Minutes after Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes, jockey Edgar Prado shook trainer Graham Motion’s hand and said, “the instructions you gave me were perfect.”

Prado had followed that plan by riding Howe Great to a gate-to-wire victory over his stablemate Lucky Chappy in the 1 1/16-mile turf race at Gulfstream Park.

The result produced an exacta for Motion and owner Team Valor International, and left Motion with options for both 3-year-old colts in upcoming richer stakes races at Gulfstream and other tracks

“I talked to Edgar before the race, and we agreed that if no one else wanted the lead, we’d be happy to take it,” Motion said.

Howe Great, at 9-2, set a series of solid split times and led Empire Builder by a length coming around the final turn. Lucky Chappy, the even-money favorite, was fifth in the seven-horse field.

Howe Great went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Lucky Chappy, with Empire Builder three-quarters of a length back in third.

“I knew Lucky Chappy would be up against it as he always breaks a step slow,” Motion said.

Under Florida rules for stakes races, Howe Great and Lucky Chappy were not a betting entry even though they have the same owner. Their $2 exacta paid $28.20.

Howe Great won in 1:40.42, a fast time for a 3-year-old.

“He had plenty left.” Prado said.

Motion and Team Valor are best known as the trainer and owner of Animal Kingdom, who last year won the Kentucky Derby and finished second in the Preakness Stakes.

In the winner’s circle, Motion said he and Team Valor chief executive Barry Irwin “haven’t ruled out anything” including possible Kentucky Derby preps for either Howe Great or Lucky Chappy.

In his previous race, Howe Great won a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance at Gulfstream on Dec. 15.

In his first two starts, he finished second and first in dirt sprints at Parx Racing in Philadelphia.

Howe Great, a large dark brown colt, is a son of Hat Trick, whose sire Sunday Silence won the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Irwin bred Howe Great in Kentucky.

Lucky Chappy began his career with two wins and a second-place finish in turf races in Italy. Last fall, he finished third and fourth in a pair of turf stakes at tracks in Kentucky.

Motion said either Howe Great or Lucky Chappy could soon join Animal Kingdom in racing in the United Arab Emirate of Dubai.

Animal Kingdom has been sidelined since last June after sustaining a hairline fracture in his left hind leg.

Motion said Animal Kingdom might return on Feb. 11 in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (Grade 1). That would be a prep for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

Howe Great or Lucky Chappy could race that day in the UAE Derby, a synthetic track race, Motion said.

One of the two might race at Gulfstream on March 11 in the $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes (Grade 3) at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The feature race Sunday is the $100,000 Sweetest Chant at one mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

The nine-horse field has the first three finishers from the Ginger Brew Stakes, on Dec. 24 at Gulfstream. They are Frolic’s Revenge, Ready Signal and Ann of the Dance.