Quidura gives trainer Motion fourth graded stakes win of meet
LEXINGTON, Ky. – If Keeneland ran year-round, Graham Motion might well be king of the racing world.
As it is, Motion will have to settle for graded stakes victories in bunches when Keeneland conducts three-week meets every spring and fall. On Friday, it was Quidura giving Motion his fourth graded win of the 2016 fall meet when the British-bred filly rolled to a 1 1/2-length score in the 26th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes.
“We’ve been very lucky to have some of these horses in the right spots,” Motion said by phone afterward from his Fair Hill, Md., base. “I’d like to think we have our horses ready for these bigger races in the fall at Keeneland.”
Always in a prime position under Junior Alvarado, Quidura took command in the stretch run of the 1 1/16-mile Valley View, finishing in 1:45.86 over a turf rendered soft by overnight rain. Two earlier events scheduled for the grass (races 3 and 6) were transferred to the main track.
Quidura, owned by Gestut Faerhof, returned $9.80 as third choice in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies. It was just her fourth career start and second in the United States after starting her career in Germany. Linda, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., rallied to finish second, another two lengths before My Impression.
“She put herself right in position,” said Alvarado, who rode Quidura in her lone prior start on this continent, a Sept. 18 allowance win at Belmont Park. Down the stretch, “she gave me a nice run.”
“They had really high hopes for this filly,” Motion said. “She bled in one of her races and it made sense to bring her over here.”
Based primarily in Maryland, Motion is the fourth-leading stakes-winning trainer in Keeneland history with 32 wins, behind D. Wayne Lukas, Todd Pletcher, and Bill Mott.
Motion won the Valley View last year with Tiger Ride when the race was moved to the main track. He becomes the first trainer to win the race twice in a row.
Ontrack attendance was 14,859 on an afternoon that turned sunny after raw conditions prevailed most of the day.
The $2 exacta (9-14) paid $105.80, the $1 trifecta (9-14-10) returned $214.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (9-14-10-6) was worth $268.75.
Three of the original 15 entrants were scratched, including one of the morning-line favorites, Tin Type Gal, also trained by Motion.
Racing continues Saturday at Keeneland with a 10-race card featuring the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
