Lady Valeur has no problem with main track in Miss America

Lady Valeur ($4.40), heavily favored even though she was making her first start on a main track, had no problem with the surface switch as she rallied in the lane to score her first stakes victory in the $55,625 Miss America at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Lady Valeur, who had run in graded stakes her past four starts, sat comfortably in third behind Glory and Our First Girl in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares. The race was switched to the main track from the turf because of rain.

Many turf runners have found Golden Gate’s Tapeta main track to their liking, and the 3-year-old Irish-bred filly by Multiplex was no exception.

She rated kindly under Ricardo Gonzalez, who kept her in the clear in the three path down the backstretch and around the turn. Gonzalez waited until the field had turned for home before he let her loose, and she quickly surged to the front.

Mon Petite, coming off two straight wins, was fourth to Lady Valeur’s inside until the stretch. She came out, but could not match the top pick, finishing second in a three-way photo with stablemates Hijra and Lucy in Diamonds.

The winning margin was 1 1/4 lengths. The winning time was 1:45.35.

Lady Valeur, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Patrick Gallagher, earned $30,000 for her third career victory. She has now earned $181,233.

Elegant Bel and Miss Boom Boom scratched when the race was taken off the turf.