Valentine Candy continued a sweet campaign, scoring his fourth stakes victory of the year, and sixth for his career overall, in Monday's $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint for 3-year-olds at Mahoning Valley.
The Steel Valley was the richest of seven stakes – three open, and four for Ohio-born runners – totaling $900,000 in purses on Monday's richest card of the season at the Youngstown, Ohio track.
Valentine Candy ($8.20), sent away as the second choice with Jose Ortiz in the irons for Steve Asmussen, was sixth of eight through an honest opening quarter of 22.24 seconds on the fast track, as stakes winner Glengarry, in his first start since April, was keen while pressured by Sunny Breeze. Favored World Record, winner of the Grade 2 Amsterdam this summer, and Maximus Meridius were heads apart in third and fourth, respectively.
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Valentine Candy advanced to fourth around the turn, just more than a length back of Glengarry as he grimly held to the lead through a half in 44.96 seconds. As he and Sunny Breeze began to retreat, Valentine Candy was sailing with a five-wide move. He struck the lead and scooted clear late to win by 1 1/4 lengths, going away.
He stopped the clock in 1:10.34 for the six furlongs.
Maximus Meridius ran on well to edge World Record by a nose for second. It was 2 1/2 lengths to Henro in fourth, followed, in order, by Epic Ride, Sunny Breeze, Code Omaha, and Glengarry.
Valentine Candy, a son of Justify trained by Asmussen for Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Coteau Grove Farms, became racing's newest millionaire with the win. He owns four stakes wins at Oaklawn Park, taking the Advent Stakes and Renaissance Stakes late last year, and the Ozark Stakes and Bachelor Stakes earlier this year. He also won the Robert Hilton Memorial in August and Charles Town, and was third in the Amsterdam.
Benedetta takes Cheryl White Memorial
Asmussen and Ortiz teamed up to win the day's two richest races, with Benedetta ($15) springing a mild upset in the $200,000 Cheryl White Memorial for 3-year-old fillies sprinting. The filly was third in the stretch and surged by pacesetters Irish Maxima and Halina's Forte for a one-length win. Irish Maxima held second by a neck.
The time was 1:10.34 for the six furlongs – identical to the colts one race later.
Benedetta, owned by Kaleen Shah, has now won three straight races, coming in to her first stakes score off consecutive allowance-level wins at Churchill Downs. She was Grade 3-placed as a juvenile last year.
Miss Arlington upsets Distaff
Miss Arlington ($12.60) pulled off the win in the $100,000 Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Distaff for older female sprinters, leading throughout and easily holding sway over favored Mighty Madison. Second choice Disco Ebo was another three-quarters of a length back in third.
The time for the six furlongs was 1:11.35.
Miss Arlington, with Luis Saez in to ride for Brian Williamson, scored her first stakes victory, and her first win from five starts this year. She came to Mahoning off a runner-up effort in an allowance/optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs 15 days ago.
Ohio-bred stakes
Empire’s Fire ($4.20), winner of last month’s Best of Ohio Sprint at Mahoning Valley, continued to show he is among the best in the division by overcoming trouble to win the $75,000 Cardinal for Ohio-bred older sprinters. The gelding and Jose Bracho were shuffled back to last of six in a rough start, but quickly regrouped to gain a lead they would not relinquish, scoring a 1 1/2-length win and finishing six furlongs in 1:11.58. Empire’s Fire is trained by Jeff Radosevich.
Silent Rule ($38) scored the upset in the $75,000 First Lady, the sister race to the Cardinal. Brandon Tapara was in the irons for Jay Bernardini as the filly covered six furlongs in 1:11.31.
Casual Attire and Flavien Prat were sixth in the field of 14 on the far turn of the $75,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial, for Ohio-accredited 3-year-olds and up. A seven-wide rally propelled them to a 4 1/2-length win as the favored pair. Casual Attire ($4), who stopped the clock in 1:46.33 for one mile and 70 yards, is trained by Tim Hamm; he bred the gelding at his Blazing Meadows Farm in his “WinBlaze” partnership with WinStar Farm.
Heavily-favored Parlay ($2.10) led throughout for a 6 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Glacial Princess, for Ohio-accredited 2-year-old fillies. It was the second career stakes win for the filly, another WinBlaze homebred ridden by Prat; they went six furlongs in 1:12.73.
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