Valedictory marathon up for grabs

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Saturday’s Grade 3, $135,000 Valedictory at Woodbine has a little bit of everything and more questions than answers.

Can trainer Rachel Halden notch another stakes with the long-winded duo of Collective Force and Roscar? How far will the speedy grasser Get Smokin take them? Will English Conqueror finally win his first stakes? Is the lightly raced Loose Wire ready for the move up to stakes company?

Collective Force is competing in the Valedictory, a 1 1/2-mile Tapeta stakes, for the third year in a row after finishing third in 2021, fifth in 2022, and second last year. The 6-year-old finally cleared the first allowance condition last out when airing by five lengths over nine furlongs Oct. 6.

“His forte is a [longer] route of ground, which he doesn’t get the opportunity to do very often,” Halden said. “We finally found an [allowance] going a mile and an eighth and he always comes around later in the year. We opted to train him straight up to the Valedictory instead of finding another race that was too short again. He seems in very good order.”

Roscar captured the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes, the anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, on turf Sept. 29. The Oscar Performance gelding subsequently ran third in a pair of Tapeta routes, including the Grade 3 Ontario Derby.

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“He’s run some creditable races on the Tapeta,” said Halden, who won last Saturday’s Princess Elizabeth with Aristella. “He seems to be doing well and will probably get the winter off after this.”

Trained by Mark Casse, Get Smokin is coming off back-to-back double-digit losses in graded turf stakes, but the need-the lead type took the Grade 2 United Nations at Monmouth Park in July. He set a moderate pace before weakening to fourth in his lone Tapeta excursion in the Grade 2 Eclipse here June 1. With the scratch of longshot Runaway Charlie, he should be loose up front with a chance to make all the running.

English Conqueror was 10th in last year’s Valedictory, after finishing a close third in 2022. The turf specialist looked poised to win his first stakes two back in the Grade 3 Singspiel before getting overhauled late by Truly Quality, who returned to win the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar. The Darwin Banach-trained 7-year-old rarely runs a bad one and is a must-use underneath in the exotic wagers.

Loose Wire was unbeaten in two starts last year at 3 for trainer Kevin Attard. He returned from 10-month layoff in September to finish third and then won the second allowance condition over a decent field going 1 1/16 miles Oct. 27.

“The way he’s been running this season, I’m exited to stretch him out,” Attard said. “Last year, he showed a lot of early speed. This year, for some reason, he hasn’t shown that early foot, but he’s been able to relax and close nicely.

“His first race back was okay. I was a little surprised he was so far back so early. I worked him more aggressively going into his second race. He still didn’t show speed but came with a big run.”

Completing the field are Classic Mo Town, Dancin in Da’nile, Junipero Serra, Stanley House, and 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Stone Age. One could make a case for all five of them.

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