Bluegrass Princess gives royal beating in Valley View division

Bluegrass Princess gives royal beating in Valley View
division

Bluegrass Princess was crowned in the Valley View (EquiSport Photos) BLUEGRASS PRINCESS’ (Dynaformer) moniker doesn’t do her justice when Keeneland is open during the months of April and October. At the Lexington, Kentucky, oval, the Dell Ridge Farm-owned filly is quite simply a queen. She proved it again Friday when rallying from slightly off the pace to post a 7-1 upset in the first division of the $125,000 Valley View S. (G3) by two lengths. It was her third win in as many starts at Keeneland, having taken a maiden by four lengths at the 2008 fall meet and a first-level allowance by 3 1/4 lengths during this year’s spring meet, both over Polytrack. The Valley View finally snapped a seven-race losing streak over turf, and her faithful backers were rewarded with $16.20, $7 and $3.80 at odds of 7-1. Even-money favorite Silver Reunion (Harlan’s Holiday) attempted to win the hard way over the yielding ground, setting modest splits of :23 4/5, :49 3/5 and 1:15 4/5, but the filly hit a brick wall in the stretch and faded to eighth over the tiring surface. Indeed, the fillies who occupied the first three slots after a quarter-mile all finished in the rear half of the field. Bluegrass Princess, who tracked in fourth early, moved up to third down the backside before launching her bid around the far turn. Full of run in the final furlong, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained miss was untouched en route to the wire under John Velazquez. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was a pokey 1:47.

Single Solution (Flatter) rallied from near the back to edge Kiawah Cat
(Lemon Drop Kid) by a nose for second, returning $11.80 and $5.20 at 14-1.
Kiawah Cat, the 4-1 second choice, gave back $3.40. Always in My Heart
(Hennessy), the 33-1 longest shot, completed the superfecta and was followed
under the wire by Flowerbomb (Mineshaft), Weekend Strike (Smart Strike), Katara
(Pulpit), Silver Reunion and Rex Regina (Ire) (King’s Best). Kiss Mine
(Mineshaft), Project Rose (Not for Love) and Redreamit (Tapit) were withdrawn.
The exotics were worth $244.40 (exacta), $1,044.20 (trifecta) and $17,429.20
(7-2-6-9 superfecta).

Following her maiden score last October, Bluegrass Princess finished third in
the Missy Moo I Love You S. in her turf debut, then was up the track in her last
appearance on dirt in the Demoiselle S. (G2). This season, she’s placed in the
Sands Point S. (G2), Herecomesthebride S. (G3) and John Hettinger S., but has
been uncompetitive at times also, finishing up the track in both the Boiling
Springs S. (G3) and Riskaverse S. The latter, where she started as the 9-5
choice on September 3, was her last start prior to the Valley View. With this
initial stakes score now in the bag, Bluegrass Princess can claim earnings of
$202,275 from a line of 12-3-1-4.

Bred by Highclere in Kentucky, Bluegrass Princess was a $285,000 Keeneland
November weanling. She is out of multiple Grade 2-placed stakes winner
America America (Mister Baileys [GB]) and has an unnamed yearling half-sister by
Forestry and an unnamed weanling half-brother by Dixie Union.