Queen Del Valle sets turf course record winning Alywow
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — U.S. shipper Queen Del Valle lowered the 6 1/2-furlong turf course record in a determined win over Will She in the $105,000 Alywow Stakes on the Woodbine Oaks undercard Sunday.
Will She set rapid fractions over the firm ground, as Queen Del Valle and R Naja took up the chase. Queen Del Valle ($29.40) was angled off the rail entering the stretch, and then gradually wore down Will She en route to a half-length score. Her hand-timed final clocking of 1:12.93 was .34 of a second faster than the previous mark.
Edgard Zayas rode Queen Del Valle, who banked $60,000. A daughter of Baryshnikov, Queen Del Valle was claimed for a bargain $25,000 by Big Lick Farm and trainer Reid Nagle last June at Gulfstream Park.
“I love that filly,” said Zayas, who was riding at Woodbine for the first time. “She’s a very nice filly to ride. I was very excited to try her against some stakes company. She’s been running against some optional-claiming horses. It was a [big] step up in class for her, and she handled it pretty nice. The track has been a little bit fast. I tried to stay close to the pace. Speed held a little bit. She’s very game.”
India Mantuana beat out a troubled Silent Sonet for third. The favored Victory to Victory was a non-threatening fifth in the eight-horse field of 3-year-old fillies.