Keeneland: Poolside goes rail side to take Valley View

Trainer Rusty Arnold earned his second consecutive stakes victory during the Friday card at Keeneland and third win of the day when he sent out Poolside With Slim for a ground-saving trip to win the Grade 2, $350,000 Valley View Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

In the race right before, Arnold took the $200,000 Myrtlewood with Echo Sound. His three wins on Friday pushed him to eight fall-meet victories.

“I’m having a very good day,” Arnold said.

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Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Poolside With Slim fought through on the inside and held off Pharoah’s Wine to win by 1 1/4 lengths. In capturing her first graded stakes, she covered one mile on a turf course labeled as firm in 1:36.00.

“She was in the lead in most of her races the beginning of the spring, but the trainer told me to change tactics and get behind one, and I did,” Dettori said. “Corey (Lanerie on Pharoah’s Wine) was going very slow, but I could see his horse was hanging out. We were tight, and she was very brave. Once she got right through there, she was very brave and ran for the line.”

Bred by Kilweelran in Ireland, Poolside With Slim is by Churchill out of Epaulette mare Kissepal. She earned $169,725 for the victory to boost her bankroll to $338,713 and improve her record to 8: 3-1-0.

“She had hung a couple of times, when it looked like she was going to win and didn’t get there,” Arnold said. “Actually, too, we backed her up to a mile, which I think helped her a little bit. She is one of those fillies that’s got a short kick, and the longer you wait, the better you are.”

Poolside With Slim paid $7.94, $4.54 and $3.82. Pharoah’s Wine returned $16.34 and $9.28 and finished a head in front of Buttercream Babe, who paid $6.52 to show under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Simply in Front was fourth and was followed in order by Les Reys, Memorialize, Kalispera, Dancing N Dixie, Opera Mundi, Nice as Pie, Uphill Dance and Sakura Blossom.