In an exceptional debut performance that suggests she might have a very, very bright future, Rachel’s Valentina–the second foal out of 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra–broke her maiden in impressive fashion at Saratoga on August 2nd.
Sent off as the favorite at just over even-money, Rachel’s Valentina got off to a bit of a slow start at the beginning of the six-furlong maiden special weight, and subsequently endured a very wide trip while settling behind fractions of :22.25 and :45.75. However, when asked for run by jockey John Velazquez, Rachel’s Valentina accelerated in the homestretch and got up to win by about two lengths over pace-setting Awesome Dame. The final time was a very sharp 1:10.39 seconds.
A daughter of Bernardini, Rachel’s Valentina is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Stonestreet Stables. Based on her performance today, Rachel’s Valentina looks bound for stakes company next time out!
