Valid Video waits, wins King's Bishop

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Valid Video won the first Grade 1 of his career in Saturday's $200,000 at Saratoga Race Course.

With jockey Joe Bravo, Valid Video wore down pacesetter Great Notion in the final strides for a neck win. Great Notion held on for second, a neck in front of the late-charging Ghostzapper.

Zavata, the 6-5 favorite in the 13-horse field of 3-year-olds, finished eighth.

Valid Video was racing in fourth position down the backstretch as Great Notion carved out sizzling fractions of 21.76 seconds and 43.79 in the seven-furlong King's Bishop.

Great Notion, under Pat Day, had a clear lead as the field entered the stretch. Bravo tried to send Valid Video up along the rail but was unable to get through. After six furlongs in 1:08.76, Bravo eased Valid Video out at the eighth pole, and the colt switched into high gear once in the clear.

"Anybody watching . . . you had to get nervous," Bravo said. "So was I. I started getting a little bit nervous. But he gave me the confidence to say just hang on. When he got to the outside, he just took off."

Dennis Manning, Valid Video's trainer, also had a few anxious moments as he watched his first victory in a Grade 1 unfold.

"I was a little leery," said Manning, who trains Valid Video for Mack Fehsenfeld. "I was like, 'Joe, get him out, get him out.' Once he got him out, I knew he would go ahead about his business."

Manning said he skipped the Amsterdam earlier this month because it was too close to Valid Video's win in the Grade 3 Carry Back at Calder on July 12.

"I just thought the Amsterdam was a little too close to the hard effort at Calder," Manning said. "And I just thought this race fit us well."

Valid Video ($17.60) covered the distance in 1:22.14 over a fast track.

Manning said he would train Valid Video, a son of Valid Wager, up to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 25.

Jerry Bailey, who rode Zavata to win the six-furlong Amsterdam on the early lead, said he didn't want to force Zavata to the front in the King's Bishop because he didn't believe the colt could have gutted out seven furlongs while engaging in a speed duel.