Within half a furlong, even-money favorite Sister Troienne took control of the $373,750 Valley View Stakes (G2T) Oct. 23 at Keeneland and never conceded it.
Woodslane Racing's homebred chestnut daughter of Munnings completely flipped the script from the last time she ran at Keeneland, a start in the Appalachian Stakes (G2T) in April in which she finished fifth. After a six-month layoff, she is rounding back into the form that produced five consecutive wins from September 2025 into late January of this year. Three of those five wins were in stakes at Gulfstream Park.
"She had a hard winter campaign, though a very successful run in Florida," trainer Brian Lynch said. "We felt it was best to give her a bit of time off during the summer and get her back for a fall campaign."
Sister Troienne faced a field of nine other sophomore fillies that included grade 3 winner Dakotah Blue and graded-placed Ultimate Love. When the gates opened, Sister Troienne took command more forcefully than is typically her style.
"That is the first time she's ever shook loose on the lead," Lynch said. "Her body language told you though, the way she was going around (in the post parade) and her ears were pricked. Then the fractions came up, and she was well within herself."
The winner took the field through leisurely opening fractions of :24.34, :48.99, and 1:13.07. She took some pressure from Farfellow Farms' Define, a daughter of prominent European sire Lope de Vega , who started her challenge as the field rounded out of the second turn and into the stretch. But there was no catching Sister Troienne who owned a comfortable 2-length win at the wire. Define was second by a half-length over Dakotah Blue. The final time for the mile on good turf was 1:37.18.
Sister Troienne was ridden by Luis Saez, who got the mount when Irad Ortiz Jr. broke his left ankle after getting unseated Oct. 22. Saez also won the listed Myrtlewood Stakes on Stress Relief in the previous race.
Going forward, Lynch said they will look at the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs for Sister Troienne before returning to Gulfstream Park for the winter season.
Woodslane Racing owners Lauren and Rene Woolcott bred Sister Troienne out of the stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Dyna Passer, who they also bred and raced. Dyna Passer is out of the unraced Dynaformer daughter Dynaire, who the Woolcotts bought as a yearling for $360,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
What Dynaire could not deliver as a racehorse, she made up for as a broodmare. She is the dam of grade 1 winner and multimillionaire Sadler's Joy and multiple graded stakes winner Wolfie's Dynaghost, all raced as Woodslane homebreds.
Dyna Passer has a 2-year-old full sister to Sister Troienne named Ultraviolet, who most recently finished fourth in a maiden special weight race Oct. 17 at Keeneland. The mare also produced a filly this year by Oscar Performance .
