Angel Terrace, rallying from last on the turn for home, hooked up in deep stretch with Miss Cato and prevailed by a nose at 27-1 in the opening division of the $125,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Keeneland turf Oct. 19 (VIDEO).
The second division of the Pin Oak Valley View, which is for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on turf, went to Richard, Bertram, and Elaine Klein's homebred Miz Ida by a neck over 25-1 outsider English Class (VIDEO).
Keeneland carved the race into divisions after 24 fillies passed the entry box Oct. 16. The Valley View was split previously in 2009.
George Strawbridge's Augustin Stable homebred Angel Terrace earned her first stakes victory for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard in the opening division. She was timed in 1:44.77 over firm turf.
Angel Terrace, ridden expertly by James Graham, weaved her way through traffic to confront Miss Cato. The latter also rallied from far back on the far outside to get a narrow lead for Gabriel Saez past the furlong mark. There was little separating the hard-trying fillies as they strode for the wire on even terms in a superb finish.
It was the third consecutive runner-up finish for the Great Britain-bred Miss Cato, who lost by a neck in the Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park last time out.
Zapper Belle, ridden by Corey Lanerie, finished two lengths farther back in third, with Cosmic Energy fourth. Colonial Flag, the 5-2 favorite in the field of 12, finished fifth.
Angel Terrace, coming off a fourth in the Nani Rose Stakes on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course July 29, is a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Ghostzapper out of the winning mare Another Storm, by Gone West. Another Storm was the first foal from champion and millionaire Storm Song and was bought for $1 million at the 2000 Keeneland September yearling sale. Angel Terrace is a half to $242,055 earner Asperity, a group III winner in France.
She hopped at the start and fell behind the field immediately but moved up on the second turn when shifted out by Graham for racing room. After weaving through rivals in the lane to reach contention, she was all out under urging to win the head-bob.
"It looked like a pretty tough spot, but she is a nice filly," Sheppard said. "She ran in a restricted stakes at Saratoga and she got beat about a length. She was in front after the wire; she absolutely flew through the stretch. I thought if she settled nicely and if the speed backed up I thought she had a shot to get a piece of it. In fact, I wasn't really looking for the win. It was great."
"It was just like the way I rode her at Presque Isle Downs and it worked out and it worked out again today," said Graham, who previously rode the filly to to a 5 1/2-length maiden victory May 15.
Angel Terrace, who more than doubled her earnings to $146,770 while improving her career record to 3-1-0 in seven starts, paid $57.60, $20.60, and $15.80. Tough luck loser Miss Cato returned $5.40 and $4.60 and was part of a $389.60 exacta. Zapper Belle, off at 38-1, paid $15 to show while completing a $7,710.20 trifecta. A $2 superfecta, with 7-1 Cosmic Energy fourth, was worth $128,772.40.
In the second division, MIz Ida, roaring from mid-pack on the outside for Shaun Bridgmohan, collared English Class and Elvis Trujillo in the final yards to spoil another huge upset in the Valley View. The final time of 1:44.25 was slightly quicker than the earlier division.
Steve Margolis conditions the winning daughter of Proud Citizen out of the graded stakes placed and multiple stakes winner May Gator, by Green Alligator. Miz Ida registered her first graded stakes win and now has a three-race win streak for the Kleins after back-to-back non-graded stakes victories at Indiana Downs and Kentucky Downs. She has won four of five starts in 2012.
"This filly in her last few races has been so strong at the end," Margolis said. "We figured out some things since she ran in the Edgewood (on May 4 at Churchill Downs in which she was seventh). She doesn't want to sit that close (to the pace). Just let her break, let her get herself together and make her run when she's ready."
Miz Ida, breaking from the rail post, raced in the second flight of horses as Welcome Dance set an unhurried pace while leading 9-10 favorite Pianist and English Class. The latter, ranging up four wide on the outside in the stretch, took over from Pianist with more than a furlong to run and opened a clear advantage. But she could not stave off the determined charge of Miz Ida, who kicked on strongly when angled to the outside for running room in upper stretch.
Leading Astray, rallying in deep stretch for Eduardo Perez, was one length farther back in third, edging Pianist by three parts of a length in a field reduced to 10 by a pair of scratches.
"I thought I had a phenomenal trip," said Bridgmohan, who rode Mis Ida for the sixth consecutive time. "I'm getting to know this filly a little better every time I've ridden her. She's matured mentally and physically. You couldn't ask her to be doing any better."
It was the sixth win in nine lifetime starts for Miz Ida, who will likely be pointed to the Mrs. Revere (gr. IIT) on the Churchill Downs turf Nov. 17, Margolis said. The bay filly has earned $298,346.
Miz Ida paid $11.40, $8.40, and $4 while topping a $190.40 exacta with English Class, who returned $19.20 and $9.20. Leading Astray, winner of the Pucker Up Sept. 15, paid $4 to show.
Angel Terrace won the first division of the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes by a nose.
