Vitali plans vacation for Valid

After basically starting him once a month for the last two years, trainer Marcus Vitali said he would like to give Valid - winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream Park - a vacation.

“I’ve been trying to get him a break for the last couple of years. I never had the opportunity,” Vitali said Sunday morning at Palm Meadows. “I think I got to talk to the boss and come up with a game plan and give the horse a vacation like we all need once in a while.”

Vitali said a 60-to-90 day break “wouldn’t hurt my feelings; wouldn’t hurt his feelings either.”

Vitali said he needed to talk to owner Carolyn Vogel, who races under Crossed Sabres Farm.

Valid won the Skip Away by 1 3/4 lengths over Team Colors for his seventh career stakes victory. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Valid is likely to ship to spend the summer in Maryland as Vitali plans to be based at Laurel Park.