Eleven chase Grade 3 Valedictory glory
At 10h09, on December 7, 2024 • By Woodbine
Saturday’s Grade 3 $135,000 bet365 Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine has attracted 11 starters, including multiple graded stakes placed contenders Stanley House and Collective Force.
The 1 ½-mile main track test for 3-year-olds and up will mark the 17th career start for Stanley House, a son of Army Mule out of the Unbridled’s song mare Stormy’s Song.
Trained by Mike De Paulo for John and Diana Russell, the 4-year-old, who sports a 3-6-3 record and $346,127 (U.S.) in purse earnings, has reached the podium in all six starts on the year, going 1-3-2 over that span.
In his latest engagement, the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Nov. 16, the Ontario-bred finished third, 2 ¾ lengths behind winner Wicked Django, in the 1 1/8-mile main track event.
“He did what he always does and came with a big run,” said De Paulo. “Unfortunately, he caught blocked along the rail and when he finally got clear, he couldn’t catch the leaders. He’s had a lot of tough luck throughout his career. You always get the effort and you always know he will have that energetic finish, so it would be nice to see him get that first stakes win. He deserves it.”
Bred in Ontario by Elevage II, LLC and St. Elias Racing Stables, LLC, Stanley House was second in his debut in November 2022 and then produced another runner-up result one month later.
He broke his maiden at Gulfstream – in his fourth start – on March 25, 2023.
After a win that June at Woodbine, Stanley House finished sixth in the Plate Trial.
A month later he went postward in the 164th edition of The King’s Plate and finished third in the 1 ¼-mile race.
“We have never run him a mile and a half, but he ran in the Plate and handled that distance no problem,” said De Paulo. “He’s doing great heading into this, and we hope he can get that stakes win to close out the year.”
De Paulo heads into Thursday’s racing card three wins away from 1,000 for his career.
The multiple graded stakes winning conditioner would love to hit the milestone with his hard-knocking dark bay.
“We love this guy,” said De Paulo, of the $120,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Sale. “He’s been great for us from day one.
