Valadorna headlines the 24th running of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3)
KEENELAND – Stonestreet Stables’ multiple graded stakes-placed Valadorna headlines a field of 13 fillies and mares entered Sunday for Friday’s 24th running of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
The Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare will go as the ninth race on Friday’s 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post time Friday is 1:05 p.m.
Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Song of Spring | 12-1 | Joel Rosario | Neil Howard |
2 | Mines and Magic | 6-1 | Robby Albarado | Victoria Oliver |
3 | Girl Talk | 15-1 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Dallas Stewart |
4 | Promise of Spring | 12-1 | Gabriel Saez | Steve Margolis |
5 | Ministry | 15-1 | Thomas Pompell | Jaime Gonzalez |
6 | Apologynotaccepted | 10-1 | Julien Leparoux | Brendan Walsh |
7 | Jenda’s Agenda | 5-1 | Florent Geroux | J. Jones |
8 | Julerette | 10-1 | Corey Lanerie | Ben Colebrook |
9 | Valadorna | 7-2 | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Mark Casse |
10 | Not Now Carolyn | 20-1 | Gary Stevens | J. Desormeaux |
11 | Well Humored | 6-1 | Jose Ortiz | Arnaud Delacour |
12 | Tapa Tapa Tapa | 8-1 | James Graham | Timothy Hamm |
13 | Someday Soon | 20-1 | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | William Van Meter |
After scoring her first career victory at Keeneland as a 2-year-old by six lengths, Stonestreet Stables’ Valadorna ran second in the 2016 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita – the closest she has coming to win a graded stakes. Trained by Mark Casse, Valadorna will try to change that status in Friday’s $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3) against 12 other fillies and mares.
“We were happy to win the (Dec. 26 Tiffany Lass at Fair Grounds) stakes with her, and (she was) second in the Breeders’ Cup, so we’d like to add to that,” said Casse’s assistant David Carroll. “We’d love to get that far (as a graded stakes win).”
In 2017, Valadorna finished third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds and won two allowance races before taking the Tiffany Lass by 3½ lengths. The 4-year-old Curlin filly made her first start of the year in the Jan. 28 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park. After tracking the leaders in third for the first three-quarters of a mile, Valadorna finished sixth.
“It was a bit of a head-scratcher; she had trained beautifully,” Carroll said about Valadorna’s performance in the race. “It was kind of a muddy, drying-out track. The horses that were placed forwardly all faltered, and the horses at the back of the pack, they all came out of the quarter pole, so the whole race changed at the quarter pole. Tiger Moth, the horse who won the race, came from last, so we were a little bit too close (to the pace). She just didn’t run her race, but she came out of it fine.”
After briefly considering the Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn Park, Casse decided to point Valadorna to the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare. Carroll said the filly has been training sharply and become even stronger in the nearly three months since her Texas race.
“Physically she’s filled out. She’s got dapples on her,” Carroll said. “We know she loves the track. It looks like a competitive race, but she fits in there with them and we’re looking forward to a big race from her.”
Racing for trainer Larry Jones along with his wife, Cindy, and Fox Hill Farms, Jenda’s Agenda comes into Friday’s race off an allowance victory at Oaklawn Park last month. Florent Geroux has the mount on Jenda’s Agenda, who will break from post position seven.
Well Humored, trained by Arnaud Delacour, has won three of four career starts, including the Wayward Lass at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 20 in her most recent start. Jose Ortiz has the mount, and she will break from post position 11.
The field for the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare, from the rail out with riders and weights, is Song of Spring (Joel Rosario, 118 pounds), Mines and Magic (Robby Albarado, 118), Girl Talk (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Promise of Spring (Gabriel Saez, 118), Ministry (Tommy Pompell, 118), Apologynotaccepted (Julien Leparoux, 118), Jenda’s Agenda (Geroux, 118), Julerette (Corey Lanerie, 118), Valadorna (Hernandez Jr., 118), Not Now Carolyn (Gary Stevens, 118), Well Humored (Ortiz, 118), TapaTapa Tapa (James Graham, 118) and Someday Soon (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118)
Jenda’s Agenda Makes Graded Stakes Debut in Doubledogdare
Trainer Larry Jones and his wife, Cindy, have five broodmaresmares, including three-time graded stakes winner Just Jenda.
On Friday, Just Jenda’s 4-year-old daughter, Jenda’s Agenda, will make her graded stakes debut in the 24th running of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on Keeneland’s main track.
“She is the first foal to race out of that mare,” Larry Jones said. “It feels good (to have one like that). And Proud Citizen (Jenda’s Agenda’s sire) has been good to us.”
Jenda’s Agenda won her first three career races in 2017, including a small stakes at Laurel before going on the shelf for 11 months until her next start.
“She had some bone bruising after her third race last year, and we gave her the time off,” Jones said.
Jenda’s Agenda returned in February at Fair Grounds, finishing second in a 6-furlong sprint, and then took an allowance race at Oaklawn Park at the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare distance.
“She has done well since her race at Oaklawn and done well here,” Jones said. “Friday will be her first start in a graded stakes, so hopefully we can move onward and upward.”
Florent Geroux, who was aboard for the Oaklawn victory, has the mount Friday. Geroux is tied with Corey Lanerie with eight wins apiece to lead all jockeys through the first half of the 16-day Spring Meet.