Valley Victory (IRE)
April 28, 1983 – c. 1991
Welsh Chanter (IRE) x Passing Glory (IRE), by Majority Blue (GB)
Family 22-d
April 28, 1983 – c. 1991
Welsh Chanter (IRE) x Passing Glory (IRE), by Majority Blue (GB)
Family 22-d
Valley Victory was moderately bred by the standards of Classic winners, being by a minor stakes winner out of a mare whose sole win from 15 starts was in a tiny race worth £80. While it could reasonably be said that the filly threw back to some better strains in her female family, she spent her 3-year-old season running against a weak crop of American fillies. Her 11-length win in the 1986 Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) was her one outstanding success (though she was beaten just a neck in the Alabama Stakes, USA-G1, and was beaten only a length for everything when fourth in the Mother Goose Stakes, USA-G1), and she managed to produce only one living foal.
Race record
14 starts, 5 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$283,479 (includes converted English/Irish earnings)
1985:
1986:
Assessments
Rated at 105 pounds by Timeform as a 2-year-old.
Rated at 121 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American-raced 3-year-old fillies of 1986, 3 pounds below champion Tiffany Lass.
As an individual
A tall, plain, leggy bay mare, Valley Victory had a kindly nature; as trainer Leo O'Brien described her, she was “an absolute pleasure.” She was thoroughly genuine and courageous when racing. She was a winner on both turf and fast dirt and ran well in the 1986 Alabama Stakes, her only attempt on an off track.
As a producer
Valley Victory produced only one named foal, the Ogygian filly Meadow Victory, who placed seven times in 20 starts but failed to win. Meadow Victory produced Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Keeneland Kat (by Hennessy)
Connections
Valley Victory was bred by Lelia Cook and was owned by Richard Dick, who headed a small syndicate that bought the filly for US$350,000 after her early successes in Ireland. Following her purchase, she was sent to California and was trained there by John Sullivan. When she was sent to race in New York, she moved to the barn of Leo O'Brien. She remained in his care until she was purchased by Peter Brant in the aftermath of the Alabama Stakes; after that, she was trained by LeRoy Jolley but did not start again. She was ridden to her Classic victory by Randy Romero.
Pedigree notes
Sired by Welsh Chanter (a minor stakes winner whose sire Welsh Pageant was a two-time champion in England), Valley Victory is inbred 4x4x4 to 1945 Two Thousand Guineas winner Court Martial and 5x5 to two-time English champion Owen Tudor. She is a half sister to multiple Belgian Group 2 winner Pasolina (by Ardoon).
Valley Victory's dam Passing Glory (by 1965 English champion sprinter Majority Blue) is a winning half sister to Aubeterre (by Antelami), dam of French stakes winner Big Ben (by Gyr). She is out of the winning Relic mare Apposite, a half sister to the stakes-winning gelding Appeam (by Hornbeam) and to Raysmink (by Worden II), dam of Spanish Group 3 winner Edu Boy (by Ragstone). Apposite is also a half sister to Huna (by Hornbeam), second dam of 1982 Heinz “57” Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Sweet Emma.
Apposite and her siblings were produced from Appeal (by Court Martial). A two-time winner over 12 furlongs, Appeal is a half sister to 1960 Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Cup winner Exar (by Arctic Prince) and to Wichuraiana (by Worden II), dam of 1975 English champion 2-year-old male and 1976 Two Thousand Guineas winner Wollow (by Wolver Hollow). The next dam in the tail-female line, Irish stakes winner Excelsa, was by Owen Tudor out of Infra Red, also the ancestress of champions Mill Reef, Gold River and Finsceal Beo among other good horses.
Books and media
Valley Victory is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Last updated: July 20, 2020
Race record
14 starts, 5 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$283,479 (includes converted English/Irish earnings)
1985:
- Won Silken Glider Stakes (IRE-G3, 8FT, Leopardstown)
1986:
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Alabama Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
Assessments
Rated at 105 pounds by Timeform as a 2-year-old.
Rated at 121 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American-raced 3-year-old fillies of 1986, 3 pounds below champion Tiffany Lass.
As an individual
A tall, plain, leggy bay mare, Valley Victory had a kindly nature; as trainer Leo O'Brien described her, she was “an absolute pleasure.” She was thoroughly genuine and courageous when racing. She was a winner on both turf and fast dirt and ran well in the 1986 Alabama Stakes, her only attempt on an off track.
As a producer
Valley Victory produced only one named foal, the Ogygian filly Meadow Victory, who placed seven times in 20 starts but failed to win. Meadow Victory produced Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Keeneland Kat (by Hennessy)
Connections
Valley Victory was bred by Lelia Cook and was owned by Richard Dick, who headed a small syndicate that bought the filly for US$350,000 after her early successes in Ireland. Following her purchase, she was sent to California and was trained there by John Sullivan. When she was sent to race in New York, she moved to the barn of Leo O'Brien. She remained in his care until she was purchased by Peter Brant in the aftermath of the Alabama Stakes; after that, she was trained by LeRoy Jolley but did not start again. She was ridden to her Classic victory by Randy Romero.
Pedigree notes
Sired by Welsh Chanter (a minor stakes winner whose sire Welsh Pageant was a two-time champion in England), Valley Victory is inbred 4x4x4 to 1945 Two Thousand Guineas winner Court Martial and 5x5 to two-time English champion Owen Tudor. She is a half sister to multiple Belgian Group 2 winner Pasolina (by Ardoon).
Valley Victory's dam Passing Glory (by 1965 English champion sprinter Majority Blue) is a winning half sister to Aubeterre (by Antelami), dam of French stakes winner Big Ben (by Gyr). She is out of the winning Relic mare Apposite, a half sister to the stakes-winning gelding Appeam (by Hornbeam) and to Raysmink (by Worden II), dam of Spanish Group 3 winner Edu Boy (by Ragstone). Apposite is also a half sister to Huna (by Hornbeam), second dam of 1982 Heinz “57” Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Sweet Emma.
Apposite and her siblings were produced from Appeal (by Court Martial). A two-time winner over 12 furlongs, Appeal is a half sister to 1960 Doncaster Cup and Goodwood Cup winner Exar (by Arctic Prince) and to Wichuraiana (by Worden II), dam of 1975 English champion 2-year-old male and 1976 Two Thousand Guineas winner Wollow (by Wolver Hollow). The next dam in the tail-female line, Irish stakes winner Excelsa, was by Owen Tudor out of Infra Red, also the ancestress of champions Mill Reef, Gold River and Finsceal Beo among other good horses.
Books and media
Valley Victory is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Last updated: July 20, 2020