BREAKING NEWS ... Team Valor's LE GRAND YVES (Triple Threat) earns the stable's 1250th lifetime victory.


Team Valor's Green Up Named Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year
Upstart Filly Also Named Virginia-Bred Champion 3-Year-Old Filly

May 5, 2023

On the evening before the Kentucky Derby, the Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association handed out their annual awards for the horses considered to be the best representatives of the state’s breeding program. Horse of the Year honors went to Team Valor International’s classy sophomore filly Green Up. ... More


Elysian Field Bet Down to 8-to-5 Favoritism, Scores by 3 1/4 Lengths
Soph Saves Ground Along Fence, Shows Moxie, Splits Rivals to Win
Irwin: "She Ran to Her Looks and Works and Is Set to Improve Now"

May 1, 2023

Elysian Field came good yesterday fourth time out and first time up in her homeland of Canada. Dropped in trip from a pair of 2-turn Gulfstream Park races to a sprint for the first time since she was a good runner-up on debut sprinting at Saratoga on the grass, she not only displayed plenty of talent, but a lot of moxie, as she rated kindly inside along the fence, had the agility to split horses and the raw talent to draw off down the lane to score easily by 3 1/4 lengths at Woodbine over the Tapeta surface. ... More


Lajoscha Fires Off the Bench to Take Listed Race Despite Firmer Turf
Black-Type Score Qualifies Him for the 2023 Melbourne Cup

April 30, 2023

Lajoscha did not come into the Altano-Rennen exactly as planned. However, his class prevailed and he won the Listed race with authority for Woehler and jockey Eddie Pedroza in fine style over the 14 furlongs in Berlin. Now Herr Woehler will bring him back in 2 weeks at the same Hoppegarten racecourse for Germany’s top race for Stayers, the Group 2 Oleander-Rennen going 2 miles. ... More


Bella Romanza Dazzles on Debut Winning on Gulfstream Park Sod
Expensive Bernardini Juvenile Buy Comes Good for Todd Pletcher

April 10, 2023

Bella Romanza, which had been bought a year ago off a strong synthetic track breeze in Ocala at the OBS sale of unraced juveniles, reverted to that form when dazzling an Easter Sunday throng at Gulfstream Park yesterday to surprise not only most of those in attendance at the Hallandale track, but her connections as well. “A rare pleasant surprise,” is how trainer Todd Pletcher characterized the 14-to-1 upset fashioned by Bella Romanza in winning her racing bow over 7 ½ furlongs on grass. ... More


Hurricane Dream Storms Home 4 1/2 Lengths in Front in Bluegrass
Provides Keeneland Opening-Day Folk with Thrill Under Dettori

April 7, 2023

Hurricane Dream enjoyed his American debut and took full advantage of a fast pace to not only win by 4 1/2 lengths on Keeneland's opening day, but to run faster by far than any other United States based grass runner around two turns this season. Under Frankie Dettori, Hurricane Dream broke well from the gate, easily recovered when the horse to his left came over on him and he settled into a nice position. ... More


The Charleston Last-to-First Winner of Lucrative Auction Race
Juvenile Miss Has Now Earned 4 Times Her Buy-In Price for Partners
Black-Type Races Loom on the Horizon for Bass-Robinson Trainee

Feb 25, 2023

The Charleston, dispatched as the 8 to 1 fourth choice to 9 to 5 favorite Kyalami Girl, overcame the widest of draws on a course that favored inside speed all day long to post a mild upset under a daring and inspired ride from Grant van Niekerk. The Charleston and Kyalami Girl are both trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, who admitted before and after the race that she fancied Gaynor Rupert’s filly over the Team Valor stablemate and did not see how The Charleston would be able to beat the favorite, especially from her draw. ... More


Stable Wraps Up 2022 With Several Notable Milestones Achieved
1000 Pieces of Black-Type Earned by Winning and Placing in Stakes

Dec 30, 2022

Over the course of the 36 years that Barry Irwin has been forming and managing his stable of syndicated racehorses, the winning strike rate has averaged 18 percent, year in and year out. This year the stable maintained that high level of quality with 18 percent wins once again. La Petite Coco won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and the stable scored its 1000th lifetime piece of black-type. ... More


Wakanaka Wins from Last Place Despite a Moderate Early Pace
Four-Year-Old Filly Banks Largest Domestic Purse of the Season
Italian Import Caps Memorable Day for HOF Trainer William Mott

Nov 04, 2022

When Saturday’s $300,000 Fall Harvest Stakes was drawn, Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s 4 old filly Wakanaka looked to have been dropped in the deep end of the pool, a fact that was noted by Keeneland’s morning-line maker, who put her at 12-to-1 for the mile contest on grass that capped the second day of the Breeders’ Cup weekend in Lexington, Kentucky. By post time, however, the entire complexion of the race had changed. ... More


Silence Please Becomes a Group Stakes Winner for Woehler
Gleneagles Mare Draws Off by 5 Lengths in Berlin Germany
Five-Year-Old Will be Bred and Sold Next Year at Tattersalls

Oct 30, 2022

Trainer Andreas Woehler and jockey Jozef Bojko teamed up to turn Listed winner Silence Please into a European Group winner on Sunday at the beautiful Hoppegarten course east of Berlin. Woehler instructed the Slovakian-born reinsman to take her right to the back in an effort to completely switch off the mare, then make his move when he felt the timing was right for yesterday’s 3000 meter Group 3 Preis Silbernes Pferd. Still last at the top of the stretch, she caught the leader Nerium approaching the grandstand then drew off to a five length score in Germany's oldest stakes race. ... More


Facteur Cheval Leaves the Best for Last in Group 3 Prix Perth
Benefits from Solid Pace, Enterprising Ride for 1 1/2-Length Score
Gerald Mosse Predicts Gelding will be Group 1 Runner Next Year

Oct 22, 2022

In what was the final French Group win of his fabled career, retiring Champion jockey Gerald Mosse delivered a brilliant ride to score a first Group win aboard Team Valor Interational and Gary Barber's Facteur Cheval in the Group 3 Prix Perth going a mile on heavy going at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. It was only this summer that Mosse clutched Barry Irwin's hands post-race and boldly told him and trainer Jerome Reynier that the 3-year-old was an absolute "superstar." ... More


Green Up Earns Berth for Grade 1 Cotillion in Huge Prep Score
Stays Unbeaten in 2022; Records 100 Beyer and 109 Equibase Figures

Aug 23, 2022

In a riding exhibition the likes of which fully illustrate why Irad Ortiz Jr. is among the best riders currently plying their trade in North America, the Puerto Rican-born reinsman gathered up the filly, waited patiently for room and seamlessly maneuvered himself into exactly the position he wanted. The filly by Upstart once again drew clear in the stretch, as she has done all year. Final time of 1:39 3/5 was just two-fifths of a second shy of the Parx track record. ... More


Wakanaka Gets her Day in the Sun at Windy Woodbine
Irish Thousand Guineas Victress Strikes in G2 Dance Smartly
Woodbine Press Dept Sums Up "Ladies of the Lawn" First Leg

July 5, 2022

Wakanaka scored in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine, increasing her lifetime tally to 7 wins and 5 placings in 13 starts. "She brings her A-game everytime as one can see by her skein of Graded placings since arriving in the U.S." The always consistent, dish-faced beauty is a daughter of the Coolmore stallion Power and produced by the Kodiac mare Storyline. ... More


Green Up Romps to 5 3/4-Length Victory in Her Black-Type Debut
Paco Lopez is a Passenger in Front-running Tour de Force in Joisey
Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in Offing for Todd Pletcher's 3YO Protege

July 5, 2022

Green Up answered a lot of questions last Sunday when scoring a facile 5 3/4-length triumph in the Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth Park. She proved she could win around two turns, she proved that she could be just as brilliant in stakes company as she had been when beating up on bums in Florida and she proved that the sky could very well be the limit for her in terms of where her talent can take her. ... More


Facteur Cheval Exudes Raw Power Remaining Unbeaten in Stakes
Sophomore Gelding Wows French Crowd in Effortless Triumph
Irwin: "He's the Most Exciting Horse for Us Since Citidancer in 1990"

July 2, 2022

Facteur Cheval is now 4 for 4, a black-type winner, and a horse that has now made decent rivals look decided moderate in each of his victories. He won by 2 lengths, the same winning margin in all of his races since the 3-year-old Ribchester horse broke his maiden on debut by 5 lengths. When Gerald Mosse swung Facteur Chevel outside to allow the 3-year-old to make his stretch move, many in the Chantilly crowd on Sunday began to applaud the flashy gelding and the intensity of the clapping and whooping increased as he powered to the front, strode clear down the lane and won eased up at the wire with his jockey patting him on the head and neck. ... More


La Petite Coco Captures Group 1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh
Filly Beats Top Field in Her 4-Year-Old Debut for Twomey and Lee
Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe Prospect Now Has Won 5 of 6 for Team Valor

June 30, 2022

Everything fell into place for La Petite Coco last Sunday at The Curragh racecourse in County Kildare, Ireland and the Ruler of the World filly took full advantage of the opportunity to become a Group 1 winner and provide her super-hot trainer Paddy Twomey with his first career triumph at the highest level in the world of racing. ... More


Mooney Love Stuns Cologne Racegoers with Listed Stakes Score
Italian Import Romps by 2 3/4 Lengths Going 2100 Meters in 4YO Bow
Irwin: "He Wants to Follow a Fast Pace on Hard Turf and He Got It"

June 30, 2022

Mooney Love was last with 600 meters remaining. Panov switched him to the outside in the final quarter-mile and got him rolling right toward the odds-on favorite that looked home free. Mooney Love generated a tremendous closing punch to not only reel in the favorite, but to leave that one in his dust. “I didn’t need to use the stick or anything, he did it all on his own,” Russian-born Panov said. “It was a strong effort and very impressive.” ... More


Nadette is Now Officially Pointing for the Classic French Oaks
Theo Bachelot Commits to Riding Filly in 2100-Meter Group 1 Race

May 19, 2022

Team Valor International and Marco Saviozzi's 3-year-old filly Nadette (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}–Ciboulette {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) was two places behind subsequent G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Mangoustine (Fr) when fifth going one mile at Paris-Longchamp in last month's G3 Prix de la Grotte and stepped forward to collect a career high in today's Listed Prix Finlande upped to nine furlongs back at the Bois de Boulogne venue.. ... More


Green Up Coasts Home in Hand at Odds of 1-to-2 at Gulfstream
Promising 3-Year-Old Filly Successfully Stretches Out Over Mile

Apr 21, 2022

Although she mostly walked out of the gate, the 3-year-old filly was soon into stride and was allowed to move up on her own volition between horses in the initial run down the backstretch through an easy opening quarter-mile of :23 4/5. The second quarter-mile was a different story, as it took less than 23 seconds to accomplish as the half was reached in :46 3/5. Green Up was always moving well in hand. She kept towards the outside around the turn, was allowed to drift wide when sent up at the quarter pole to assume command and was asked to put the race away at the top of the lane. ... More


Nadette Earns Guineas Trial Berth by Winning Today's Comeback
Outstrip Filly Shows Instant Acceleration Over Polytrack Mile
French One Thousand Guineas on May 15 at Longchamp is Her Goal

Mar 14, 2022

Nadette displayed instant acceleration in winning her Chantilly comeback today in France and stamped herself as a Miler. There had been considerable discussion over the winter between trainer Romain Le Dren-Doleuze and Barry Irwin about the filly’s true trip, as her runs last season did not offer enough evidence about whether she would be best at the Guineas (mile) or Oaks (10f) trips. “But today, she answered the debate emphatically by summoning instant acceleration, which is the hallmark of a top Miler. ... More


The Thoroughbred Daily News names Team Valor's Green Up a "Rising Star"
Upstart Filly Cruises by Nearly Seven Lengths in Stable Debut

Mar 13, 2022

Alan Carasso at the TDN had the following to say upon watching Green Up mow down her field in a Gulfstream Park maiden sprint: "Sent off a mortal lock at odd of 2-to-5, Team Valor International's Green Up (Upstart) improved off a big-figure debut second for previous connections and galloped her six overmatched rivals into the ground, earning "TDN Rising Star' honors for a 6 3/4 length tour-de-force. ... More


Keyflower Benefits from Million-Dollar Ride to Win U.S. Debut
French 4yo Garners $72,200 from Purse and Santa Anita Incentives
Import Figures to Improve Over Longer Than This One-Mile Route

Feb 19, 2022

Keyflower won her United States unveiling and 4-year-old debut on Saturday at Santa Anita with authority by three-quarters of a length going a mile under a brilliant bit of reinsmanship from fellow French import Flavien Prat. “We got a great ride from a veteran who had the good sense to stay close to the pace, when most riders would have taken back anticipating a fast pace,” noted Barry Irwin. ... More


Black Silver Earns Black-Type When Second in Jamaica Handicap
Ebony Flyer 4YO Daughter Beaten Three-Quarters of a Length
Homebred Finishes Well, But No Match for Rupert's Course Wizard

Jan 7, 2022

Black Silver, by virtue of her excellent performance when earning black-type for the first time in the Jamaica Handicap last Friday, had her Merit Rating raised 9 points to 89. Black Silver becomes the second runner produced by Team Valor’s Champion race mare Ebony Flyer to earn black-type in a stakes race. ... More


Spanish Mission Runs Right Up to His Best for Melbourne Cup Third
Momentum Stopped Close to Home when Winner Crossed in His Path
Vintage Renewal Was Run in Fifth Fastest Time in Lengthy History

Nov 3, 2021

Spanish Mission overcame physical niggles in Newmarket and Australian quarantine to bring his best game to the US$6-million Melbourne Cup, in which he was a dead-game third. The superb winner, which triumphed by 4 lengths, legally crossed over in front of the Team Valor International color-bearer once barely clear in the closing stage, which caused Spanish Mission to jink and lose valuable momentum. ... More


La Petite Coco Denies Champion Love in Last Stride at The Curragh
Rapidly Rising Star is Now Second Choice for G1 British Champions

Sep 12, 2021

La Petite Coco, a daughter of Ruler of the World, took one of the biggest scalps available among fillies and mares in the world of turf racing Sunday at The Curragh, when she dug in very late to pass Coolmore’s vaunted filly Love in the last stride or two to claim victory on Irish Champions Weekend in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes. The margin was a nose. ... More


Invite Thrashes Seasoned, Classy Older Males to Win Listed Race
Balding Eyeing Same G1 British Champions Race as La Petite Coco
Irwin: "She Has Every Chance to Move into a Much Higher League"

Sep 11, 2021

Invite (IRE), which figured to need her return engagement Saturday in the Listed Stand Cup after not having raced since splitting her Group 2 Italian Oaks field as the favorite 3 months earlier, belied conventional wisdom by not only being fit and sharp, but ready to move into a new league. ... More


Spanish Mission Held to Half a Head by Stradivarius in Group 2
TVI/Barber Runner-Up Keeps Improving, Now Heading to Oz
Racing.com's Carl di Iorio Reports on New Melbourne Cup Favorite

August 21, 2021

Spanish Mission has been promoted to Melbourne Cup favorite for owners Team Valor International and Gary Barber, after giving Europe's aging staying champion Stradivarius a major fright in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York on Friday. ... More


Solene Lilyette Rings Bell in Hurry Harriet Stakes in Ireland
Score Caps Week of Black-Type Grabs in Stakes on Emerald Isle
Thoroughbred Daily News Europe Reports on Impressive Finish

August 12, 2021

Thanks to an enterprising ride from trainer Andrew Slattery’s young son Andy Slattery, the rising star Solene Lilyette was able to pull off an upset and win yesterday’s Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes at Gowran Park in Ireland for owners Team Valor International and Gary Barber. ... More


La Petite Coco Emphatically Announces Arrival on Group Scene
Rider Billy Lee Tells Trainer Paddy Twomey "She is a Group 1 Horse"
Thoroughbred Daily News Europe Reports on Impressive Finish

August 8, 2021

Coming into Saturday's G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes with a growing reputation, Team Valor's La Petite Coco (Ire) (by Ruler of the World) only served to enhance it significantly as she ruled with an iron fist in the Cork feature ... More


Loveisthehigherlaw Shows High Pluck in German Listed Victory
Pedroza Cool Customer in Tactical 11-Furlong Stakes at Hannover
Daughter of Ex-TVI Champion Sweet Stream Stops Two Challenges

July 11, 2021

Loveisthehigherlaw, leading from the start, admirably kept to her task and put away Red Hot inside the final furlong. Accola moved up from third to second, was never getting to the winner, but ran a good race in defeat. The 5-year-old “Love” responded to right-handed urging and, once Pedroza knew she was giving her best, he let her finish on her own courage. As she approached the wire, Loveisthehigherlaw was not only in complete control, one could see that she enjoyed winning the race.” ... More


Homebred Oleksandra Closes Out Her Career with Last-to-First G3 Victory
Poker Stakes at Belmont is Swan Song for Daughter of Animal Kingdom
Kellie Reilly of BrisNet Reviews Final Race of In-Foal Mare

June 20, 2021

In foal to leading sire Into Mischief, OLEKSANDRA bowed out on a high note by springing a 17-1 upset of odds-on favorite Raging Bull in Sunday’s $250,000 Poker S. (G3) at Belmont Park. The Team Valor International homebred has spent her career as a turf sprinter, but proved effective on the stretch-out to deny a top miler at his own game. Trainer Drysdale said "We decided to try her at a mile hoping she could get the distance, and she did. She’s pregnant, so this was her swan song. She’ll go out on a high note.” ... More


Beantown Baby Extends Winning STreak to 3 at Delaware Park
Mare Slowed to Walk by Jockey, Yet Scores by Nearly 3 Lengths
Delacour Excited at Prospect of Colonial Downs Sprint Stakes

June 14, 2021

Beantown Baby looked to be a shoe-in on paper at odds of 1-to-2 and that is exactly how it worked out in real life, as after breaking well, she was urged to assume command early by jockey Mychel Sanchez. The filly has never set the pace in any of her 6 turf races. She went to the front, set an uncontested pace early, began to draw off around the turn, she was 4 to 5 lengths in front in the stretch and was slowed to a jog well before she had reached the wire. ... More


Spanish Mission Wins Group 2 Yorkshire Cup Stakes Today at York
Irwin: "He Ran the Best Race of His Life. On His Day He is Top Class"
TVI/Barber Stayer Thrashes Irish Derby Hero Giving Him 3 Pounds

May 14, 2021

Spanish Mission ran the race of his life today at York when he dominated the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup Stakes over 1 mile and 5 furlongs. On the “good” ground he relishes, the Kentucky-bred horse owned by Team Valor International and Gary Barber, repulsed a couple of strong challenges from Coolmore’s Irish Derby hero Santiago and drove to a nearly 3-length triumph today to claim the first prize of more than $95,000. ... More


Axana Travels to England to Snare Group 3 at Lingfield Park
Becomes First German to Win UK Group Race in 7 Racing Seasons
Team Effort Produces Signature Triumph for TVI / Gaynor Rupert

May 8, 2021

Axana showed just how special she is when becoming the first German-based racehorse in 7 years to successfully cross the English Channel and win a Group race in the United Kingdom on Saturday, when she repulsed challenge after challenge to prevail by three-quarters of a length in the Group 3 Chartwell Fillies Stakes at Lingfield Park. ... More


Classic Win Jumps Team Valor to 29th Place on International List
Thoroughbred Commentary Global Rankings has Valor 7th in U.S.

April 28, 2021

By virtue of its Classic win Sunday in the Italian One Thousand Guineas, Team Valor has jumped up to 29th among the world’s leading international racing stables on Thoroughbred Commentary’s Global rankings this season through last Sunday. The rankings are updated on a weekly basis and, until its Group 3 score Sunday, TVI had been absent from the list for the last 6 weeks. ... More


Wakanaka Overcomes Trouble to Win Impressively in Italian Classic
Fave Misses Break, Blocked to Mid-Stretch, Wins as Much the Best
Four-Time Black-Type Hero Runs Four-Fifths Faster Than the Boys

April 27, 2021

Wakanaka proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that over the Italian Guineas distance of a mile that she is the queen of the Classic generation among both fillies and colts, as she dominated Sunday’s renewal of the Group 3 Regina Elena, Italy’s equivalent of the One Thousand Guineas. In running four-fifths of a second faster than the males in the Two Thousand Guineas equivalent, she earned a Timeform rating of 105, which was 4 pounds superior to the winning colt. ... More


Statistics Show the Stable Now Winning at Whopping 26% Strike Rate
Last Ten Starts Yield Five Wins, Victories in Ireland and Germany

April 13, 2021

Team Valor International’s last three starts have had a repetitive theme, that is – all three races were run in Germany, all three races resulted in wins, all three winners were trained by Andreas Wöhler, and all three winners were ridden by Eddie Pedroza. This brings the season tally to 54 starts (14 wins – 12 seconds – 6 thirds) and a winning strike rate of 26 percent. ... More


10-Year Partner Harve Hnatiuk Talks on Stable's Euro-Transition
South Carolina Resident Celebrates Moll's Noblesse Stakes Win
Couple Experiences Bourgeoning Zeal for the Game "Over There"

April 10, 2021

On Thursday TVI partner Harve Hnatiuk spoke at length with Jessica Berry about his experience with the stable since the announcement of its transition to primarily European racing. The South Carolina resident and his wife Cyndee have been involved in Team Valor partnerships for 10 years and recently celebrated their first stakes win in Ireland. ... More


Axana Impressive Black-Type Winner to Commence 5yo Campaign
Woehler Mare's 111 Timeform Mark Equals Her Career Topper at 3
Eddie Pedroza: "Now That She Can Breathe Again, She Moves Great"

April 4, 2021

The real Axana showed up Sunday at Hoppegarten racecourse in Eastern Berlin and she looked as good as ever in winning the Listed Gestüts Röttgen going a mile as the third choice to 4-year-old No Limit Credit. The runner-up was favored. Last December at the Arqana sale in Deauville, the secondplace finisher sold for more than $580,000. ... More


Moll Justifies Trainer Paddy Twomey's Faith in Her in Stakes Win
Camelot 4-Year-Old Convincing Winner of 1 1/2-Mile Listed at Cork
IrishRacing.com Covers Victory Highlighting Trainer's Patience

April 3, 2021

After their success with Maoilin at Dundalk on Wednesday there was more success up in grade for Team Valor, Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee when Moll triumphed in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Noblesse Stakes at Cork. ... More


Grade 1 Winner Oleksandra In-Foal to Leading Sire Into Mischief
Will Continue to Train and Race for 120 Days Before Retirement
Animal Kingdom Mare Pointing for Repeat in Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes

March 30, 2021

Animal Kingdom’s Australian-bred Grade 1 winner Oleksandra has been declared “in-foal” to super-hot stallion Into Mischief on a March 10 cover date. According to The Jockey Club rules, “an in-foal mare may continue to race for 120 days from the date of cover.” Bluewater Sales will offer her at Keeneland in November to dissolve the partnership. ... More


Santa Anita Derby Winner The Deputy Rescued by Owners, Trainer
Team Valor, Gary Barber and Jenine Sahadi Stepped In to Save the Day
Stallion Now Residing at Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas

March 24, 2021

Irish-bred The Deputy, trained by Jenine Sahadi for Team Valor and Gary Barber to win the $1-million Santa Anita Derby in 2000 and second choice in the Kentucky Derby, is now safely ensconced in Texas after some maneuvering to rescue him from a “kill pen” on a feedlot about an hour north of Dallas week before last. When intrepid horse lovers used their Internet monitoring skills to learn that the now 24-year-old stallion had been bought cheaply at a sale in Iowa and transported to the feedlot in Texas, word spread fast and Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin quickly managed to buy him on behalf of his longtime partner Barber and ex-trainer Sahadi. ... More


As First Quarter Nears Conclusion, Irwin Examines Last Decade
Stable's Win Percentage Nears 24% with Victory by Media Storm

March 22, 2021

With Sunday’s easy victory by Media Storm at Mont-de-Marsan in France, the stable’s statistics push ever higher to where they currently stand at 23.7% wins (or 24% for those among you who enjoy rounding up). Is that figure the best opening quarter in history? No, but it’s the second-best in the last decade, and a remarkable turn-around from the slow start earlier in the year. ... More


Untreated Runs to Expectations in 8 3/4-Length Tampa Maiden Romp
Tour de Force Effort Rated Faster that Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby
Barry Irwin Thinking $750,000 Wood Memorial April 3 at "The Big A"

March 6, 2021

Racing over a typically souped-up Tampa Bay Derby strip that saw speed dominate most of the races prior to Saturday’s sixth race, Team Valor International’s once-raced Nyquist colt Untreated turned his maiden race upside down with a powerful move as he was racing on the backstretch before reaching the far turn. He went past rivals so easily, it was a revelatory moment when he switched gears and employed long strides while racing wide. ... More


Spanish Mission Second for Barber/Team Valor in Red Sea Handicap
Earns $500,000 in Second-Richest Grass Race on Planet Earth
Andrew Balding Plans to Return Him for the Dubai Gold Cup Next

February 20, 2021

Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Spanish Mission, wearing the Hollywood movie mogul’s distinctive shocking pink silks, opened his 2021 account with an excellent performance to finish a closing second today in Saudi Arabia on the Saudi Cup undercard. Second place was worth $500,000 as the $2.5-million purse is the second biggest in the world for a grass handicap behind only the Melbourne Cup, which coincidentally remains his seasonal goal in November over 2 miles. ... More


Roll in The Hay Rolls to First Career Stakes Victory at Fairview
Team Valor Yearling Buy Comes Within 4/5ths of Course Record
Candice Bass-Robinson had the Filly Spot On for Lady's Pendant S.

February 19, 2021

"She was so full of herself and so on point today that I couldn't wait and moved her much earlier than I would have liked," jockey Aldo Domeyer explained, "but I saw the winning post and I knew she would win today. She warmed up brilliantly, she went down to post very well and Candice had her on song today. She won so easily. She pricked her ears and won eased down. It was her day. She is not done -- I think she will win more of these blacktype races." ... More



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