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Venetian Harbor Holds Off Finite For Munnings Exacta In Raven Run

Second behind Speech in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in July, Southern California-based Venetian Harbor returned to the Lexington, Ky., track to win Saturday's G2, $200,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in front-running fashion under Manny Franco.

Trained by Richard Baltas and owned by Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Munnings held off a late charge from multiple graded stakes winner Finite – also by Munnings – to win by a neck, with Grand Cru Class third, Reagan's Edge fourth and Tonalist's Shape fifth in the field of eight.

Off as the 3-2 favorite, Venetian Harbor paid $5.20 to win and covered seven furlongs in 1:23.02 on a fast track after setting fractions of :23.06, :46.17 and 1:10.34.

“I was a little bit concerned about the 2 horse (Four Graces), and when I saw she didn't break (in front) I decided to go then,” said Franco. “She's happy when she's in the lead. She showed it today. She's a nice filly.”

It was the third win in seven starts for Venetian Harbor, who was produced from the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City. She was bred by Richard Santulli's Colts Neck Stables and purchased from the eighth session of the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $110,000, then bought back for $205,000 at the 2019 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

A winner around two turns earlier this year in the G2 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita, Venetian Harbor last raced Aug. 8 in the seven-furlong G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga, where she finished seven lengths behind Gamine.

Venetian Harbor is headed to the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, to be run at the same seven-furlong distance at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Sprinting is in her blood, as she traces back four generations in her female family to Hall of Fame runner Safely Kept, the 1989 champion sprinter and winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint in 1990 against males.

Finite ran a good race to be second for Steve Asmussen under Ricardo Santana Jr. in her second start since undergoing surgery to remove an ankle chip this spring. A Winchell homebred daughter of Munnings, Finite is a two-time G2 winner who soundly defeated G1 Preakness winner Swiss Skydiver in the G2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in February.

In the Raven Run, Finite raced in mid-pack while well off the rail as Venetian Harbor went unchallenged on the lead, then followed the winner into the stretch. She switched to the rail when Venetian Harbor drifted out slightly and was gaining on her in the final strides.

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Saratoga Oaks Winner Antoinette Among 12 Going In Friday’s Pin Oak Valley View

Godolphin's Antoinette, winner of the Saratoga Oaks Invitational and recently runner-up in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), tops a field of a dozen 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday's 30th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The Valley View, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course, will go as the ninth race on Friday afternoon's 10-race program with a 5:30 ET post time. First post is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Bill Mott, the homebred daughter of Hard Spun will be ridden Friday by Manny Franco and break from post position 12.

Headlining the competition to Antoinette is Merriebelle Stable's Walk In Marrakesh (IRE), who came within a nostril of winning the Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland in July.

Trained by Ignacio Correas IV, Walk In Marrakesh has been on the wrong end of three photos in graded stakes company since coming to North America late last summer. She was beaten a nose in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine in September and in her 2020 debut was beaten a head in the Florida Oaks (G3).

Sixth in the Edgewood (G2) at Churchill Downs in her most recent start, Walk In Marrakesh will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and break from post position four.

Figuring to also attract support are Marc Detampel, TSK Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen's Outburst (GB) and Paradise Farms Corp. and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Stunning Sky.

Winner of the aforementioned Florida Oaks in March, Outburst enters Friday's race off a fourth-place finish in the Music City at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Outburst will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position 10.

Stunning Sky comes into the Valley View off a solid summer that featured runner-up finishes at Saratoga in the Lake Placid (G2) and Saratoga Oaks Invitational. In her most recent start, she was fourth in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs trailing Micheline and Harvey's Lil Goil, the top two finishers in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland.

Trained by Mike Maker, Stunning Sky will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position 11.

The field for the Valley View, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Duopoly (Tyler Gaffalione, 118 pounds), In Good Spirits (Miguel Mena, 118), Princess Grace (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) (Hernandez Jr., 118), Witez (Julien Leparoux, 118), How Ironic (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Pranked (David Cohen, 118), Lucky Betty (Declan Cannon, 118), Sugar Fix (Adam Beschizza, 120), Outburst (GB) (Geroux, 120), Stunning Sky (Santana Jr., 118) and Antoinette (Franco, 120).

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Channel Maker Takes His Second Edition Of The Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Gate To Wire

Accomplished Channel Maker had things all his way in Saturday's Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, leading the 1 1/2-mile contest gate to wire with jockey Manny Franco. Franco hustled the 6-year-old gelding out of the gate early and faced initial pressure from rival Cross Border going into the first turn. After Cross Border settled a bit, Franco was able to slow the pace somewhat, going from a :22.89 opening quarter to a :49.41 half mile. As closers began rallying going into the sweeping Belmont turn, Franco asked Channel Maker for run early into the turn, and pressed him in the last furlong, where he kept daylight between himself and Laccario. The Bill Mott trainee was never seriously threatened and finished with his characteristic high-headed running style.

Mott also saddled the winner of the G2 Gallant Bloom earlier in the card.

The final time was 2:25.99. Laccario finished second, followed by Sadler's Joy. Channel Maker went off at odds of 5-2 and paid $7.60 to win. Favored Rockemperor (IRE) was fifth.

This is Channel Maker's second victory in the Joe Hirsch, including his win in the 2018 edition. He was second in last year's race.

He is owned by Gary Barter, Wachtel Stable, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. His previous credits include a win last out in the G1 Sword Dancer as well as last year's G1 Man o' War, and the G2 Bowling Green in 2018.

Channel Maker was bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm and is the son of English Channel and Horse Chestnut (SAF) mare In Return.

See the full chart here.

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Angel Cordero, Jr. Taking Book of Maryland Apprentice Charlie Marquez

Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero, Jr., who currently represents Manny Franco, regular pilot of GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution), is adding Maryland’s leading apprentice, Charlie Marquez, to his team. Marquez, age 17, rides with a five-pound weight allowance and was the third-leading rider at Laurel Park’s summer meet, which wrapped up Saturday.

“There’s nothing like Laurel,” said Marquez. “I love all the people. The environment’s great, the horses are great. I just wanted to try something new in my career. I always wanted to go to New York. It’s just another chapter of my life, so I want to see where that goes.”

Marquez, who debuted professionally Jan. 1, got his first winner Jan. 9 at Laurel with his eighth mount. The Maryland native is the son of Carlos Marquez, Jr., a winner of more than 3,150 career races who is currently riding in Puerto Rico. His grandfather, Carlos Marquez Sr., was also a jockey who taught at Puerto Rico’s jockey school.

“I’m excited. I hope to do good,” said Marquez. “I have a very good agent up there. [Cordero is] a great mentor, a good agent and has a lot of connections, so hopefully we can be a good team and work together to get some wins.”

Cordero, who won 7,057 races during his Hall of Fame career, also previously represented Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

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