Valid gives jockey Juarez first stakes win in Iselin

Valid ran well in each of his last two starts, but still wasn’t quite good enough to beat Bradester in either the Grade 3 Salvator Mile or the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup.

But in the rematch in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Philip Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park, Valid turned the tables on his nemesis.

Ridden for the first time by Nik Juarez, Valid ($8.80) put his head in front of Bradester after six furlongs in 1:11.97, outdueled the 6-5 favorite through the stretch, and pulled away to score by 3 1/2 lengths. Bradester held off Matterhorn by a neck for second.

It was the first career stakes win for Juarez, who lost his apprentice status just four days ago.

“Once I saw Bradester wasn’t going for the lead, I was able to take my horse out to be nice and comfortable just off the lead,” Juarez said. “Down the backside, he was just dragging me. At the three-eighths pole, Bradester started to make his run, so I asked my horse and he really just ran strong and held him off all the way to the wire. “

In winning for the ninth time in 30 starts, including two other graded stakes, Valid completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.14. He was third as the 4-5 favorite in last year’s Iselin after winning the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup.

A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro trained by Marcus Vitali for Crossed Sabres Farm, Valid earned $90,000 to push his career bankroll to $699,107.