Keeneland's feature race Saturday, the $100,000-added Valley View Stakes (gr. IIIT) has drawn a top-class field of 12 3-year-old fillies, set to run 1 1/16 miles over the turf course.
Trainer Donnie Von Hemmel will ship Pin Oak Stable's ultra-consistent, multiple stakes winner Bedanken in from Louisiana to contest the Valley View. The homebred daughter of Geri captured the DeBartolo Oaks in her last start. She also came home victorious in the Honeybee Stakes and Dixie Belle Stakes earlier this year at Oaklawn Park. Don Pettinger, who has ridden Bedanken in all seven of her lifetime starts, will fly to Lexington for the mount.
G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Kathy K D had trouble in the stretch of the Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park or she might have been the winner. She has the closing turn of foot that has been so effective on the local grass at this meeting and she should be rolling down the stretch. Trainer Rusty Arnold has named patient jockey Larry Melancon to ride.
Robby Albarado will don the green and red blouse of Team Valor Stables and Gary Barber to ride Stylelistick. The multiple Keeneland stakes winner made a bold move while six wide on the turn to win the Green River last fall. She captured the Appalachian at this year's spring meet for trainer Bill Mott, who is sure to have her primed for the Valley View.
John and Kim Glenney's Daisyago loves the Keeneland turf course and has already won a race at this meeting with a game effort. Although she has never beaten this caliber of fillies, she always gives her best and is racing in sharp form. California transplant Brice Blanc has the call.
Agent Doc Danner opted to put leading rider Pat Day on Thomas F. Van Meter II's Guana. Beaten a tad over two lengths in the Big Spruce Handicap at Meadowlands in her last start, the Elliott Walden-trained filly just missed taking the Lake George at Saratoga. She is seldom far away and has run well on soft turf courses in her native France.
The Valley View Stakes (gr. IIIT), 1 1/16 miles, turf, 3-year-old fillies
PP Horse Jockey
1 Bedanken DonPettinger
2 High Maintenance Mark Guidry
3 Kathy K D Larry Melancon
4 August Storm Jon Court
5 With Patience Calvin Borel
6 Dreamer's Glory Eibar Coa
7 Guana Pat Day
8 Styleistick Robby Albarado
9 Daisyago Brice Blanc
10 Mariensky Rene Douglas
11 Ms. Isadorable Jesus Castanon
12 Gilded Nip Rodney Prescott
