Rachel’s Valentina, Lewis Bay post moves for Mother Goose; Outwork, Economic Model ready for Dwyer

Edited Press Release

Grade 1 winner Rachel's Valentina is set to make her fifth consecutive Grade 1 start in the $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes on July 2 at Belmont Park.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the daughter of classic-winning 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra has looked good in training after a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last out on May 6.

Rachel's Valentina breezed four furlongs in :48.56 on Friday over Belmont Park's fast training track.

"All systems are good and we're planning to run," Pletcher said. "She's training well and we're looking forward to running her again."

Expected to join Rachel’s Valentina in the Mother Goose starting gate is dual Grade 2 victress Lewis Bay, who hit the Belmont main track Saturday morning in preparation for the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Lewis Bay, who last out finished third in the Kentucky Oaks under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, worked four furlongs in :48.21 on the fast main dirt at Big Sandy.

Trainer Chad Brown was impressed with how the Bernardini three-year-old looked in her final work before the race.

"She breezed fantastic today," Brown said. "Her workouts are now completed, so we're looking forward in returning her back to the races."

The past couple of days also saw both Pletcher and Brown represented by trainees who could show up in the $500,000 Dwyer Stakes (G2) on July 9 as part of Belmont Park's Stars & Stripes Festival.

Wood Memorial (G1) winner Outwork, who finished 14th in the May 7 Kentucky Derby (G1) most recently, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.05 Friday over Belmont’s training track.

"He worked on Friday and everything is on schedule with him," Pletcher said of the Uncle Mo colt.

Breezing Saturday morning for Brown was Economic Model, who most recently picked up his first stakes win from six starts when capturing the July 11 Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont.

Economic Model completed four furlongs in :49.56 on the main track and Brown is eyeing a possible start in the one-mile Dwyer.

"He did fine,” Brown stated. “He had his first little workout since his Easy Goer win and we're leaning towards running in the Dyer."

In other news from the trainers’ barns, Pletcher added that Bronson, a two-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro who broke his maiden in his June 18 debut, is a possibility for the $150,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) on July 23 at Saratoga.

"He seemed to come out of the last race well, so we're considering the Sanford," Pletcher said.

Grade 2 hero Destin, a close second in the Belmont Stakes (G1), came out of the race well and has good energy levels, Pletcher reported. The trainer added that Destin could be pointed toward the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) on July 30 at Saratoga or the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park one day later.

Brown confirmed his potential contenders for the upcoming Stars & Stripes festival on Saturday, July 9, would all be breezing Sunday morning on the turf before making any final plans on who he may enter.

Rachel’s Valentina photo courtesy of NYRA/Susie Raisher/Adam Coglianese Photography