Value Engineering, Mylady Take 1 3/8-Mile Graded Stakes

Appropriately, the horse Value Engineering  has been a value buy for owners Michael Hui and Phil Forte in the four months since the gelding's purchase for $35,000 at the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Sale from the ELiTE Sales consignment.

On March 4 at Gulfstream Park, the now 7-year-old gelding won his second stakes race in three starts since his acquisition, capturing the $200,000 Mac Diarmada Stakes (G2T). Earlier this winter at Gulfstream, he won the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Dec. 17 and ran second in the $200,000 William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) Jan. 28.

Hui praised Bloodstock agent Jared Hughes and trainer Mike Maker for recommending the purchase of Value Engineering at Keeneland.

Now under the care of Maker, with whom the Hui won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) in 2020 with Zulu Alpha , Value Engineering reached new heights Saturday, recording his first graded victory. 

After a flat-footed start, Value Engineering stalked the pace in the Mac Diarmada before outkicking runner-up Marwad , who had poked a head in front of him at the top of the lane. The winner raced 1 3/8 miles on a fast track in 2:14.20.

Master Piece  ran third, and 5-2 favorite Highest Honors  was fourth.

Value Engineering ($13.40), ridden by Jose Ortiz, gave trainer Mike Maker his second stakes win of the day following Endorsed  in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). The trainer has now won four of the last five editions of the Mac Diarmida.

Bred in Kentucky by D. J. Stable, Value Engineering is by Lemon Drop Kid  of the Dynaformer  mare Frozen Treet. 

Mylady Goes Last to First in the The Very One

German-bred Mylady  completed a last-to-first move in the The Very One Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park to capture her first victory on North American soil in the 1 3/8-mile, $150,000 turf race.

The gray 4-year-old daughter of The Grey Gatsby , owned by Michaela Faust, started her career in Germany with three straight victories, including the 2022 Jahre Wohnstatte Krefeld Dr. Busch Memorial (G3). She picked up placings in grade 2 and grade 1 company overseas before being moved to North America under trainer Chad Brown in the fall of 2022, finishing fifth in her last start in Woodbine's E.P Taylor Stakes (G1T).

The nearly five-month layoff did not deter the filly, who was settled in last in the 10-horse field by jockey Edgard Zayas through the first lap while Flying Fortress  and Libretto  showed the way through early fractions of :24.40, :48.71, and 1:14.84. With the mile marker run in 1:40.20 with the far turn approaching, Mylady surged with a gigantic push to pass the entire field and snare the lead in midstretch.

No one could catch Mylady ($19.60) down the lane as the filly took the race over firm turf in 2:15.14, winning by three-quarters of a length. Storming down the rail with a late bid was fellow Brown trainee Higher Truth , who was runner-up, while Transient  managed to get up for third after battling late traffic. Brown's other starter, favored Virginia Joy , was fourth.

Bred by Gestut Karlshof, Mylady is the first foal to race out of the Dabirsim  mare Minoris, who has two other foals, including a 3-year-old Counterattack  colt named Missouri and a 2-year-old full brother to him named Maigret. Mylady improved her record to 4-1-1 from nine starts and increased her earnings to $234,227.