Dixiana Farms' homebred Tiger Ride made it two in a row for trainer Graham Motion and picked up a third 2015 stakes score Oct. 24 at Keeneland, holding off 5-2 favorite Include Betty to win the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View. Video: Pin Oak Valley View S. (G3)
Due to light rain in the Lexington area and with the Breeders' Cup World Championships slated to be run Oct. 30-31, the turf race was moved to 1 1/16 miles on the dirt and downgraded from its grade III status pending review of the American Graded Stakes Committee.
The change of surface was no issue for 3-year-old Tiger Ride, who won the Sept. 9 Indiana Grand Stakes on the lawn last out. One start prior, the daughter of Candy Ride was an outkicked fourth in the Aug. 22 Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) on dirt at Monmouth Park, but this time she handled the surface with a good six-wide kick around the turn to finish a length ahead.
"I felt pretty comfortable running her on dirt," Motion said. "I would have preferred the grass. I think she's eventually going to be a better filly on the grass. But obviously she handles both, which is pretty unique."
Tiger Ride was unhurried early and raced eighth after a quarter in :23.93 and a half in :48.59 set by Calypso Beat. That front-runner showed the way by half a length through three-quarters in 1:13.41, but Tiger Ride was looming and took over in the stretch to inch clear in the final stages.
"I had a beautiful trip," said winning jockey Edgar Prado. "She broke OK. I was sitting right behind the speed. When I swung her outside, she really had a nice kick."
Include Betty mounted a huge bid from far back but could not get to the winner.
"She ran her race," said jockey Drayden Van Dyke. "She's always runs when I've asked her. The way she came from (ninth), I think the short stretch might have confused her a little bit because I had to ask her for everything mid-turn and I usually don't do that."
Tiger Ride returned $15.80, $6.60, and $4.20 at odds of 6-1 while Include Betty paid $4.40 and $2.80. Mrs McDougal, also rallying, brought $4. Prado's Sweet Ride, Sunset Glow, Gap Year, Stormy Regatta, Calypso Beat, Cara Marie, and Don't Leave Me completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky out of the Storm Cat mare Royal Tigress, Tiger Ride improved her record to five wins from nine starts for earnings of $333,680.
