Lucky Stride tries turf in Violet Stakes

The fillies and mares seeking to win the $100,000 Violet Stakes this Saturday on the Monmouth turf were bred in various locales. The seven turf-meant entrants for the Violet – set as the fifth race on Saturday’s 14-race card – were bred in Kentucky, New Jersey, France, Ireland, and Great Britain.

One of the Kentucky-breds in the 1 1/16-mile turf race is Lucky Stride, who has spent the majority of her career running in Puerto Rico. Her first 11 starts came at Camarero racetrack in Puerto Rico, where she won eight times, including the Group 2 Dia del Veterano and Group 3 Roberto Clemente last year. She was moved to the care of trainer Michael Trombetta over the summer.

“It took a lot to get her here,” Trombetta said last month. “She went from Puerto Rico, to Ocala, to Fair Hill, to up here at Saratoga. She’s doing well. We’re hoping to see her form hold up in the United States, which is why she’s here.”

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Trombetta unveiled Lucky Stride in the Grade 3 Shuvee on Aug. 30 at Saratoga, and she finished fifth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Lucky Stride has never run on turf. Her sire, Declaration of War, by War Front, was a multiple Group 1 winner in Europe and has been a multi-purpose sire.

Representing the “home team” is the 6-year-old New Jersey-bred mare Valedictorian, who has bankrolled more than $750,000 while winning or placing in a dozen stakes. She won the 2018 Jersey Girl at Monmouth, and the Grade 3 Eatontown last year.

This year, Valedictorian has three third-place finishes to show from six starts, all in stakes company in Florida, New York, and New Jersey. She was most recently third in an off-the-turf edition of the Eatontown on Aug. 29 at Monmouth.

Valedictorian is likely to be the speed of the Violet field.

“There were no easy spots to bring her back this year,” trainer Kelly Breen has said. “There were just no spots out there to maybe get her an easy win.”

Chad Brown sends in French-bred Altea and British-born She’s Got You. Multiple graded/group stakes-placed Altea was most recently fourth in the Perfect Sting on turf at Saratoga with a 91 Beyer, the top last-out figure in the field. Stakes-placed She’s Got You is making her second start in the United States after coming off a long layoff to finish third, beaten a head, in an optional claimer on turf in July at Belmont with an 89 Beyer.