Paradise Valley fights for the win. (TMJC photo)
Captures Sunday Feature at Laurel Park
Dan Illman/The Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – When trainer Kate DeMasi claimed Paradise Valley for $25,000 during the fall of 2023, she was confident she had made a prescient purchase.
“I thought he was a nice horse,” DeMasi said after Paradise Valley overcame adversity to win Sunday’s featured race at Laurel Park, a $56,000 conditioned allowance with a $55,000 claiming option for 4-year-olds and upward at 5 ½ furlongs. “He just was a runner, and I think they were running him where he belonged,”
Usually, a horse that likes to race close to the pace, Paradise Valley wound up last in the opening furlongs after hopping up at the break under jockey Silvestre Gonzalez.
“I was a little nervous because you’re going 5 ½ furlongs,” DeMasi admitted after the poor start. “But they were going pretty quick up front, so it worked out.”
Favored Cold Feet, who warmed up vigorously under jockey Mychel Sanchez, blasted out to the lead from his inside post, and the gray gelding set fast fractions of 22.11 and 46.32 seconds.
Talented Man, a Parx shipper like the winner, was the first to attack the pacesetter, and he did so in tandem with a three-wide No Easy Days. A determined Talented Man led inside the three-sixteenths pole, but Gonzalez angled Paradise Valley into the clear for the stretch run, and they rallied widest and fastest to score by a length in 1:05.72 over the sealed muddy track.
Talented Man held on for second by a neck over No Easy Days but was disqualified and placed third for causing interference inside the final sixteenth of a mile. Seven’s Eleven, Five Dreams, and Cold Feet rounded out the order of finish.
Paradise Valley returned $8.60 to win as the third betting choice.
“He did a lot of really cool stuff today,” DeMasi said. “Especially over a wet surface.”
After claiming Paradise Valley on behalf of Pewter Stable, DeMasi put Paradise Valley on the shelf for a 204-day layoff.
“I knew he had some issues, but it was like if we gave him the time, he would come back and be a useful horse,” DeMasi continued. “We worked on some things, and it’s worked out for me.”
Paradise Valley won three of his first four starts for DeMasi, culminating in a second-level allowance victory at Delaware on Oct. 4. In his final start of 2024, Paradise Valley finished fourth in a Parx allowance, 8 ¼-lengths behind third-place runner Talented Man.
Paradise Valley’s initial run this year resulted in a fourth-place effort when entered for the $100,000 claiming option at Parx on Jan. 28. The horse that finished second that day, Spikezone, captured 11 of 14 starts in 2024, and also reached the winner’s circle on Sunday after winning an allowance at Aqueduct.
“I don’t think he particularly liked the winterized tracks,” DeMasi said. “I think [the last] race was a tough race. He needed to get his confidence up for the next building block, so maybe he did that today.”
A 5-year-old gelding by Lookin At Lucky, Paradise Valley was bred in Kentucky by EICO Ventures. His first three dams were stakes-winners. Purchased for $125,000 as an April juvenile, Paradise Valley has won seven times from 15 starts for earnings of $204,200.
Around the track __________
Laurel Park’s first post time will be 12:10 p.m. ET beginning on Friday, Feb. 14…Trainer Milan Milosevicbook-ended the Sunday card with runaway maiden winners. Diane Lee ($4.60) blitzed the field in the opener by 10 ¾ lengths under Forest Boyce, while Jevian Toledo guided Sweet No No ($4) to a 9 ½-length triumph in the finale. Sweet No No was claimed for $15,000 by Kieron Magee…
Trainer Robbie Bailes saddled consecutive winners on the Sunday card with Fair Trade ($7, Race 3) and Golden Aurora ($11.40, Race 4)…
Nominations were released today for the $100,000 Miracle Wood Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile and the $100,000 Wide Country Stakes for sophomore fillies at seven furlongs on Feb. 22…
Trainer Brittany Russell nominated unbeaten One Man Team to the Miracle Wood along with stakes-winner Tony Eclipse and Kalea Bay…
Trainer Jerry Robb countered with multiple stakes-winner Studlydoright and Maryland Million Nursery winner Do It for Michael. Both worked six furlongs in 1:14 on Friday morning…
Also, among the 28 nominations are blacktype earners Barbadian Runner, Crab Daddy, Omaha Omaha, and Sand Devil…
Sacred Thunder, the James F. Lewis III Stakes winner on Nov. 9, breezed five-eighths in 1:04 on Friday for trainer Gary Capuano…
Multiple stakes-winner Caprice leads the 26 nominations for the Wide Country. Trained by Cal Lynch, Caprice has won six of seven starts, including her last three in stakes company…
Grade 2-placed Liam in the Dust joins stakes-winners Beautiful Blome, Icona Mama, Volleyball Princessand Win N Your In on the nomination list….
Stakes-placed Great Andrei breezed six furlongs in 1:14 on Friday for Robb while Capuano worked Xtra Heat winner Onyx Ten a half-mile in 48.80…
Maryland Million Lassie heroine Shkhara Fire worked a half in 49.40 on Friday morning for trainer Jose Corrales…
Tickets are still available for Laurel Park’s “B’My Valentine Sip & Paint” Event on Friday, Feb. 14. The event runs from 7-10 p.m. ET. Enjoy cocktails, snacks, and guided painting instruction
