After winning her first United States start last month, Les Reys looks to remain unbeaten in her new home country as she headlines a contentious, overflow field of 3-year-old fillies in the $350,000 Valley View Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland Oct. 25.
After a one-length score in the Prix Volterra at Longchamp June 9—her second straight win—the daughter of Penny's Picnic was acquired by West Point Thoroughbreds, Peter Leidel, and Winters Equine. Sent to trainer Christophe Clement, Les Reys displayed a strong turn of foot while splitting rivals to win her stateside debut in the Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack Sept. 13.
With the strong showing and 3-for-4 record in mile races, Les Reys sits as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line from post 4.
Trainer Brendan Walsh would like to emulate Les Reys' U.S. debut with his own filly, Opera Mundi. Winner of Deauville's Prix Zeddaan last year, Ecurie des Charmes' daughter of Kingman has had a tougher go in 2024, finishing off the board in four starts. A change of scenery could be just what the French One Thousand Guineas (G1) participant needs as she is listed at 8-1.
Among the leading hopefuls for longtime American-based runners are Glenn Bromagen II, Patrick Lewis, and Sandra Bromagen's stakes winner Poolside With Slim, who was fourth in the Winter Memories, and a trio exiting the Sept. 7 Music City Stakes (G2T) at Kentucky Downs.
Three Diamonds Farm's Buttercream Babe was the 3-1 favorite that day after placing against the boys in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course a month prior. Off slowly in the Music City, the Twirling Candy filly moved up on the outside on the track's sweeping turn but finished sixth, beaten three lengths, after steadying a couple of times in the stretch.
Video: AGS Music City S. (G2T)
The first time she steadied in the 6 1/2-furlong affair was when Colebrook Farms' Simply in Front drifted over at Kentucky Downs' awkward midstretch partial turn while flying by on her outside, winning the race by a half-length. Although it appeared Simply in Front was going by regardless, she is listed at 8-1 on the Valley View morning line compared to Buttercream Babe's 9-2. Pharoah's Wine, who finished a half-length behind Buttercream Babe, is 30-1 in this spot.
Keeneland, Friday, October 25, 2024, Race 9Entries: Bank of America Valley View S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Opera Mundi (IRE) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 2 2Poolside With Slim (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 118 George R. Arnold II 5/1 3 3Memorialize (KY) Manuel Franco 118 H. Graham Motion 10/1 4 4Les Reys (FR) Flavien Prat 118 Christophe Clement 5/2 5 5Kalispera (IRE) Cristian A. Torres 118 Brian A. Lynch 15/1 6 6Sakura Blossom (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Leonard Powell 30/1 7 7Pharoah's Wine (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Dale L. Romans 30/1 8 8Buttercream Babe (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Michael J. Maker 9/2 9 9Dancing N Dixie (FL) John R. Velazquez 118 Mark E. Casse 12/1 10 10Uphill Dance (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 William I. Mott 20/1 11 11Nice as Pie (KY) Adam Beschizza 118 Kelsey Danner 10/1 12 12Simply in Front (KY) Luis Saez 118 Eddie Kenneally 8/1 13 13Maxisuperfly (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Eric N. Foster 30/1 14 14Whiskey Decision (KY) Luan Machado 118 Arnaud Delacour 15/1 15 15Strike When Ready (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Ignacio Correas, IV 20/1 16 16Kehoe Beach (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Wesley A. Ward 8/1
Full Field of 2-Year-Old Fillies Compete in Myrtlewood
One race earlier, 12 2-year-old fillies will cover six furlongs on dirt in the $200,000 Myrtlewood Stakes.
Mrs. John Magnier and Mrs. Paul Shanahan's White Sands, an Into Mischief half sister to champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior , makes her first start against fillies since her debut after defeating males in the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows and finishing third in the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar.
Both Mike Rutherford's Glee and C2 Racing Stable, Kuehne Racing, and Mark Corrado's Andrea enter off open-length stakes victories. Exline-border Racing, Michael Jawl, and Aaron Kennedy's Trust Fund Philly is the 3-1 favorite off a 3 1/2-length debut score at Churchill Downs Sept. 27.
Keeneland, Friday, October 25, 2024, Race 8Entries: Myrtlewood S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Mischievous Bria (IA) Francisco Arrieta 118 Doug L. Anderson 30/1 2 2Glee (TX) Erik Asmussen 120 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 3 3Echo Sound (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 George R. Arnold II 5/1 4 4White Sands (KY) Gerardo Corrales 120 Wesley A. Ward 4/1 5 5Dancing Magic (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Michael B. Campbell 12/1 6 6Praying (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Robert Medina 15/1 7 7Barbarina (KY) Emmanuel Esquivel 118 Jon Jazdzewski 30/1 8 8Andrea (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 6/1 9 9Empirical Mischief (KY) Edgar Morales 118 John Ennis 20/1 10 10Trust Fund Philly (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Peter Eurton 3/1 11 11Atomic City (KY) Luis Saez 118 Eddie Kenneally 15/1 12 12Long Neck Paula (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 120 Wesley A. Ward 10/1
