opportunities to get BC points and still get into the BC, it might be hard to determine how much of an impact this purse increase has had on field quality. When looking over the field, you don’t see any household names, but you do see plenty of talent and a group of fillies that will look to capitalize on this opportunity to earn a nice payday. The 2021 winner was Into The Darkness, for Rampage Stable. She’s still active, and did win another graded event in April, but we haven’t seen her at this level for a little while. Here’s a look at those looking to be the next time on the winner’s board.
#1- Catawba (Sccj Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Her $324.560 in career earnings makes her the highest earner in the field. To get there, she has three victories in thirteen races, with her biggest win this year being the $100.000 Alywow at WO in July. Otherwise, her most exciting races came when she was two years old. In her last start, she finished second to Hollywood Tours by a length in the Grade 3 Athenia. She will look for revenge here and has a great chance to finish off her three year old season very well.
#2- Venture In Belief (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- In May, Night Rider picked up this filly in a $4.000 claimer, a race where she ran an uninspired fourth on just thirteen days of rest. After two months, she was back on the track and running in the same type of race, a mile on the turf, but with blinkers. She won the race, sending her to the $135.000 Riskaverse at SAR which she also won. Continuing to climb the ladder into the Grade 3 Pebbles did not work out but was also not the type of result to overly discourage a trainer. She bounces back here in what can really seem to be a pivotal race for her career to see what kind of horse she really is. Had a fitting name for that!
#3- Coup Coup Nancy (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This is one of those horses where it is really hard to get a feel for. There are several recent examples in her past where you see her as a horse you would never want to put money on, but she also has those times where she shows up and runs an impressive race. Condition wise, she’s been doing a little bit of everything of late but it seems to be going well for her on the grass to stay with that. If her last race didn’t happen, I would feel better but then again, that was a sprint. I have to pass.
#4- Shrupp (Royalty Stables, ridden by L Saez)- The most lightly raced horse of the group, as this is only her sixth career start. The third quarter two year old only made her debut around Christmas and broke her maiden in her second start in February. After another four months, she reappeared in the $100.000 Neshaminy Stakes at PRX, winning in a field of four and that would set her career in motion. Just two weeks ago, she had a strong race in the Grade 2 Sands Point, placing second, and is set to go again. As she is not as heavily raced, I’m not concerned about this quick turnaround, but it is worth a note. If she can duplicate that effort, it’s bad news for her opponents here.
#5- Scalp (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Prior to being claimed by Spankys Barn in April, Scalp was a productive horse in overnights. With her new trainer, who paid $25.000 to pick her up in a race she scored a six length victory in, she’s increased her level of competition. She would win an allowance first, and then opened many eyes with a win in the Grade 3 Lake George. A month later, she tried to sweep the “Lake’s”, but was fifth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid. She never seemed to get going in that race, and that could present a bit of a red flag. The trainer’s given her a couple months to hope that does happen again, and the Lake George does.
#6- Hollywood Tours (Threshold, ridden by J C Ferrer)- In her last race, Hollywood Tours picked up the win in the Grade 3 Athenia, beating Catawba in the process. It would the third win of 2022 for this filly, and she also scored a win in the $100.000 Memories of Silver at the Big A making her 2-for-2 on that track. She’s unbeaten here as well, winning her maiden a year ago. The thing to like most about Hollywood Tours is how consistent she is becoming as a three year old, and that looks even better if you throw out her race on yielding turf. I feel good about her.
Prediction: 6-4-5-1
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
