Prince Valiant and Dylan Davis take Sunday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
By Keith McCalmont
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Red Oak Stable’s Prince Valiant made his stakes debut a winning one with a gate-to-wire score in Sunday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by Dylan Davis, the King for a Day colt made his first three starts sprinting six furlongs in New York-bred company at the Big A, arriving from back-to-back neck scores in prominent fashion.
Stu Hampson, local assistant to Pletcher, said Prince Valiant is steadily improving.
“He’s a really cool little horse. Both in his works in the mornings and in the afternoons, he just seems to keep progressing and getting a little bit better every time,” Hampson said. “His last two months, his works have steadily improved, and his efforts in the afternoons have also. It’s a pleasure to have a horse like this for Red Oak and it’s nice when what we see in the mornings adds up to good performances in the afternoon.”
Prince Valiant broke alertly from post 2 and surged to the lead through splits of 22.67 seconds and 46.28 over the muddy and sealed footing with last-out Gander winner Soontobeking stalking to his outside under Eric Cancel and 6-5 mutuel favorite and Gander runner-up National Identity in tight on the rail under Kendrick Carmouche.
“He’s a good gate horse, which is what really put us in control today,” Davis said.
Davis gave Prince Valiant his cue as the field straightened away and the bay continued to find more, crossing the wire 3 1/2-lengths in front of a chasing Soontobeking in a final time of 1:16.73. It was a further 5 1/2-lengths back to National Identity in third with Huggy and In the Chase rounding out the order of finish.
Davis, who won the Listed Top Flight in frontrunning fashion here on Saturday with Headline Numbers, said he anticipated a possible speed duel with National Identity, who was drawn to his inside.
“I saw the one horse [National Identity] could have some speed as well, but I saw us as main speed. Just didn’t really know about the break,” Davis said. “He broke well with me, was able to get to the lead comfortably and he was doing it well.
“He drifted out a little bit down the backside,” Davis added. “But I was able to straighten him up into the turn, and then he just started getting on, picking up on the bridle there at the two and a half. I allowed him to go ahead and do his thing, I knew he was a fighter so if anyone were to challenge him late, he’d fight on again for me.”
The George Weaver-trained Soontobeking was facing off against National Identity for the fourth time, having captured two of his last three outings in rallying fashion, including the one-turn mile Gander against fellow state-breds on March 8 here.
Cancel said he didn’t expect to be so close to the pace.
“He usually is pretty laid back early,” Cancel said. “He has run good races over a sloppy track and sealed, so he made up for it. I was able to stay close. No one really came from behind. It was just good. The horse that beat us, I think he is going to be a pretty nice horse. I’m happy with my performance.”
Bred in the Empire State by Sugar Maple Farm, Prince Valiant banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-3-0-1. Sent to post as the 7-5 second choice, he returned $4.90 for a $2 win ticket. Prince Valiant, a $50,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale purchase, is out of the winning D’Funnybone mare Lizzy’s Fun.
Live racing will resume Thursday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
