VA-bred Nabs Second Graded Stakes Score

Long On Value, bred by Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds, continues to hit the winner’s circle for current connections Bill Mott, Wachtel Stable and George Kerr. The 4-year-old son of Value Plus won the Grade III Canadian Turf Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream by the better part of 2 lengths–despite being bumped at the 3/8ths pole. Long On Value was following up on his October victory in the Grade II Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

Long On Value winning the Canadian Turf at Gulfstream. Photo courtesy Adam Coglianese.

Long On Value winning the Canadian Turf at Gulfstream. Photo courtesy Adam Coglianese.

The Canadian Turf Stakes is Long On Value’s second graded stakes score and his fifth stakes victory over all. The colt made his debut with a three-win streak in 2012 that included the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs and the Strike Your Colors Stakes at Delaware Park.

Virginia-breds also had a big day at Penn on February 18, with no fewer than three taking home the win. Hickory Tree-bred Blazeaway ran away with a mile claimer by 6 lengths for current owner-trainer Fernando Ferreira. The 6-year-old is by Proud Citizen out of the Cozzene mare Long N Lanky. Anne Tucker’s homebred Maid to Run, trained by Flint Stites, won a 6-furlong claimer by 1 1/4 lengths in her 2015 debut. The Felix Neusch homebred Congarazi broke his maiden by 3/4 lengths over 6 furlongs. The 3-year-old, by Congaree out of the Fred Astaire mare Dance In Space, was a mere 1/2 length short in his previous airing here.

Bill Backer’s Rose Brier–now owned by Panic Stable–won a Gulfstream allowance on February 16, putting away the competition by over 2 lengths. Rose Brier won the Bert Allen last year, a race in which the now-6-year-old completed a hat trick, won his first stakes race and beat graded stakes winner Hard Enough. Trained by Jane Cibelli, Rose Brier won two back-to-back allowance races at Monmouth and Delaware last summer before dominating by over 3 lengths in that contest. The son of Mizzen Mast has been knocking at the door since, including a fourth-placed finish in the Grade III Tampa Bay Stakes most recently.

Rose Brier winning an allowance at Gulfstream on February 16. Photo courtesy Leslie Martin.

Rose Brier winning an allowance at Gulfstream on February 16. Photo courtesy Leslie Martin.

Also on the 16th, the Hart Farm-bred Lockport won a Parx allowance by 8 1/2 lengths for current John Benson and Diane Day. The mile contest was the 3-year-old’s second lifetime win. By Temple City, the bay colt is out of the Carson City mare Tico Breeze.