Navratilova Gives Humphrey Milestone Win In Keeneland’s Valley View

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s homebred Navratilova dug down deep for a front-running one-length victory in Friday's featured $150,000 Rubicon Valley View (G3) on the penultimate day of Keeneland's 17-day Fall Meet in Lexington, Ky. The win marked the eighth graded stakes victory for Humphrey and earned for him a Keeneland Tray, part of Keeneland's unique Milestone Trophy Program.

Humphrey is the 23rd owner to receive the Keeneland Tray, first awarded to Hasty House Farm during the 1955 Spring Meet. On Oct. 23, Godolphin earned the Keeneland Tray following Caramel Swirl's win in the Lexus Raven Run (G2).

Navratilova, trained by Rusty Arnold and ridden by Colby Hernandez, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.57 over a turf course listed as yielding.

She and Hernandez broke sharply and secured the early lead heading into the first turn through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :23.82. Crazy Beautiful and Brian Hernandez Jr. broke sharply but settled in second up the backstretch while favored Toby's Heart and Joel Rosario kept to the inside in fourth behind Arm Candy and Ricardo Santana Jr.

Following a half-mile time in :49.06 and 6-furlong mark of 1:14.02, Navratilova continued to cruise on the lead while Crazy Beautiful and Tobys Heart maintained second and third, respectively. Inside the eighth pole, Navratilova was able to hold off Crazy Beautiful for the victory.

Sent off at odds of 25-1, Navratilova returned $53.80, $20.60 and $10.20. Crazy Beautiful paid $8.40 and $5.40 while Adventuring and Florent Geroux closed late for third and returned $5.60.

Navratilova is a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of the Grade 1-winning mare Centre Court, by Smart Strike. With today's win, the Kentucky-bred earned $90,000 to increase her career earnings to $241,465 with a record of 9-3-0-3.

Tobys Heart was able to hold fourth and was followed by Core Values, Breaker of Chains, Oliviaofthedesert, Saranya, Queenship (IRE), Arm Candy and Princess Theorem. Oyster Box, Lady Speightspeare, Flown, Gam's Mission and Wait for Nairobi were scratched from the over-subscribed field.

Sweet Dani Girl Wins Myrtlewood
J & J Stables and Nicholas Vaccarezza's Sweet Dani Girl made a bold three-wide rally to win the $150,000 Myrtlewood, named for the Hall of Famer and influential broodmare who won three races during Keeneland's nine-day opening meet in October 1936, in the race before the Rubicon Valley View.

Trained by Vaccarezza's father, Carlo Vaccarezza, and ridden by Martin Garcia, Sweet Dani Girl covered 6 furlongs in 1:10.36 over the track rated fast.

Kant Believe It and Verylittlecents dueled on the lead throughout much of the Myrtlewood through a quarter-mile fraction of :22.16 and half-mile time of :46.14. Garcia and Sweet Dani Girl tracked just to the outside of the pacesetting duo and was able to surge to the lead in the final strides for a three-quarter-length victory.

Sweet Dani Girl, the 2-1 favorite, paid $6, $4.20 and $3.40. Kant Believe It held second to return $7.20 and $5 under Jose Ortiz, while Verylittlecents finished third under Joe Talamo and returned $6.40.

Chi Town Lady finished fourth and was followed by Jester Calls Nojoy, Jumeirah, Towser, Majestic d'Oro, She's Pure Silver and You Look Cold. Blazing Summer was scratched.

Sweet Dani Girl Martin Garcia up, wins the Myrtlewood Stakes

With Sweet Dani Girl's victory in the Myrtlewood, she earned $90,000 and remained perfect in two career starts. The daughter of Jess's Dream out of the Scat Daddy mare My Sweet Dani Girl was bred in Florida by her owners.

Saturday is closing day of the Fall Meet with 10 races beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The card includes three stakes: Race 7 (4:12 p.m.) — $150,000 Bowman Mill, Race 8 (4:44 p.m.) – Bryan Station and Race 9 (5:16 p.m.) – Hagyard Fayette (G2).

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Weekend Lineup: Closing Day At Keeneland, Churchill’s Stars Of Tomorrow

Keeneland's Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) on Saturday and Santa Anita's Twilight Derby (G2T) on Halloween Sunday highlight the weekend graded stakes schedule. Additionally, Belmont Park hosts Empire Showcase Day on Saturday, featuring eight New York-bred stakes and Churchill Downs offers Stars of Tomorrow I, an 11-race Halloween Sunday program dedicated exclusively to 2-year-old racing.

Races in this weekend's rundown are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). Full previews, when available, can be found through the link for each race.

TVG will feature racing from Keeneland, Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Woodbine and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live from Belmont Park on Saturday, Oct. 30 on FS1 from 12:30 – 4:00 pm and on FS2 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. On Sunday, Oct. 31, “America's Day at the Races” will broadcast from Belmont Park on FS1 from 12:30 – 4:00 pm and on FS2 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm.

Friday, Oct. 29

5:16 PM ET – $150,000 Rubicon Valley View Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland on TVG

An overflow field of 16 was entered in the 1 1/6-mile Rubicon Valley View Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies. Trainer Kenny McPeek is represented by the duo of Crazy Beautiful, a main track multiple Grade 2 stakes winner and Grade 1 stakes placed Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam's Map, and multiple stakes winner Oliviaofthedesert, a Kentucky-bred daughter of the late Bernardini. Undefeated Lady Speightspeare, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Speightstown, won the Natalma Stakes (G1T) over Woodbine's turf course as a 2-year-old and won her only start of 2021 last month over that same course. Trainer Joseph O'Brien sends Queenship (IRE), a winner of three of four lifetime starts, for her first United States race.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE102921USA9-EQB.html

Saturday, Oct. 30

5:16 PM ET – $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland on TVG

Independence Hall, fresh off a runner-up finish to NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll leader Knicks Go in last month's Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, is the morning line favorite in the nine-horse Fayette field. The Kentucky-bred son of Constitution will break from post five under Javier Castellano for trainer Michael McCarthy. Trainer Shug McGaughey has entered Code of Honor, a multiple-Grade 1 winner and earner of nearly $3 million. Tyler Gaffalione will ride the Kentucky-bred son of Noble Mission (GB).

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE103021USA9-EQB.html

7:08 PM ET – $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita on TVG

Zero Tolerance, winner of two of three career starts, looks for her first graded stakes win in the one-mile Autumn Miss (G3T) for trainer Peter Miller. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Mizzen Mast rallied late to win the listed Unzip Me Stakes earlier this month over Santa Anita's downhill turf course. Ego Trip (IRE), a maiden in three starts and trained by Brendan Walsh, finished third to Technical Analysis (IRE) in Saratoga's Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) in August.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA103021USA8-EQB.html

Sunday, Oct. 31

3:49 PM ET – $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) at Belmont Park on FS1

A four-time winner in seven 2021 starts, Plainsman enters the seven-furlong Bold Ruler off a win in the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, the Kentucky-bred son of Flatter will visit his sixth track this year. Wonderwherecraigis crossed the line first last out in the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3) but was disqualified for interference with a rival in the stretch and placed second. The Brittany Russell-trained gelding has won three of five starts this year.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL103121USA7-EQB.html

4:30 PM ET – $150,000 Ontario Derby (G3) at Woodbine on TVG

A field of eight 3-year-olds is entered in the 1-1/8-mile main track Ontario Derby (G3). Ontario-bred Riptide Rock was upset as the favorite by 25-1 shot British Royalty in Woodbine's Breeders' Stakes last month. Sid Attard, a Canadian Hall of Fame inductee, trains the Point of Entry gelding for Stronach Stables. Swot Analysis returned from a nearly 10-month layoff to win a seven-furlong allowance race over Woodbine's All Weather Track in his last start. The Louisiana-bred Anchor Down colt is trained by and will be making just his fifth career start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO103121CAN8-EQB.html

8:00 PM ET – $200,000 Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita on TVG

This year's Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner, Rock Your World, returns to the turf for the first time after beginning his career a perfect two for two on the surface earlier this year. The Kentucky-bred son of Candy Ride (ARG) ran unplaced in both the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) before finishing second most recently to Medina Spirit in Del Mar's Shared Belief Stakes. California-bred None Above the Law enters the 1-1/8-mile Twilight Derby off consecutive wins, including the Del Mar Derby presented by Caesars Sportsbook (G2) most recently. The Karakontie (JPN) gelding has won half of his 10 stars in 2021.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA103121USA10-EQB.html

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Lady Speightspeare, Gam’s Mission Headline Friday’s Valley View

Charles Fipke's undefeated Lady Speightspeare, scratched at the gate for the Oct. 16 Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, headlines an overflow field of 14 3-year-old fillies plus two also-eligibles entered Sunday for Friday's 31st running of the Grade 3 Rubicon Valley View at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

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

Trained by Roger Attfield, Lady Speightspeare has won all three of her starts highlighted by a victory in last year's Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Emma-Jayne Wilson, who has been aboard for all of Lady Speightspeare's starts, will ride Friday and break from post 11.

The other graded stakes winner in the field is Lazy F Ranch's homebred Gam's Mission.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Gam's Mission returns to the races for the first time since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Prior to that, Gam's Mission was fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., after winning the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Adam Beschizza will have the mount Friday and break from post 14.

Six other grass stakes winners in the field are Godolphin's Adventuring (Dueling Grounds Oaks), BBN Racing's Core Values (Preview Dueling Grounds Derby), Peachtree Stable's Saranya (Curtis Sampson Oaks), G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Navratilova (Tepin), EuroLindy Syndicate's Queenship (IRE) (Navigation Stakes in Ireland) and Terry Hamilton, Gary Barber, and trainer Brian Lynch's three-time stakes winner Tobys Heart.

Also entered is Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Crazy Beautiful, a three-time graded stakes winner on dirt who won going a mile on the grass in her racing debut last year at 2 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

The field for the Rubicon Valley View, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Core Values (Rafael Bejarano, 118 pounds), Saranya (Joe Talamo, 118), Crazy Beautiful (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Tobys Heart (Joel Rosario, 118), Navratilova (Colby Hernandez, 118), Oliviaofthedesert (Corey Lanerie, 118), Adventuring (Florent Geroux, 118), Breaker of Chains (Tyler Gaffalione, 118), Arm Candy (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118), Oyster Box (James Graham, 118), Lady Speightspeare (Wilson, 118), Queenship (IRE) (Julien Leparoux, 118), Flown (Jose Ortiz, 118), Gam's Mission (Beschizza, 118). Also eligibles: Princess Theorem (Jose Ortiz, 118), Wait for Nairobi (Edgar Morales, 118).

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Gam’s Mission, Plum Ali Lead List For Valley View At Keeneland

Lazy F Ranch's Gam's Mission and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Plum Ali, both graded stakes winners on the grass, head a list of 42 3-year-old fillies nominated to the 31st running of the $150,000 Grade 3 Rubicon Valley View to be run Oct. 29 at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Cherie DeVaux trains Gam's Mission, winner of the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., this spring who since has finished fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and fifth in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Plum Ali, trained by Christophe Clement, won the Grade 2 Miss Grillo last fall and this year has two graded stakes placings.

Also scheduled for Oct. 29 is the new $150,000 Myrtlewood for 2-year-old fillies going 6 furlongs on the main track.

The Myrtlewood drew 24 nominations headed by Barry and Joni Butzow's undefeated Sea Level. Trained by Brad Cox, Sea Level won the E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., in her most recent start.

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