Valiance relishes sloppy track in Eatontown Stakes

Valiance won a stakes on the Monmouth turf last year, and on Saturday proved she likes the New Jersey track's dirt oval just fine as well, splashing home to a 1 1/2-length victory in an off-the-turf edition of the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, contested on a sloppy, sealed track, was automatically downgraded from Grade 3 to listed status, pending review.

Valiance ($3.80), who is trained by Todd Pletcher for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz, and China Horse Club, has now won five of seven career starts. The Tapit filly won the Open Mind Stakes in June 2019 at Monmouth.

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In her only outing on dirt before Saturday, she was fourth in an off-the-turf edition of the Powder Break Stakes in May on a fast Gulfstream track.

“I thought she ran great,” Pletcher told Monmouth publicity. “It definitely seemed like she improved in her training on the dirt, so we weren’t concerned when it came off. It looks like she handled it really nicely."

The Eatontown scratched down to five horses when it was rained off the turf, with Chad Brown's trio of Nay Lady Nay, a graded winner at Monmouth already this summer, Tapit Today, and Noor Sahara among the scratches.

Valiance, who was sent off favored, saved ground while sitting third behind pacesetter Valedictorian. Jockey Nik Juarez angled Valiance off the rail on the far turn, setting her up for a three-wide rally at the quarter pole. She edged past a stubborn Gotham Gala in midstretch, then surged clear in the final stages. She finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.25.

Gotham Gala was a clear second, 15 1/5 lengths clear of a fading Valedictorian.