The 3-year-olds Valence and Alotaluck have been career-defining runners for trainer Ty Garrett in 2024.
A stable that typically races at venues in states such as Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico is trying something new this week.
Valence is entered in Thursday’s Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita, the first start at the historic track for the 47-year-old Garrett. Valence has already given Garrett his richest win in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks in New Mexico on Nov. 26.
The American Oaks has the same purse, but is Garrett’s first starter in a Grade 1 race.
Garrett began training in 2001. Until this year, the stable’s best season in earnings was 2015, with $269,343.
Valence, who has earned $217,700 in 2024, and Alotaluck, who has earned $251,288 this year, have helped Garrett’s team earn $615,988 through Saturday. Alotaluck won the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park in April.
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“We’ve had the right horses at the right time with the right purses,” Garrett said on Sunday. “Everything has worked out really well.”
Valence won her stakes debut in the Zia Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, leading throughout to win by four lengths at 17-1. The American Oaks is a completely different assignment, at 1 1/4 miles on turf against fillies who have won stakes at Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Gulfstream Park, and Santa Anita.
Garrett realizes the difficulty of what Valence faces.
“We’re hoping to get lucky and get a Grade 1 placing and increase her value a little bit,” he said. “We know she likes the turf. This turf is hard and fast. I think she’ll run on anything.”
Valence, who races for Jason Hall, Stephen Baker and Bill Vanlandingham, began her career with trainer O.J. Jauregui at Golden Gate Fields, winning her second start in a maiden race at a mile there in September 2023.
Valence joined Garrett’s stable for the Canterbury Park meeting earlier this year. Valence won an allowance race at a mile on turf there in her 3-year-old debut in June and was beaten in her next five starts before the upset win in the Zia Park Oaks.
Valence, who will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura on Thursday, will start from post 12 in a field of 13. She will not be far from the pace, Garrett said.
“She’s very useful,” Garrett said. “I think with an outside draw we’ll be a little more forwardly placed. We’ll see how she jumps away from there. I’ll leave it up to the rider.”
Garrett is a third-generation trainer. His grandfather, Alva, ran Quarter Horses on the Idaho fairs. Ty Garrett’s first stakes win was with Guns a Blazen in the $5,600 Seabiscuit Premiere Handicap at now-closed Les Bois Park in Boise, Idaho, in 2003.
More than 20 years later, he has his first runner at Santa Anita this week.
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