A pedigree theory executed by Barry and Kathleen Irwin of Team Valor resulted in G1 Champagne Stakes winner U.S.S. Valor. Did you notice U.S.S. Valor (by War of Will) flicking his ears forward as he raced under the wire to victory in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes? Is this colt really that cheeky? Really? ... More

The 1-4 choice, named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' following a daylight maiden win with a division-leading 105 Beyer Speed Figure at second asking going seven furlongs at Saratoga Sept. 5, wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings beneath Manny Franco and immediately raced in traffic in the bunched-up field of six. .... More

The 2-year-old U. S. S. Valor confirmed that he is indeed racing's newest superstar on Saturday, validating his monster maiden victory at Saratoga last month with an extremely impressive 6 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. ... More

U. S. S. Valor uncorked a powerful stretch run to win the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for 2-year-olds, in eye-catching fashion on Saturday at Belmont Park. Heavily favored off a 13 1/4-length second-out maiden victory on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course, U. S. S. Valor broke a step slowly in the Champagne but quickly recovered to race 1 1/4 lengths behind the leaders, Gaudreau, Johnny Hockey and Club Reign, in fifth as the tightly-packed field traveled ... More

Expectations were high for Team Valor International's U. S. S. Valor off a 13 1/4-length maiden victory Sept. 5 at Saratoga Race Course, and they paid off immensely Oct. 3 as he became a Grade 1 winner with an impressive performance in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. In the process, the 2-year-old colt popped the champagne for 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and Rockridge Stud stallion War of Will who picked up his first Grade 1 winner as a sire. .... More

Making her first start in nearly six months, Egyptian Mau found room when she rallied along the rail to prevail by a neck in a 31-1 upset of nine males Thursday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint going six furlongs at Belmont Park. A South Africa-bred 6-year-old mare, Egyptian Mau and jockey Antonio Fresu rallied from sixth place and overtook early stalkers Waralo (2-1) and Chasing Liberty (22-1) in the final five strides to get her first U.S. stakes win for trainer Neil Drysdale and owner Team Valor International. ... More

Barry Irwin is never afraid to speak his mind and he did so when joining this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to discuss U.S.S. Valor, his thoughts on the state of the game and HISA, his newly released novel and more. Irwin was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. ... More

Industry expert handicapper Michael Kipness, a.k.a. "The Wizard" sat down with Team Valor International CEO Barry Irwin to discuss his homebred colt U. S. S. Valor as he advances from a knockout maiden victory at Saratoga to the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. ... More

Ultra-consistent Canadian Champion Elysian Field, under last minute substitute jockey Fraser Aebly, came out on top in the Belfountain Stakes on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course, marking her first stakes win on the grass surface. The mare is now a stakes winner every year from ages three to six, with previous black-type victories including the Woodbine Oaks, the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes, and the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes. She has also been the runner-up in the King's Plate, the Ontario Matron and others. ... More

U. S. S. Valor broke his maiden at Saratoga running seven furlongs in 1:22.04 and earning a 105 Beyer Speed Figure - 104 Equibase number - 7.75 Ragozin speed figure - 0 ThoroGraph figure. And how about that monster stride? See how these figures compare to others in his crop. ... More

U. S. S. Valor, the 13 1/4-length winner of a fast seven-furlong maiden race for 2-year-olds on Saturday at Saratoga, shipped to Belmont Park on Monday, where he will be based this fall, and will be pointed to the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes on Oct. 3. After finishing third with some trouble in his debut, U. S. S. Valor ran seven furlongs in 1:22.04 and earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. ... More

With the 2023 mating season approaching, Barry Irwin and his wife Kathleen drew up a plan for their mare Spangled Banner (Tiz Wonderful), who they had acquired for $225,000 in the Fasig-Tipton Digital Sale the previous August. The results from that nicking on Saturday were a bottle christening, as second-time starter U. S. S. Valor (War of Will) launched then steamed home to win by more than 13 lengths. The effort earned him a 'TDN Rising Star. ... More

Steve Byk of At The Races sat down with Team Valor International CEO and Founder Barry Irwin today to discuss the background behind Irwin's racing novel "A Knight Errant", a story that melds a mercurial horse and a lifetime of experience in racing, with the dawn of the era of challenges that currently vex the industry. ... More

U. S. S. Valor (c, 2, War of Will–Spangled Banner, by Tiz Wonderful) received some high praise from DRF's Clocker Report following consecutive B+ breezes for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey ahead of his 6 1/2-furlong unveiling at the Spa Aug. 8. Backed at 5-1 in a deep-looking maiden special weight in the lidlifter on Whitney day, the Team Valor International homebred was carried in at the break from his rail draw and was steered out in time by Tyler Gaffalione to avoid hitting the rail leaving the chute. ... More

Although looking decidedly burly before being saddled in the paddock at The Curragh on Sunday, heavily bet 3 to 2 favorite Armor Supreme had no trouble pegging back the male leader in deep stretch and driving to score a 1 1/4-length victory going 5 furlongs on good to firm going in the black-type William Hill European Breeders Fund Juvenile Sprint Stakes. ... More

The Guinness Handicap was the feature on day five of the Galway festival and the 110,000 euro contest was won by the 3/1 favourite Thread Of Gold for his owners Team Valor International and Gary Barber. Raised 9lb for winning the Nasrullah Handicap at Leopardstown earlier in the month, the Ghaiyyath gelding raced in mid-division for Billy Lee (double on the day and fifth winner of the week) and was travelling well approaching the home turn. ... More

For anyone who has had the opportunity to meet Barry Irwin, it's doubtful any one of them would describe him as subtle or understated. A former journalist and handicapper who delved into the world of bloodstock and ownership syndicates before they really became commonplace, Irwin has worn a great many hats in horse racing over the past six decades and to say that he has experienced the sport through a very wide lens wouldn't be an understatement. ... Read More

When a horse is hammered down from a morning line of 2-to-5 all the way down to 1-to-20 (the lowest pari-mutuel digits available in North American racing) they are supposed to win as Irish Punch did on Saturday at Sam Houston Park. Kentucky Derby winning jockey Stewart Elliott allowed the grey full-sister to Green Up to show some initial early speed, but then he kept her off the rail, where an upstart pretender scooted up the fence to wrest command. ... More

Half of the 10 fillies and mares that lined up on the Met Handicap Day undercard Listed Olympic Duel sprint were dispatched at odds shorter than the 14 to 1 price on Babelicious. And shortly after the break, as noted by the Stipendiary Stewards, Babelicious "was squeezed out when tightened for galloping room between Wild Applause and Be Merry when both horses shifted ground marginally." However, such is the current confidence of the 4-year-old Var filly that she was able to overcome the difficult beginning and score her first black-type victory ... More