Keeneland’s Fall Meet wraps Saturday, but not before a couple of days that include outstanding stakes action. Friday’s card co-features the $250,000 Myrtlewood Stakes and the Grade 2 $400,000 Valley View Stakes.
Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take part in Friday and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Bankroll promotions. Bet $25 on the Valley View on Friday and / or the Twilight Derby from Santa Anita on Saturday to earn a $5 bonus to be deposited into your account for the opening of the Breeders’ Cup on October 31.
Let’s meet the contenders for the Valley View Stakes (Race 9):
#1-ADMIT: Jockey John Velazquez has owned the stakes this Fall Meet with a whopping 6 victories, including the Sycamore and Indian Summer on turf. Johnny V’s lone Valley View victory came in 2009. Admit has cashed minor checks this year in the Bourbonette Oaks, Pucker Up and Dueling Grounds Oaks in her tour of Kentucky for Tom Drury Jr.
#2-PLAY WITH FIRE: Hilltop Stakes winner at Pimlico during Preakness week has been a narrow runner-up in a pair of Saratoga stakes since. Trainer Chad Brown won the 2023 Valley View with Surge Capacity, but shockingly took until Day 15 of 17 to notch his first Keeneland Fall Meet victory. Expect the Lake Placid Stakes runner-up to be traveling well late under Flavien Prat.
#3-RAMSEY POND: The red and white silks of Ken Ramsey are represented by this Divisidero filly in search of her first stakes score. Ramsey Pond won a first-level allowance here in the 2025 Spring Meet and was second at Kentucky Downs in her only try since. She was twice listed stakes-placed at Gulfstream this winter.
#4-VIXEN: Vekoma filly has had the misfortune of chasing eventual Grade 1 winners Nitrogen and Lush Lips this spring and summer, but she’s been a consistent casher. Trainer Mark Casse won the Franklin Stakes already at the 2025 Fall Meet on turf with Time to Dazzle. Tyler Gaffalione rides for the first time as Irad Ortiz Jr. jumps to partner with Tabiti on Friday.
#5-STURGEON MOON: Ellis Park’s Audobon Oaks winner has yet to race on turf in 7 starts, a majority of those sprints. Trainer Will Walden’s father, Elliott, conditioned 2003 Valley View winner Dyna Da Wyna. The younger Walden saddled Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile winner Rhetorical to a 9-1 upset already this Fall Meet.
#6-CLASSIC Q: Saratoga’s listed Wild Applause Stakes winner rematches with rival Play With Fire. Last effort sprinting at Kentucky Downs was short of her best trip, but didn’t take any step back against excellent sprint filly Shesospicy et al. Trainer Mark Casse looks for a second stakes win of the Fall Meet (Franklin Stakes with Time to Dazzle). Jose Ortiz partners, and 1 of his 2 stakes victories at the current meet did come when teaming with Casse.
#7-SOMETHINABOUTHER: Grade 3 Mazarine winner at Woodbine last fall, she’s danced around the stakes edges this year with 5 second or third-place finishes in 6 starts. Sire Mendelssohn has had much success with his offspring on the Keeneland turf, but this filly did run below par in the ’24 Jessamine in her lone local bid. The Brendan Walsh barn leads all trainers at the 2025 Fall Meet with 4 stakes wins, 3 of those on turf.
#8-REINING FLOWERS: Four times stakes-placed in 7 tries, this John Ortiz trainee will try to get over the hump. Jockey Frankie Dettori aims for a third stakes win of the Fall Meet after capturing the Jessame and Woodford, both on turf. Dettori piloted Poolside With Slim to victory in the 2024 Valley View. Regular rider John Velazquez opted for Admit on Friday.
#9-TABITI: British export was an even third sprinting in the Grade 2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs in her US unveiling. She was a multiple Group 3 winner in the UK for Ralph Beckett in 2024-’25. Current skipper Brad Cox’s barn looks for its first stakes win of the Fall Meet. Irad Ortiz Jr.’s 3 stakes wins at the Fall Meet are second-most and he leads the colony in overall victories with a Keeneland riding title in his crosshairs.
#10-STORMY PARADISE: Longshot turf sprinter is 50-1 in the morning line with a pair of Belterra victories on her ledger from 12 starts. The Ed Moger Jr. trainee will get her first stakes test and first 2-turn turf bid since December. Sophie Doyle rides the Get Stormy filly.
#11-TOTALLY JUSTIFIED: Last year’s Grade 2 Jessamine nose runner-up over this course hasn’t been able to find paydirt this season in 5 tries. Her best effort on the campaign was a runner-up in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill. Trainer Rusty Arnold looks for back-to-back wins in this race, following up on Poolside With Slim a year ago. He also won the Valley View in 2021 with Navratilova. Axel Concepcion has the call.
#12-MAY DAY READY: Top-class filly at age 2 and 3, she won Keeneland’s Grade 2 Jessamine and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf during her freshman season. This year she tallied Saratoga’s Grade 2 Lake Placid in an up-and-down campaign for trainer Joe Lee. Jockey Ben Curtis notched 7-1 and 13-1 stakes wins already at the Fall Meet in scoring the Dowager and First Lady, both on grass.
AES #13-GOLDEN SUNSHINE; 14-YES IT TIZ; 15-NEXT UP: The trio has 3 stakes starts between them, NEXT UP’s second in the Ellis Park Turf the only placing. YES IT TIZ is cross-entered Saturday in a Race 7 allowance.
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