Virginia-breds took center stage nationally Sunday afternoon by winning the day’s two biggest stakes races, held respectively at Del Mar and Monmouth.
Stellar Wind, bred by the Keswick Stables and Stone Street Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, captured the Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes on the west coast while Edward Evans’ Valid was victorious in the Grade III Iselin Stakes on the east coast.
Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind jockey Victor Espinoza win the Grade III, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes, Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO
Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind jockey Victor Espinoza win the Grade III, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes, Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO
Stellar Wind took the lead just past the three-quarter pole and cruised to an easy 4 1/4 length win in her $100,000 stakes at Del Mar. The daughter of Curlin faced a field of five other sophomore fillies and covered the mile in 1:36.43. In seven lifetime starts, Stellar Wind has five wins, four of them graded, to go with a third place finish and earnings of $553,200. One of her triumphs earlier this year was in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks.
John Sadler trains Stellar Wind for Hronis Racing, LLC while Victor Espinoza guided the winner, who is out of a Malibu Moon mare, Evening Star.
Valid earned his third graded stakes win in similar style among a field of six in Monmouth’s $150,000 headliner. Jockey Nik Juarez directed the 5 year old Medaglia d’Oro gelding past frontrunner Bradester at the top of the stretch and never looked back, winning by 3 1/2 lengths. Valid, who is out of the Grand Slam mare, Grand Prayer, was making his 30th start. He covered the 1 1/8 miles effort in 1:50.14. With a bankroll of $699,107, he has collected nine wins, seven runner-up finishes and six thirds.
Valid with Nik Juarez riding won the $150,000 Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on Sunday August 30, 2015. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO
Marcus Vitale trains the 5 year old gelding for the Crossed Sabres Farm. Valid covered the 1 1/8 miles effort in 1:50.14.
Though it wasn’t an attention getting graded stakes triumph, Brudda Clyde did complete a Virginia-bred stakes hat trick of sorts Sunday by winning his fifth straight in the $16,200 Peace Country Stakes at Alberta, Canada’s Evergreen Park.
The 6 year old Political Force gelding went gate to wire in the dirt mile stakes that attracted a field of eight. Budda Clyde was bred by James S. Carter.