Valadorna ready to fire best shot in Rachel Alexandra

NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Mark Casse hopes one established 3-year-old he trains, Valadorna, can live up to her promise when she makes the second start of her season Saturday at Fair Grounds. And the way another Casse-trained 3-year-old, Souper Tapit, ran in his career debut here last Saturday gives Casse plenty of hope for races later this winter and spring.

Valadorna could be favored when she faces six rivals Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. The Rachel Alexandra is one of six stakes on an 11-race card anchored by the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes with an early 12:30 p.m. Central post time. Because Fair Grounds races Monday and Tuesday next week owing to Mardi Gras, there is no racing here this Thursday.

Valadorna, a Stonestreet Stables homebred by Curlin, worked a half-mile Sunday at Fair Grounds in 48.80 seconds. Valadorna debuted last fall at Keeneland and really put her name on the map by finishing a troubled second to Champagne Room in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. After a freshening in Florida following that race, Casse shipped her to his string at Fair Grounds, overseen this winter by David Carroll.

Valadorna made her 3-year-old debut Jan. 27 in a first-level allowance race, broke poorly from the rail, and rallied from last at the three-sixteenths pole to win by a neck. She did not run especially fast, but her 77 Beyer Speed Figure still was a career best.

“I think really that race was much better than it looked,” said Casse, reached Monday by phone. “I think she’s going to improve a little, and if she improves even a little, she’s going to be tough. We have a lot better post position this time. I think we’re not coming half-loaded to this race.”

Valadorna breaks from post 5 in the Rachel Alexandra.

Farrell, who won the Silverbulletday and Golden Rod Stakes in her last two starts, and California shipper Shane’s Girlfriend, the winner of the Delta Princess last November, appear to be Valadorna’s two main rivals.

Souper Tapit, by Tapit and out of the Grade 1-winning mare Zo Impressive, made plenty of mistakes in his career debut Saturday, a two-turn dirt race, but won anyway and has vast potential.

Souper Tapit, who has yet to master starting-gate behavior, broke poorly in his race, looped wide around all eight of his rivals between the half-mile pole and the quarter pole, pulled himself up after making the lead, but rebroke after being challenged before the eighth pole by Multiplier and won by a neck.

He galloped out powerfully – and then tried to take jockey Florent Geroux through the six-furlong gap and head back to the barn. Souper Tapit got a 76 Beyer for running one mile and 70 yards in a solid 1:43.59 and probably is better than his speed figure.

“I thought it was a tremendous race,” Casse said. “If he ever gets his act totally together where we can get him focusing on the task at hand, who knows how good he can be?”

Casse said he’d like to run Souper Tapit in a first-level allowance race at Fair Grounds and then in a stakes at Keeneland.

Casse also said that the promising 4-year-old Tour de Force, who won a first-level two-turn dirt allowance race Feb. 16 with a 92 Beyer, would return to action in a second-level allowance race here. Tour de Force, a massive animal who cost more than $1 million at a yearling auction, has won two of his three starts and still is figuring out racing.

“We think the sky’s the limit for him,” Casse said before going on to compare Tour de Force’s talent with that of Grade 1 winner Noble Bird.