Valadorna points to Rachel Alexandra Stakes

Valadorna, who was a close, closing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November, won her 3-year-old debut in the fifth race last Friday at Fair Grounds. The odds-on favorite in a first-level allowance, Valadorna was slow into the race from post 1 and was last under Julien Leparoux for much of the trip. Leparoux swung her wide at the three-sixteenths pole, and Valadorna swept on to victory.

Closing into a relatively slow pace, Valadorna ran one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.42 and got a career-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure. She ran her final 70 yards, however, in 3.95 seconds, faster than the 3-year-olds in the Lecomte Stakes and Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 21 at Fair Grounds.

Valadorna came out of the race in good shape and remains on course for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 25 at Fair Grounds. She’ll vie for favoritism there with Silverbulletday winner Farrell.

“That was a perfect race,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I think she got a little more education and got more out of the race than it might look.”