Valid hangs on late to win Groomstick

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Valid may have earned himself a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile after turning in another typically game performance to register a well-deserved neck victory over Falling Sky in Saturday’s $75,000 Groomstick Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Valid was reserved just off the early pace of Ledokol in the run down the backstretch of the seven-furlong Groomstick. Valid, who won the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park going nine furlongs in his previous start, found room to slip inside the leader and take a short advantage upon settling into the turn. He then repulsed a strong challenge from Falling Sky and withstood a late bid by Grande Shores despite remaining on his left lead throughout the stretch run to prevail.

The win was the third on the card for jockey Mathew Rispoli.

Falling Sky, who finished seventh behind Private Zone in the Grade 1 Forego in his previous start, stalked the pace from the outset, then was put into a hard drive while engaging Valid near the quarter pole. He never was able to get his head in front of the ultimate winner but dug in bravely to finish three-quarters of a length better than Grande Shores. Ledokol was another nose behind in fourth.

Valid, a 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro, is owned by Crossed Sabres Farm and trained by Marcus Vitali. The $45,000 first prize for the Groomstick pushed his 2015 earnings over $315,000 for the year. Valid returned $3.60 after completing the distance in 1:22.87.

“He’s a warrior,” said Vitali. “This was a little bit of a prep race. I was kind of thinking about the Breeders’ Cup. I wanted to see how he’d fare going seven-eighths. We’re thinking about it. It’s a conversation that Ms. Vogel and I will have. We’ll see how he comes out of this, put him back in training, and then make a decision.”