Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies: Rachel’s Valentina as talented as she is popular

Rachel’s Valentina is one of several top contenders for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 31, along with Songbird and Tap to It. But she’d be odds-on if the Juvenile Fillies went to the most popular, rather than the swiftest.

As the second foal out of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, Rachel’s Valentina had a legion of fans before she ever stepped onto a racetrack. That she’s talented is almost a bonus.

Rachel Alexandra is one of the most popular horses of recent years. Purchased by the Stonestreet Stables of the late Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke following her victory in the Kentucky Oaks, she closed her 3-year-old season with four consecutive wins for trainer Steve Asmussen, including decisions over males in the Preakness, Haskell Invitational, and Woodward.

Rachel Alexandra was retired after her 4-year-old campaign and in 2011 was bred to Curlin – a two-time Horse of the Year for Stonestreet Stables. The foal, Jess’s Dream, now 3, won his career debut at Saratoga in August.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2015: See DRF’s top contenders

Rachel Alexandra was bred back to Bernardini, and the resulting foal was Rachel’s Valentina.

While she was born healthy – “She had no complications, never had any issues,” said John Moynihan, a bloodstock adviser for Stonestreet who was involved in the purchase of both Curlin and Rachel Alexandra – the delivery was difficult for Rachel Alexandra.

A day after foaling Rachel’s Valentina, Rachel Alexandra was taken to the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where she underwent surgery on her small colon. She had a second medical procedure three weeks later and remained at Rood and Riddle for six weeks. With her mother ill, Rachel’s Valentina was placed with a nurse mare.

Rachel Alexandra has not been bred since, and Banke is hesitant to do so, according to Moynihan.

“I wouldn’t say she is retired, but at this time, there are no plans to breed her,” he said. “Whether she is bred again is Barbara’s decision. Physically, she’s fine, but she is like a family member to Barbara, and after what happened, Barbara really doesn’t want to put her through it again.”

Although separated from her mother early on, Rachel’s Valentina progressed nicely.

“She was a pretty horse at six months, a pretty horse at a year,” Moynihan said. “In the field when she was young, she was dominant, not one that you would look and say, ‘Wow,’ but she did what she was supposed to do, and maybe a little bit more.”

Rachel’s Valentina was sent to trainer Todd Pletcher in May. She won her debut Aug. 2 at Saratoga and came back five weeks later to take the Spinaway Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race for the Juvenile Fillies. She finished strongly from off the pace in both races.

While Rachel Alexandra was a big, powerful mare, Rachel’s Valentina is more refined.

“She’s a smallish to medium-sized filly, very well balanced, with a long stride,” Pletcher said. “We’ve always thought the longer, the better for her. She also has a great disposition and is a kind filly around the barn.”

:: Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Results, replays, charts, and more

Moynihan described her this way: “She’s a little more of a slighter mold of a 2-year-old, but I would expect her to mature and develop as a 3-year-old.”

Moynihan said Rachel’s Valentina “trains fast, gallops out strong, and has amazing mechanics. You know, we don’t hear from Todd very often, but he’ll call if he gets a good one, and we heard from him early on that Rachel’s Valentina might be the best 2-year-old he had of either sex.”

Pletcher kept Rachel’s Valentina at Saratoga after the meet ended and last week vanned her to Kentucky. He has decided to train her from the Spinaway to the Breeders’ Cup, a period of eight weeks, and on Monday, she worked a half-mile at Keeneland in company with the 4-year-old Stopchargingmaria, a winner of seven graded stakes and $1.8 million. They both went in 48 seconds and galloped out in 1:01.20.

Although Rachel Alexandra never made it to the Breeders’ Cup, her graceful daughter might be on the verge of giving Rachel fans another long-awaited thrill.

Gomo, Nickname punch tickets

The final Juvenile Fillies Win and You’re In races were won last weekend in the slop by Gomo, who took the Alcibiades at Keeneland for trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam, and Nickname, who splashed home first in the Frizette at Belmont Park for trainer Steve Asmussen and the LNJ Foxwoods stable of Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth.

Gomo looked particularly strong striding out down the stretch. A daughter of Uncle Mo, she now has three two-turn races under her belt and a course-and-distance win for the Juvenile Fillies. O’Neill and Reddam also are pointing Chandelier Stakes runner-up Land Over Sea to the race.

Asmussen was glad to get the Roths – whom he only began training for this year – their first Grade 1 win. This is the second time Asmussen has won the Frizette.

“I do know that the last time we won the Frizette, we went on to win the Breeders’ Cup with My Miss Aurelia,” he said, referring to the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011.

◗ Trainer Dale Romans has left the Juvenile Fillies door open for the third- and fourth-place finishers in the Alcibiades, Me Can Do It and Put Da Blame On Me.