Rubicon Sponsors Keeneland’s Valley View

Rubicon, a Lexington-based software company that provides smart waste and recycling solutions, is the new sponsor of Keeneland's $150,000 GIII Valley View S., which will be run Friday, Oct. 29.

The Rubicon Valley View, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, is named for Kentucky's oldest recorded commercial business, the Valley View Ferry, which has operated since 1785. The ferry crosses the Kentucky River to connect Fayette and Madison counties. Stunning Sky (Declaration of War) won the most recent edition of the race, formerly known as the Pin Oak Valley View S., in 2020.

“Keeneland is proud to have Rubicon join as sponsor of the Valley View,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “The stakes sponsorship is a new dimension of the association between Keeneland and Rubicon, which began in December 2020 when Keeneland named Rubicon as its exclusive waste, recycling, and sustainability partner.”

Rubicon also becomes the presenting sponsor of Heroes Day, to be held Sunday, Oct. 24. Keeneland honors military, first responders, and health care workers with activities and recognitions throughout the day. The Fall Meet continues through Saturday, Oct. 30.

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Princess Grace Proves Best In Off-The-Turf Mrs. Revere At Churchill Downs

Princess Grace put away pacesetter Positive Danger around the far turn and opened a clear lead in the stretch to comfortably win Saturday's 30th running of the $200,000 Mrs. Revere (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Pass the Plate closed to within 2 3/4 lengths of the winner to be second.

Owned and bred by Susan and John Moore, Princess Grace ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.00 to collect her first stakes win. Florent Geroux rode the winner for trainer Mike Stidham.

A traditional turf fixture, this year's Mrs. Revere was transferred to the main track because Churchill Downs' turf course has not satisfactorily responded to this fall's climate. Churchill Downs officials said no turf races would be run through Nov. 22.

Because of the surface switch, the Grade 2 event was automatically downgraded to a Grade 3 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Princess Grace, who finished a half-length back of Stunning Sky in last month's $150,000 Valley View (G3) on turf at Keeneland, banked the $122,760 first prize and rewarded her backers with $2 mutuels of $7, $3.40 and $3 as the 5-2 second betting choice in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.

Positive Danger carved out early fractions of :24.54 and :49.68 with Princess Grace in close pursuit. Midway around the far turn, Princess Grace took command and clocked six furlongs in 1:13.84. She opened up a three-length lead in the stretch and was able to easily turn back a late rally from Pass the Plate.

“The pace unfolded exactly how I thought that the horse to my inside (Positive Danger) would go to the lead and we could sit just to her outside,” said Geroux, who also rode Lovely Bernadette to win the 2017 Mrs. Revere. “She broke very alertly and was tracking nicely throughout the race. She's a nice filly and with winning on the dirt it gives the connections more options in the future but I would guess goes back to turf.”

Runner-up Pass the Plate, under Joe Talamo, paid $5 and $3.20. How Ironic, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $3.80 to show.

Stunning Sky, the 3-2 favorite, was fourth and was followed by Witez and Positive Danger. Hendy Woods was the lone late scratch.

The winner's share of the purse pushed Princess Grace's earnings to $205,260 from a record of 3-1-0 in four starts.

Princess Grace is a dark brown or bay daughter of Karakontie (Jpn) out of the Silent Name (Jpn) mare Masquerade who was bred in Kentucky.

“You're always concerned about a horse that didn't race on dirt yet,” Stidham said. “She had pretty consistent works over the Tapeta surface at Fair Hill. We didn't necessarily have a great line how she would take to the dirt but her early works were on the dirt. We thought she handled it very well then so we were cautiously optimistic. We knew that her dam Masquerade was game on both dirt and turf so we felt good trying it. Down the backside you saw Florent was in a great spot just off the leader. When he let out a notch she just opened up impressively.”

The Mrs. Revere is named in honor of Mrs. Revere, an accomplished Churchill Downs fan favorite in the mid-1980s. Mrs. Revere won 12 races in 28 starts, finished second seven times and earned $429,545 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Her six wins in a dozen starts at Churchill Downs included stakes triumphs in the Regret, Dogwood and Edgewood in 1984 and the Kentucky Cardinal in 1985. She was owned by Drs. David Richardson and Hiram Polk, who have provided the winner's trophy for the Mrs. Revere in each year of its existence.

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Stunning Sky a Worthy Favorite in Mrs. Revere

Stunning Sky (Declaration of War) managed to snap a seven-length losing streak with a tough-as-nails victory in Keeneland’s GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. when last seen Oct. 16 and figures a strong chance to take her current winning skein to two in Saturday’s GII Mrs. Revere S. at Churchill.

Haltered for $50,000 by this outstanding claiming outfit out of a second-out victory in the Gulfstream slop last December, Stunning Sky added a first-level allowance over the turf before her dry spell. The bay turned in some strong efforts in defeat during that stretch, including runner-up finishes in the GII Lake Placid S. and Saratoga Oaks ahead of a fourth in what has become a productive renewal of the Dueling Grounds Oaks Sept. 10. Trapped out three deep the trip in the Valley View, Stunning Sky nevertheless kept on gamely and grabbed perfect-trip Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) on the line despite covering 42 feet (about 4 1/4 lengths) more than the runner-up, according to Trakus.

Princess Grace was having just her third career start in the Valley View and looked well on her way to victory at the eighth pole, only to hang the last little bit. She can improve for that experience and will have her fair share of admirers.

How Ironic (Tonalist) was the winner of an Ellis Park allowance Aug. 7 ahead of an even seventh in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. She and Stunning Sky effectively raced as a team in the Valley View, though she lacked the same finishing kick and checked in third, beaten a length, while covering 18 fewer feet.

Hendy Woods (Uncle Mo) was runner-up to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Sharing (Speightstown) in Churchill’s GIII Edgewood S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Sept. 4 and exits a sixth in the GI QE II Challenge Cup, won by Harvey’s Lil Goil (American Pharoah), who returned to be a bang-up third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last weekend. Easy ground would enhance her chances.

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Equibase Analysis: Positive Danger A Live Longshot In Mrs. Revere

The Grade 2, $200,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes features a group of seven fillies, all 3-year-olds, on Saturday at Churchill Downs. In the similar Grade 3 Valley View Stakes last month, Stunning Sky defeated Princess Grace by a half-length, with How Ironic another half-length back in third and with Witez two and one-half lengths further back in fourth. There's no telling if some of those positions may be reversed in the Mrs. Revere, as well as if one of the new faces may prevail.

One of those is Hendy Woods, entering the race off a sixth place finish in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes and prior to that second in the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes over the Churchill Downs turf course. Pass the Plate won about one month ago, but on dirt in a race scheduled for turf initially. Her best finish at this level was a runner-up effort in the Bourbonette Oaks in March. Positive Danger is a lightly raced filly trying stakes company for the first time and having won the only two times she's run over a mile on turf in her career.

Hendy Woods started her career winning two in a row, both turf routes, in January and March before a seventh place finish in the Regret Stakes in June on the Churchill Downs sod. Rebounding with a win in the Indiana Grand Stakes with a career-best 100 Equibase Speed Figure, Hendy Woods then closed for second in the similar Edgewood Stakes on this turf course, improving just a bit to a 101 figure. Trying some of the best three year old turf fillies in the country in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes last month, an invitation only race, Hendy Woods finished sixth of seven but nevertheless was beaten just three and one-quarter lengths at the end. That effort resulted in a new career-best 107 figure which is tied for the best in the field with the figure Stunning Sky earned winning the Valley View Stakes six days later. Getting the ground saving rail and with red hot Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle for the first time, as well as noting Queen Elizabeth winner Harvey's Lil Goil ran very well when third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf last weekend, Hendy Woods could be tough to beat in this year's Mrs. Revere Stakes.

Positive Danger is a live longshot in my opinion because she's going to be in front from the start, perhaps with no challengers. A perfect two-for-two in turf routes, Positive Danger earned a career-best 87 figure for her most recent win, in a first level allowance race last month. However, as a 3-year-old taking a step from allowance to run well in stakes is not unheard of. For example, Princess Grace won at the first allowance level two races back in September, then improved to nearly post the upset in the Valley View when coming up a half-length short of Stunning Sky. With an inside post to help ease her way to the front from the opening bell, Positive Danger has the potential to get a very easy lead, get brave, and perhaps hang on for the upset win.

Stunning Sky and Princess Grace finished first and second, respectively, in the similar Valley View Stakes last month at Keeneland, both earning 107 figures. Stunning Sky has now run 11 times, winning three, while Princess Grace has only run three times, winning twice and finishing second in the other. Stunning Sky closed from ninth in the Valley View but that was a function of the very fast pace which saw her further back early than in her previous starts when she was no more than fifth at any stage. Princess Grace rallied from fifth in the Valley View to make the lead with an eighth of a mile to go, before the more seasoned Stunning Sky ran her down in the final yards. Both fillies have a will to win and the ability to back that up and it would be no surprise if both are in the thick of the action at the end of this race.

The rest of the field, with their best  Equibase Speed Figures, is How Ironic (106), Pass the Plate (103) and Witez (102).

Win Contenders, in preference order:
Hendy Woods
Positive Danger
Stunning Sky
Princess Grace

Mrs. Revere Stakes – Grade 2
Race 10 at Churchill Downs
Saturday, November 14 – Post Time 5:36 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Sixteenth on Turf
Fillies, 3-Year-Olds
Purse: $200,000

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