Valid Video Earns Bravo Second Summit of Speed Victory

Jockey Joe Bravo booted home Valid Video to win the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes (gr. III) at Calder Saturday to earn his second stakes win on the Summit of Speed card. The victory for the Dennis Manning trainee also marked the second stakes win of the day for a Monmouth Park-based runner.

"This race really set up for us perfectly and that's the way the pace scenario worked out," said Bravo. "I was mostly concerned about the horse on the outside of me (King Robyn), but when I saw Alex (Solis) already asking him to run I became even more confident since I was already sure that I had a lot of horse left."

The Carry Back was the first graded stakes win for 3-year-old Valid Video since a 2 1/4-length win in the Sapling (gr. III) at Monmouth Park last August. The Florida-bred son of Valid Wager raced well in south Florida this past winter, winning the Sunshine Millions Dash and the Ocala Breeders' Sales Sprint. Valid Video completed the six furlongs in 1:10.15 on the fast track.

"I planned this race for him a long time ago," said Manning. "When I saw the purse at $300,000 and I realized he wasn't going to go long, I knew I had to try it. In his last, I kind of got caught with my pants down because I had glue-on shoes on him with no toe grabs (for a sloppy track), and I couldn't change them. I didn't understand him being that big a price here today. He ran 1:10 flat, I guess that's pretty fast at Calder, no? We'll look at the Amsterdam at Saratoga now for his next."

Valid Video returned $19.60 for the win and topped a $$303.60 exacta completed by 27-1 longshot Cajun Beat. Super Fuse finished third in his first race since March, followed by King Robyn, Coach Jimi Lee, Lawbook, Halo Homewrecker, Roll Hennessy Roll, Sweet Devil, and Awesome of Course.

Valid Video earned $177,000 for his fifth win from eight career starts. He was bred by Casey Seaman. (Chart, Equibase)