U. S. S. Valor dazzles again in Champagne romp

Sparkling in his maiden win at Saratoga on Labor Day weekend, U. S. S. Valor looked just as special dominating the $500,000 Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park on Saturday.

In behind rivals in a compact field of six down the backside, U. S. S. Valor muscled his way into a clear path turning for home and accelerated down the stretch to win by 6 1/2 lengths under Manny Franco.

“He was on the bridle, but the right way,” Franco said. “As soon as he got to the half a mile, I had a chance to drop my hands, and he stayed there for me. When I called him again, he just took off again. He just exploded. He has a lot of talent.”

Third behind Champagne runner-up Gaudreau on debut at Saratoga on Aug. 8, U. S. S. Valor came back to graduate by 13 1/4 lengths while earning a 105 Brisnet Speed rating. His Champagne win, in a time of 1:34.84 for a mile over a fast track, should yield a similarly big number.

Gaudreau, unraced since his debut win, dueled most of the way with Club Reign until overtaken by U. S. S. Valor. He held second by two lengths over Club Reign, with Earth Song, Johnny Hockey, and Raku completing the order of finish.

A homebred racing for Team Valor and trained by Shug McGaughey, U. S. S. Valor paid $2.74. This was the fourth Champagne win for McGaughey, but his first since Adjudicating in 1989. He also won in 1986 with Polish Navy and in 1988 with Easy Goer.

Although U. S. S. Valor earned a berth into the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, McGaughey said he and Team Valor president Barry Irwin would wait to decide what the colt’s next start might be.

U. S. S. Valor earned 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1), which Team Valor won with Animal Kingdom in 2011. Gaudreau earned five points, Club Reign three points, Earth Song two points, and Johnny Hockey one point.

U. S. S. Valor is a son of 2019 Preakness (G1) winner War of Will and the Tiz Wonderful mare Spangled Banner.

Later in the card, Let Em Know upset the $250,000 Pilgrim (G2) by a half-length over Roscoe Goose, with Pass On By winning a four-way photo for third.

Ridden by Edgard Zayas, Let Em Know raced within a couple lengths of a slow pace but showed the best late kick. Owned in a partnership that includes Diamond T Racing, Let Em Know covered 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:42.15. He returned $27.38.

Let Em Know, a son of Jackie’s Warrior, earned a berth into the Oct. 30 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland. He’ll go with a 2-for-4 record. Last of six behind eventual Hopeful (G1) winner The Good Life in his debut on dirt, Let Em Know next switched to the turf, over which he won a 1 1/16-mile maiden at Saratoga by a head. Last time, he finish fifth of eight in the Summer (G1) at Woodbine.

“It was tough, rough trip, he was boxed in and he’s a big horse that won’t really have that turn-of-foot to really kick on when it’s time, so it helped to be outside today,” said trainer Whit Beckman, reflecting on the Summer.

The other two-year-old grass stakes, the $200,000 Futurity (G3) over six furlongs, was won by Good to Be King, who outfinished fellow closer Regent’s Park to win by one length. Luminous Beauty ran third, while early pacesetter My Kid’s Said No, who had a nine-length lead entering the stretch, wilted to fifth in the field of seven.

Bred and owned by Seth Hancock’s Cherry Valley Farm and trained by Rusty Arnold, Good to Be King finished up in a time of 1:09.06, four-fifths of a second slower than the 1:08.26 Brickyard Belle needed to win the Matron (G3) for fillies. He returned $5.16 as the favorite.

Good to Be King, who placed in the Riverside Rush S. at Ellis Park and the Kentucky Downs Juvenile in his previous two starts, earned a berth to the Oct. 30 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland. The son of War Front has now won two of five starts.

Good to Be King was produced by Gypsy Touch, a Runhappy half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Contested. 

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