The horse version of Jean Valjean doesn’t have any need to redeem himself; he can just keep doing what he’s been doing.

The five-year-old Uncle Lino gelding made short work of seven rivals in Friday’s $50,000 Don’t Close Your Eyes Stakes at Penn National, one of four stakes the Grantville, PA track hosted that evening. Off at 1-9, he zipped to the lead under Julio Hernandez en route to a 3 1/2 -length victory in 57.39 seconds for five furlongs on the yielding turf.

It was Jean Valjean’s third consecutive win, following allowance/optional claiming triumphs at Penn National June 19 and at Laurel Park exactly a month later. He is a homebred for Hastings Farm and is trained by Elizabeth Merryman.

Jean Valjean has seven wins from 14 career starts and over $182,000 in earnings. He paid $2.20 to win and ws followed by Psychedelic Shack, who was three lengths ahead of show horse I Know Map.

One race earlier, in the Lebanon Valley Stakes, Anaita rallied from sixth under Wesley Ho to win by 1 ½ lengths in 57.70 for five-eighths on the turf as the 8-5 second choice in a field of eight fillies and mares.

A five-year-old mare by Lea, Anaita is on a hot streak of her own. The Lebanon Valley was her third consecutive win and fifth in six tries since the beginning of June for owner-trainer Bernie Dunham. West Abbott (20-1) and Shorty Mac (10-1) rounded out the triple.

Anaita paid $5.20 to win and now has 10 wins from 29 starts with a bankroll just shy of $200,000.

Earlier on the card a pair of route stakes on the turf went to Lady Outofthe Blue and Crisper.

Back on May 31, Lady Outofthe Blue had finished second to Stern Chaser in the Lyphard Stakes at Penn National. With that runner sitting out Friday’s Fort Indiantown Gap, the five-year-old Pennsylvania-bred Lady Outofthe Blue was able to get the victory.

Under jockey Angel Cruz, Lady Outofthe Blue rallied from seventh to win by three parts of a length in 1:43.11 for 1 1/16 miles. It was her third win from 15 career outings, and she now has earnings of $115,878.

Lady Outofthe Blue, a daughter of Air Force Blue, was bred by Jonathan Sheppard and is trained by Michael Matz for John D’Amico. She paid $7.00 to win as the 5-2 second choice of eight and was followed home by Getaway Palace and post time favorite On the Shortlist.

Julio Hernandez won two stakes on the evening, the first coming in the Summer Fun Stakes aboard 7-10 favorite Crisper. The five-year-old, Pennsylvania-bred Crisper had placed in several prior stakes before breaking through Friday for his fourth win in 20 career starts, pushing his bankroll to $226,726.

Like Lady Outofthe Blue, he rallied from seventh after a half-mile to win by three quarters of a length. Running time for 1 1/16 miles was was 1:43.60, and Crisper was followed home by Retweet and Major Thomas.

Trained by Tim Woolley, Crisper is a homebred for Ascoli Piceno Stables LLC.

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