Partnership-owned 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt Juan Valdez is seeking his first win on Friday, June 20th in Monmouth Park’s Race 5, a maiden special weight for ages three years and older covering a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. Post time is 3:53 pm Eastern.
After rallying in the stretch to come up a nose short on March 16th at Gulfstream Park, he took a step back last time out on May 10th at Churchill Downs, tiring in the stretch to finish off the board.
Since returning to Belmont after the race to continue training with Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, he has put in a series of four workouts, including breezing four furlongs over the dirt training track in 48.48 seconds, the third fastest of 37 on June 4th.
Jockey Paco Lopez has the mount. breaking from post No. 5 in a field of 9. Mr. Lopez was aboard Juan Valdez for his runner-up finish in March.
Juan Valdez enters the race with morning-line odds of 3-to-1, the second favorite behind fellow Don Alberto-bred Main Beach, a 3-year-old Into Mischief gelding out of sold Cynthia Phipps-bred mare Siren Serenade, by Unbridled’s Song. The dam is a daughter of Phipps’ four-time grade 1-winning millionaire Versailles Treaty. The race also includes 4-year-old Speightstown colt Paxsational, the first foal out of sold stakes-placed Phipps mare Browse, by Medaglia d’Oro. Paxsational’s younger half-sister is Quality Road filly Pipit, winner of the listed 2023 Victoria Stakes at Woodbine.
Juan Valdez is a half-brother of multiple grade 1-winning millionaire and sire Constitution, by Tapit. He was purchased for $900,000 from the Hartley Derenzo Thoroughbreds consignment at the March 2022 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and is owned in partnership by West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc., Woodford Racing LLC, Lane’s End Farm, #PhippsStable, Ken Langone, Edward Hudson Jr., and Lynne Hudson.
Photo: Juan Valdez, January 2023
Phipps Stable Fan 