Thoroughbreds News
March 4, 2010
Gitano Hernando a Star on the RiseTo many, the seemingly meteoric rise of English-bred Gitano Hernando over the last year has been simply amazing. But not so for Team Valor International president Barry Irwin, who bought the colt after he broke his maiden with intentions of racing him on the world’s biggest stage. – Team Valor Headline News |
March 1, 2010
Visionaire - 2 1/4 length winner in 1:21 4/5 of Saratoga's King Bishop Stakes (G1) |
February 27, 2010
GITANO HERNANDO ONLY A FIFTH SHY OF LINGFIELD RECORD IN 4YO BOW, WORLD CUP PREP A 4 ½-LENGTH ROUT GOING 1 ¼ MILES ON ALL-WEATHER, FALLON EXUDES CONFIDENCE IN THE NEW AND IMPROVED HERNANDO SONGitano Hernando exploded with a furlong remaining and drew off to a 4 ½-length triumph when he missed the Lingfield track record for a mile and a quarter in taking the Listed Winter Derby Trial Stakes today outside of London, England. |
February 27, 2010
Gitano warms up for World Cup in style.
Gitano Hernando warmed up for a crack at the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 27 with a convincing win in the Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield on Saturday.
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May 8, 2009
Gitano Hernando is Gutty Second in Group Dee Stakes in England, Team Valor/Gary Barber Colt Punches Ticket for June 6 Belmont, Colt Follows Tried and True Path of Belmont Second My MemoirsTeam Valor International and Gary Barber's Gitano Hernando punched his ticket for the June 6 Belmont Stakes with a bang-up second today when he failed by a head of pegging back the winner of the Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester race course in England. – Team Valor Headline News |
May 4, 2009
Hull will Line Up for The Preakness Stakes in a Change of Plans, Derby Result and a Lack of Top New Shooters Prompts the Move, Miguel Mena Rides Unbeaten Colt in Second Leg of Triple CrownHull, unbeaten in 3 starts by a total of 16 lengths this season for trainer Dale Romans, will line up for the Preakness. Owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stables, Team Valor International and Gary Barber, the Kentucky-bred son of Holy Bull won the Derby Trial on opening day at Churchill Downs by 4 lengths. – Team Valor Headline News |
April 25, 2009
Hull Becomes Barry Irwin's 100th Stakes Winner in G3 Derby Trial, Milestone Reached with Partners Bill Heiligbrodt, Gary Barber, Century Mark of Added-Money Winners Earned Since 1987 by B. EyeWhen Hull skipped under the wire 4 lengths clear to take this afternoon's Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs, he became stakes winner number 100 to represent a racing partnership formed by Team Valor International owner Barry Irwin since 1987. – Team Valor Headline News |
April 25, 2009
Hull Skedaddles to 4-Length Score in Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes, Easily Handles a Wide Trip, Raise in Class in Churchill Downs Win, Holy Bull 3-Year-Old Now Unbeaten in 3 Starts for PartnershipHull exceeded expectations today when he dominated the Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs, pressing the pace from the outside while extremely wide and drawing off to triumph by 4 lengths as the 7 to 3 third choice in a field of 8 for trainer Dale Romans and owners Team Valor International, Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Gary Barber. – Team Valor Headline News |
April 22, 2009
Grade 1 New York Stakes Winner Visionaire Retired from Racing, Won King's Bishop S. at Saratoga and Gotham S. at Aqueduct at 3, Grand Slam Colt Winner in 5 of 12 Starts for Trainer Michael MatzFour-year-old Visionaire, who rolled home to a 2 ¼-length victory last summer in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga, has been retired from racing, it was announced by trainer Michael Matz. "Visionaire most likely suffered a knee chip in the King's Bishop," said Matz. "His next two races were unlike him. Surgery was performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage last fall, but he has not trained to our satisfaction, so the owners have decided to retire him, rather than blemish his racing record." – Team Valor Headline News |
April 15, 2009
Hull Passes Keeneland Race in Favor of Derby Trial at ChurchillUnbeaten Hull is going to be scratched from Saturday's Grade 2 Coolmore Lexington Stakes, as his connections have decided not to run him from the outside stall in a field of 12. Instead, the Holy Bull son will race a week later at Churchill Downs for the Derby Trial over 7 ½ furlongs around one turn for a purse of $100,000 in a Grade 3 fixture. Miguel Mena, the third-leading rider at Keeneland, will retain the mount. – Team Valor Headline News |
April 2, 2009
Hull Romps to Daylight Win by Widening 7 ¾ Lengths at Turfway, Colt Never Allowed to Run and Comes Within 4/5 of Track Record, Recent Team Valor Acquisition on Track for G2 Lexington StakesHull stamped himself as much more than a "one-hit-wonder" and as a bona-fide contender nationally in the sophomore ranks on Thursday at Turfway Park when he parlayed his debut romp at Fair Grounds in February with an encore performance saturated with brilliance. The recent Team Valor acquisition cruised by 7 ¾ lengths in his first start against winners and despite being held in the proverbial "death-grip" by jockey Miguel Mena for the entire 1:16 1/5 of the race, the blue-sky prospect stopped the clock just four-fifths of a second shy of the track record on the Polytrack. – Team Valor Headline News |
March 29, 2009
Gitano Hernando Records Very Stylish Win in Team Valor Debut, Red Colt Roars Home to 2 1/2-Length Win at Doncaster in England, Botti is Oozing with Confidence on Road to the Belmont StakesGitano Hernando made a sterling impression in his Team Valor International debut at Doncaster Racecourse on Sunday in the northern part of England, storming home down the stretch to register a resounding 2 ½-length score in a Class 3 Handicap over 1 ¼ miles on firm turf. The win marks a successful initial step on the colt's path towards the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Belmont Stakes on June 6. The son of Hernando was acquired by Team Valor earlier in the year. – Team Valor Headline News |
March 22, 2009
Russian Sage is Switched to $5-Million, 12-Furlong Sheema Classic, Irwin Calls Audible when Eagle Mountain Defects from Sod Race, Says "Difference Between Sheema and Duty Free is Night and Day"Even though a decision was made last week to run Russian Sage in the 9-furlong Dubai Duty Free, Team Valor International owner Barry Irwin could not reconcile the decision and kept regretting it over the last several days. When Mike de Kock removed probable favorite Eagle Mountain because of an injury, Irwin really started questioning the sanity of running against the top middle-distance performers in the world in the hottest race on the World Cup card in the Duty Free, instead of taking the path of least resistance in the Sheema Classic. – Team Valor Headline News |
March 14, 2009
Kinsella Wins Racing Debut for Team Valor International Group, $2.2-Million Saratoga Yearling Sale Topper Overcomes Trouble, Pletcher Protege Breaks Slowly, Goes Wide, Still Wins in StyleBarry Irwin no longer has to answer the oft-asked question "Whatever happened to that expensive yearling you bought a couple of years ago at Saratoga, that big chestnut Mr. Greeley colt?" Kinsella answered the question himself in emphatic fashion when in his introduction to the racing game this afternoon in a maiden special weight on the grass at Gulfstream Park, the tall, athletic sophomore turned in a breathtaking performance to win in his debut by three-quarters of a length. – Team Valor Headline News |
March 5, 2009
Russian Sage Deadheats in Second with Jay Peg in Duty Free Prep, Team Valor Colt Gives 5.5 Pounds to 1 ¼-Length Jebel Hatta Hero, Champion Earns His Way into the $5-Million World Cup Night RunRussian Sage had more difficulty getting into the Grade 2 Jebel Hatta than running well in the World Cup night prep, but everything worked out well in the end for the owners of the South African Champion. The Team Valor International colorbearer shared highweight of 131 pounds with fellow South African Jay Peg, who won the $5-million Grade 1 Duty Free last year in course record time. At the finish of the Jebel Hatta, Russian Sage and Jay Peg finished on even terms. – Team Valor Headline News |
January 29, 2009
Team Valor Purchases 3-Year-Old English Colt Gitano Hernando, Newmarket-Based Marco Botti Colt to Aim for Belmont Stakes, Hernando Colt is Out of Graded U. S. Stakes Winner Gino's SpiritsTeam Valor International has acquired English-based Gitano Hernando and will point him to the Triple Crown in the United States. The Kentucky outfit syndicated him in a matter of 3 days last week. – Team Valor Headline News |
