Victory Gallop (CAN)
May 30, 1995 – Living
Cryptoclearance (USA) x Victorious Lil (CAN), by Vice Regent (CAN)
Family 12-b*
May 30, 1995 – Living
Cryptoclearance (USA) x Victorious Lil (CAN), by Vice Regent (CAN)
Family 12-b*
An absolutely consistent and game competitor, Victory Gallop was the spoiler in the tightest American Triple Crown loss ever, denying Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) and Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Real Quiet the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) by about four inches. A champion in spite of a light campaign the following year, Victory Gallop was a nice breed-to-race sire in the United States but has been much more in Turkey, where he has led their general sire list seven consecutive times.
Race record
16 starts, 9 wins, 5 seconds, 0 thirds, US$3,005,895
1997:
1998:
1999:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 1997, 17 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Favorite Trick.
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1999, 1 pound above second-rated Behrens and Free House.
As an individual
A well-balanced, handsome bay horse standing 16.1¼ hands, Victory Gallop was known for his powerful closing drives. He was forced into retirement by a torn ligament suffered in training in August of his 4-year-old season. He liked having his tongue grabbed and was quirky about the light bulbs in his stall as a young horse, smashing them repeatedly. As a stallion, his disposition has been "lovable" according to Barak Konuk, the assistant general manager of the Jockey Club of Turkey. He loves carrots as treats.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Victory Gallop has sired at least 77 stakes winners as of January 5, 2023. Amanda Duckworth, writing for Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/5919/happy-birthday-belmont-stakes-party-pooper-victory-gallop-loving-life-turkeys-all-time-leading-stallion/), reported him as having sired 117 stakes winners and 18 Group 1 winners (mostly in Turkey) as of May 2023.
Sire rankings
Per the Jockey Club of Turkey (https://www.tjk.org/EN/YarisSever/Query/Page/AygirIstatistikleri):
Notable progeny
Ballikaya (TUR), Call to Victory (TUR), Jaycito (USA), Oglum Berat (TUR), Prince Will I Am (USA), Victory Choice (USA), Victory Is Ours (TUR), Willpower (TUR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Tiz Flirtatious (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Victory Gallop was bred by Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm. He initially raced for Florida-based Speriamo Stable (Dr. E. C. “Pugs” Hart and his wife Susan Hart) after being bought for US$25,000 from the 1996 Keeneland September yearling sale. He was purchased privately by Art, Jack, and J. R. Preston in November 1997. He was initially trained by Mary Eppler; following his sale, he was trained by Elliott Walden. Victory Gallop entered stud in Kentucky in 2000 at his owners’ Prestonwood Farm, later moving to WinStar Farm. While at WinStar, he also shuttled to Haras Porta Pia in Chile for the Southern Hemisphere season in 2007. He was exported to Turkey in February 2008 and has stood since then at Izmit Pension Stud.
Pedigree notes
Victory Gallop is inbred 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is the first foal of Canadian stakes winner Victorious Lil, whose dam Glass House (by Halo) won four stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit and is a half sister to Blind Faith (by Conquistador Cielo), dam of listed stakes winner Eastover Faith (by Eastover Court) and restricted stakes winner Private Faith (by Private Terms). Glass House is also a half sister to stakes-placed Saratoga Girl (by Saratoga Six), dam of Japanese listed stakes winner Super Nakayama (by Jolie’s Halo), and to Lake Palace (by Salt Lake), dam of multiple stakes winner Comacina (by Dixie Union).
Glass House and her sisters are out of unraced Glass Collector (by First Landing), whose dam Masked Kiss (by Damascus) is a half sister to stakes winners Blarney Kiss and Justakiss, both by Irish Lancer. The last-named mare is the second dam of six stakes winners including 1984 Pan American Handicap (USA-G1) winner Tonzarun, 1991 Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Corporate Report, and Grade 3 winner Drachma.
Books and media
Victory Gallop is profiled in Chapter 12 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: January 5, 2024
Race record
16 starts, 9 wins, 5 seconds, 0 thirds, US$3,005,895
1997:
- Won Chenery Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Colonial Downs)
- Won New Kent Stakes (USA-L, 7FD, Colonial Downs)
- 2nd Laurel Futurity (USA-G3, 9FD, Laurel)
1998:
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Arkansas Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Oaklawn Park)
- Won Rebel Stakes (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Oaklawn Park)
- 2nd Kentucky Derby (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Preakness Stakes (USA-G1, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Buick Haskell Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
1999:
- Won Whitney Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Saratoga)
- Won Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Churchill Downs; new track record 1:47.28)
- 3rd Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1, 2000mD, Nad al Sheba)
Honors
- Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2010)
- Eclipse Award, American champion older male (1999)
Assessments
Rated at 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 1997, 17 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Favorite Trick.
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1999, 1 pound above second-rated Behrens and Free House.
As an individual
A well-balanced, handsome bay horse standing 16.1¼ hands, Victory Gallop was known for his powerful closing drives. He was forced into retirement by a torn ligament suffered in training in August of his 4-year-old season. He liked having his tongue grabbed and was quirky about the light bulbs in his stall as a young horse, smashing them repeatedly. As a stallion, his disposition has been "lovable" according to Barak Konuk, the assistant general manager of the Jockey Club of Turkey. He loves carrots as treats.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Victory Gallop has sired at least 77 stakes winners as of January 5, 2023. Amanda Duckworth, writing for Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/5919/happy-birthday-belmont-stakes-party-pooper-victory-gallop-loving-life-turkeys-all-time-leading-stallion/), reported him as having sired 117 stakes winners and 18 Group 1 winners (mostly in Turkey) as of May 2023.
Sire rankings
Per the Jockey Club of Turkey (https://www.tjk.org/EN/YarisSever/Query/Page/AygirIstatistikleri):
- Led the Turkish general sire list in 2015-2023; 4th in 2014; 8th in 2013.
- 10th on the Turkish broodmare sire list in 2021 and 2023.
Notable progeny
Ballikaya (TUR), Call to Victory (TUR), Jaycito (USA), Oglum Berat (TUR), Prince Will I Am (USA), Victory Choice (USA), Victory Is Ours (TUR), Willpower (TUR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Tiz Flirtatious (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Victory Gallop was bred by Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm. He initially raced for Florida-based Speriamo Stable (Dr. E. C. “Pugs” Hart and his wife Susan Hart) after being bought for US$25,000 from the 1996 Keeneland September yearling sale. He was purchased privately by Art, Jack, and J. R. Preston in November 1997. He was initially trained by Mary Eppler; following his sale, he was trained by Elliott Walden. Victory Gallop entered stud in Kentucky in 2000 at his owners’ Prestonwood Farm, later moving to WinStar Farm. While at WinStar, he also shuttled to Haras Porta Pia in Chile for the Southern Hemisphere season in 2007. He was exported to Turkey in February 2008 and has stood since then at Izmit Pension Stud.
Pedigree notes
Victory Gallop is inbred 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is the first foal of Canadian stakes winner Victorious Lil, whose dam Glass House (by Halo) won four stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit and is a half sister to Blind Faith (by Conquistador Cielo), dam of listed stakes winner Eastover Faith (by Eastover Court) and restricted stakes winner Private Faith (by Private Terms). Glass House is also a half sister to stakes-placed Saratoga Girl (by Saratoga Six), dam of Japanese listed stakes winner Super Nakayama (by Jolie’s Halo), and to Lake Palace (by Salt Lake), dam of multiple stakes winner Comacina (by Dixie Union).
Glass House and her sisters are out of unraced Glass Collector (by First Landing), whose dam Masked Kiss (by Damascus) is a half sister to stakes winners Blarney Kiss and Justakiss, both by Irish Lancer. The last-named mare is the second dam of six stakes winners including 1984 Pan American Handicap (USA-G1) winner Tonzarun, 1991 Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Corporate Report, and Grade 3 winner Drachma.
Books and media
Victory Gallop is profiled in Chapter 12 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- After selling Victory Gallop as a yearling, Ivan Dalos got a call from the new owner telling him that the colt had died. The following year, a friend called Dalos with the news, “Your dead horse just won a race.” The previous report turned out to have been a case of mistaken identity, and Dalos ended up going to Kentucky to see the “dead” horse he had bred run in the Kentucky Derby.
- In 1997, Barry Irwin of Team Valor declined to buy Victory Gallop for US$500,000 because a veterinarian had detected an ankle chip. According to Irwin, the vet told him that Victory Gallop had “maybe three races left.” Victory Gallop went on to race 11 times at 3 and 4, winning six races and a championship.
- Elliott Walden’s barn staff nicknamed Victory Gallop “Cruise” in honor of actor Tom Cruise, stating the horse was equally handsome.
- Victory Gallop’s win in the 1998 Stephen Foster Handicap won a New York Times poll for the most impressive performance of the year.
- Barak Konuk attributed part of Victory Gallop’s longevity and fitness to his habit of stall walking. While stall walking is normally considered a vice, Kunuk noted that the horse engages in this behavior about 10 minutes out of every hour and uses both sides equally.
Last updated: January 5, 2024