Adam Coglianese
Waterville Lake Stable’s homebred Miss Valentine scored a fifth career stakes tally at Aqueduct on Friday, having the final say from off the pace in the short but contentious field of the $80,000 Chase the Dream overnight stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares.
Drawn in post one, with main contenders Beautiful But Blue (post 3) and Opus A (post 5) ranged to her right, Miss Valentine let the early speed have its way, sitting in fifth (and last) place under Joel Rosario behind measured early fractions (24.62, 48.78). Fiftyfour Forever set the pace, closely pursued by Beautiful But Blue at the rail and Opus A to her outside.
As the top three lined up at the quarter pole for the dash home, Rosario began to ask Miss Valentine (now in fourth) for run. Four wide, and passing Fiftyfour Forever and Opus A in upper stretch, Miss Valentine finally collared new leader Beautiful But Blue just past the sixteenth pole before going on to a 1 1/4-length victory. Beautiful But Blue in second finished 3 lengths clear of Opus A. Fiftyfour Forever and Color Blind completed the order of finish. After six panels completed in 1:13.76, the final time for one mile over the fast main track was 1:39 flat.
A 4-year-old daughter of Afleet Alex trained by Christophe Clement, Miss Valentine is now 4-for-6 at the one-mile distance, 3-for-4 on the Aqueduct main track and a five-time stakes winner. She has earned $371,500 with a career record of 6-5-1 in 17 starts.
Impressive in all three races as a juvenile, Miss Valentine captured her Belmont debut in October 2010 before going on to win the Swirlaway Stakes and finish second in the East View.
Finishing five times in the exacta in eight starts as a 3-year-old, the chestnut filly won a pair of open stakes – the Serena’s Song at Monmouth and Mom’s Command at Belmont – and ran second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, Wandering Cloud and Bouwerie. In her last start of 2011, Miss Valentine ran fifth to Awesome Feather in the Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct.
Miss Valentine began her 2012 campaign with a last-to-first run to capture the Northern Willy. In her two starts prior to Friday’s Chase the Dream, she finished third in the Fleet Indian at Saratoga and second in the mud to runaway winner Willet in the Iroquois on Showcase Day.
Foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Miss Valentine is one of five winners from five foals to start out of the multiple black type-placed Gilded Time mare Miss Yiayia ($175,970). Purchased upon retirement by Winter Quarter Farm for $195,000 at the 2001 Keeneland November sale, Miss Yiayia changed hands again in 2009 going to David J. Fiske (agent) for $10,000 at the Keeneland January sale.
Miss Yiayia’s other six-figure earner is New York-bred Thunder Chief, by Thunder Gulch ($164,930). Her last reported foal is a 2-year-old colt by Tapit.
