While we prefer to give full workout reports to help everyone have a full look into the daily lives of the horses, we hope that this article will nonetheless help you get to know the new horses running under Valkyrie's colors this year!
JUVENILESStradivarius, g, Stolen Legend (CR)--Varaina (CR), by Unknown
This big gelding has been a much anticipated addition to the Valkyrie string, and we're so excited to introduce him to all of you! Steve has been an absolutely professional through all stages of his training, and has been working strongly both alone and in company leading up to his debut. This lovely chestnut is half to Valkyrie's standing stud Bold Musician, whose first foal Djembe is a half to our foundation mare Castle Siege and is a yearling this year. His connections might be tenuous, but we are looking forward to this boy building his pedigree all on his own!
Lunar Trek, f, Canjun Moon--Striking Motion, by Locomotion
Luna is an absolute gem of a physical specimen, a big-boned filly with a lot of fight and energy to spare. She's been a handful, that's for sure, but she's also got an old and prominent pedigree to back that hyper exterior. We've been so excited to start our own daughter of Canjun Moon, after watching his other progeny pave the way. This pretty filly is half to exceptional HOTY-winning juvenile Never Surrender, strong HOTY winner Apache Warrior, and HOTY winner Moonstorm, as well as Instigator, who is also slated to start running this year. While sire power is enough here, since Canjun Moon is out of the lovely Requiem, she's also got a solid dam on her side. Through the dam this filly is half to G2 Strike A Pose and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf* winner Georgie's Girl. Her pedigree is increasingly growing in population and popularity, and we're so excited to have a small piece of it!
Atlantic Deluge, f, Bowen Arrow--Atlantic Rain, by Unknown
Can you say breathtaking? This gorgeous blue-eyed blonde is a filly originally bred for Highgrove Thoroughbreds, but she's found her way home to Valkyrie to start off her career. Her pedigree is lighter than some, but it didn't stop her sire and it's not likely to stop her. Bowen Arrow was a create that achieved G1, HOTY-winning status, and has sired one foal to run. Nephilim reached G4 status his juvenile year, sporting plenty of HOTY experience and the ability to make a big splash in his 3yo year. Lani is the first and only foal of the dam. Watch out for this stunning, hot-headed beauty on the track!
Absolution, f, Silent Fury--Simply A Flyer, by Merry Bay King
There aren't many blue-blooded juveniles in our Y17 crop, but this filly is definitely one nonetheless. She's a big, strong, lovely filly with the attitude of a princess. From the first crop of freshman sire Silent Fury, it's hard not to be excited. The stallion won the Preakness Champion Stakes* and Belmont Turf Classic at three, and a whopping fourteen races at four, just narrowly missing out in the BC Turf with a resounding second. His other juvenile ready to hit the track is the filly Rage Riot. Abby's dam is even more distinguished, being both Horse of the Year and a Hall of Fame Inductee. Simply A Flyer also produced Passionate Flyer, a G1 retiree, but other than that has been completely untapped as a broodmare. We're hoping that Abby will be an appropriate successor!
Italian Fury, f, True Italian--Stalker's Fury, by Night Stalker
An enterprising buy last year, this filly is connected in all of the right ways and we couldn't wait to get our hands on her. A fiery filly, this lovely lady is connected to a number of Valkyrie horses through her lines, and we just couldn't resist. True Italian is also the sire of Hall of Famer The True Nut, HOTY-placed Golden Truth, and True Italian, the dam of such horses as HOF Axis Mundae and Valkyrie's own Baciami. She's got a whopping 3 other siblings also ready to take the track this year. Stalker's Fury, a daughter of prominent Night Stalker (making her half to Valkyrie's Stalking the Stars) doesn't have any other foals to race, making this her first foal to make an attempt to prove herself.
Gyrfalcon, c, Take Flight--Spitterfly, by Spitz
This would be another one of those blue-bloods, and while the dam was bred late, it makes him no less exemplary as a prospect heading into his juvenile year. This gorgeous colt is by Take Flight, a champion in his own right with two Breeders' Cup wins and a win in the Breeders' Stakes. He's his first foal to race, and thus has big shoes to fill. If the sire wasn't enough, this colt is the first foal out of Valkyrie favorite Spitterfly, who finished second in two legs of the TTST and beat males at four in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic*. A class act, this colt seems to be a wonderful successor for both of his parents and we couldn't be more excited.
Wild Sonata, f, Ode To Glory--Wild Determination, by Impossible Determination
Originally bred to sell, something about this friendly and striking filly caught the attention and hearts of the staff and she was kept on - pushing out such horses as Explosive, which many would consider the better-bred horse. But Sonya? Perhaps she's not the best-bred horse, especially since she's another first foal on both sides for the crop, but her pedigree is deep enough to suggest she's got the goods even if she's not as flashy. Ode To Glory, a freshman sire, is a grade one HOTY winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Her dam, Wild Determination, is also a grade one HOTY winner and comes from a long, old line of horses. This filly is a lovely cross of SOPS and Intrepid lines!
Ghost Ship, c, Pirate's Treasure--Ghostly Girl, by Beyond His Candy
Valkyrie's forever known for oddball pairings, and this is definitely one of them! This big, straightforward colt is another first foal pairing, with a maiden sire with no other relations and a grade one, HOTY-winning dam that is a unique outcross on her own. Gary might not be well connected past his dam, but that almost makes him all the more exciting - he's going to be great stallion prospect someday!
ACQUISITIONSMr. Wild, c, Mr Light--Wild Kiss, by DW Flamekissed
Though not a true acquisition, Mr. Wild is in at Valkyrie on lease from SOPS for a trial to see if the nicely-bred colt can step up for his five-year-old season. We very truly believe he can, and will, and are excited to run our first SOPS colt. We've had great success racing their fillies in their final season, specifically Sweet Inferno and Wings Of Jayde, and Mr. Wild has all of the makings to make a third rousing success. This colt is very well connected, being half to G1 Blanchette, G2 Thunderstrike, and G5 Carabella though the sire, and BC Juvenile Fillies Turf* winner Wild Annie through the dam. For all intents and purposes, this colt is ready to springboard into the new year!
Adalia, f, Arlequinn--Paramore, by Unknown
Raced very lightly as a juvenile, this little black filly is nonetheless quite capable of having a stellar year. The number of Valkyrie horses who've come from light juvenile seasons to big classic ones is hard to count, and Adalia could be a dark horse for sure. The filly is by Arlequinn, an exciting newer stallion who is also the sire of Mild Manic, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint* last year. This filly is the first foal of the dam.
Bayahibe, c, Unknown--Unknown
We've loved this colt for a long time, and we're thrilled to be able to give him a home after the Nightwatch dispersal. He has been lightly raced up until this point, but he reminds us a lot of Grey's Wisdom and we fully believe he has plenty of big years ahead of him.
Shady Biscuit, c, Mr. Hat and Clogs--Flashabelle, by News Flash
He wasn't quite what we expected going into the New Year Sale, but isn't that what makes the whole thing exciting? This grade two colt is sitting two wins from grade one, and has been pretty consistent throughout his career. We're hoping to step it up the next year (or two) into HOTY competition, and this horse could be yet another surprise in Valkyrie's older string of project horses.
Valaska, f, Frozen Motion--Gold Digger, by Golden Wonder
We called her the gem of the New Year sale all along, and we are beyond excited to take this daughter of Frozen Motion into her five-year-old season. One win away from grade one, this pretty filly has got both the connections and the experience to rise through the ranks. She has been working wonderfully in our training program, and we're hoping she starts the year off with a bang!
