Carnival Colors Could Give Stidham Milestone Victory in Friday's Pin Oak Valley View

Mike Stidham has been training Thoroughbreds since 1979 and now is on the cusp of achieving a major milestone: 2,000 victories.

“We’ve got plenty of action the next couple of days,” said Stidham, who is at 1,997 wins. “We are here, at Belmont and Laurel Thursday and Friday.

Should the total reach 1,999 by the time the Pin Oak Valley View (G3) runs at Keeneland Friday afternoon, the horse to provide No. 2,000 would be Godolphin’s Carnival Colors (GB). 

“She was invited to the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (Presented by Lane’s End-G1) last week, but Godolphin already had Castle Lady (IRE) in the race,” Stidham said of the runner-up last Saturday. “That would have been a huge step up for her.”

Carnival Colors scored her first win in her second start last year at Arlington, winning by 11½  lengths going 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather surface. She followed that with a narrow miss in the Mazarine (G3) at Woodbine late last year.

“After the Mazarine, she had some minor issues and we gave her plenty of time off knowing she would be better as a 3- and 4-year-old,” Stidham said.

Carnival Colors returned to the races in late June at Laurel and has won two of three starts in 2019 with the most recent coming in the Virginia Oaks (L) at Colonial Downs on Aug. 31.

“She ran well in Virginia,” Stidham said of the 1¼-length victory going 1 1/8 miles on firm turf. “The Valley View will be a plenty big step up.”

And should she take that big step up, “I would love to win my 2,000^th at Keeneland,” Stidham said.