Adam Coglianese
Shortening up to six furlongs for the first time since her debut in October 2010, Waterville Lake Stable’s homebred Miss Valentine scored her sixth stakes victory and seventh score lifetime in the $75,000 added Lottsa Talc overnight stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares featured at Aqueduct on Sunday.
Returning on relatively short rest after winning the Chase the Dream overnight stakes at Aqueduct 16 days ago for conditioner Christophe Clement, 4-5 favorite Miss Valentine sat in fourth in the early going under new pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr., three lengths behind Jitney, who darted out to lead the field of five through a 24.10 first quarter-mile.
Miss Valentine made a big move on the far turn to gain second and looked Jitney in the eye at the quarter pole, but was forced to work in the stretch to wear down her tenacious rival. Passing Jitney at the sixteenth marker, Miss Valentine drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Lady On the Run, who broke last, followed Jitney across the finish line two lengths further back, while Great Gracie Dane and Freud’s Notebook completed the order of finish. After a half mile run in 47.94, the final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:11.38.
Miss Valentine, who has now earned $416,500 from 18 starts (7-5-1), was impressive in all three races as a juvenile, capturing her Belmont debut in October 2010 before going on to win the Swirlaway Stakes and finish second in the East View.
Five times in the exacta in eight starts at three, the 4-year-old chestnut daughter of Afleet Alex won a pair of open stakes last year – 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 in the Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct.
Miss Valentine began her 2012 campaign with a last-to-first run to capture the Northern Willy. She has since added victories in Belmont’s Chase the Dream and Lottsa Talc, a runner-up finish in the mud to Willet in the Iroquois on Showcase Day and a third in the Fleet Indian at Saratoga.
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.
