Hollygrove looked like a promising filly when she won her debut in May 2024 at Churchill Downs. The filly took some time to really come back to hand, but she delivered on that promise, going wire to wire and holding off My Lil Punky for her first stakes win in the $125,000 Valdale for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday night at Turfway Park.
Hollygrove ($16.16), who is trained by Whit Beckman for Legion Racing, won her debut sprinting five furlongs on the Churchill Downs dirt, but then did not re-appear under silks until November at that track. Going seven furlongs off the layoff, she led early before fading to seventh in an allowance-optional claiming race. The winner was Muhimma, now an unbeaten Grade 2 winner.
Hollygrove proceeded to finish second by a half-length in her stakes debut, the Sandpiper, going six furlongs on Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay. Although she moved to Tapeta for the 6 1/2-furlong Valdale, her pedigree suggested she would handle the new surface. She is from the first crop of Complexity, who had graded/group stakes winners on both dirt and turf last year, as well as a stakes winner on synthetic.
Hollygrove and Joe Ramos found their way to the rail early in the Valdale, and the filly had her head in front through the opening quarter of 23.32 seconds, as the top four were lapped on one another. Ramos continued to save ground as Hollygrove rated kindly despite the pressure, getting her half in 47.86 seconds while edging half a length clear. Ramos roused the filly turning for home, and she opened a clear lead as the others began to beat a retreat. My Lil Punky, who had been fifth, but less than half a length behind, after the half, made a good bid through the final furlong, but missed at the wire, with Hollygrove holding on by three-quarters of a length.
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The time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:19.41.
My Lil Punky was a clear second, 1 1/14 lengths clear of Grace On Grace, who rallied from sixth to be third. Grace On Grace won last month's Gowell Stakes at Turfway with My Lil Punky third.
After the top three, La Marinera, favored Magical Bette, Maclean's Lullaby, and Brindi rounded out the order of finish. Maclean's Lullaby and Brindi had been second and third behind Hollygrove after the half, making her lasting on the lead more impressive.
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