Coco Connect has first stakes victory in Valdale
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE?q=100)
Coco Connect gave trainer John Ennis and jockey Edgar Morales a sweep of the week’s stakes races at Turfway Park when she held on for the win in the $125,000 Valdale Stakes for 3-year-old fillies sprinting on Saturday night.
Coco Connect ($8.94), owned by BSF Equine Athlete, scored her first career stakes victory about 24 hours after her trainer and jockey combined to win Friday night’s $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes for older females sprinting with Ms. Tart, owned by Mulholland Springs and Judy Pryor.
Coco Connect, by Connect, finished eighth in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes last November at Churchill Downs, while running two turns on dirt. Since then, she has won back-to-back sprints on Turfway’s Tapeta, both under Morales. She preceded Saturday’s score with a victory in an allowance-optional claiming race on Jan. 8.
In the Valdale, Coco Connect sat a good stalking trip from her outside draw in the small field of six fillies and was third through a relatively moderate opening half of 46.71 seconds. She put a head in front of early leader The Town Tempter just past the quarter pole, then held sway by half a length over Hollybygolly, who rallied four wide. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to The Town Tempter in third.
The time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:18.82.
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