Team Valor International

After knocking on the door so many times--finishing second or third in four Group 1 events in his four most recent starts--Team Valor and Gary Barber's Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}--Jawlaat {Ire}, by Shamardal) got one of his own in an ultra-competitive renewal of the $5-million G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), winner of the Dubai Turf the last three years and seeking an historic four-peat, broke a bit awkwardly, but despite recovering quickly, finished off the board. The U.S. hope Catnip (Kitten's...

Lightly raced but full of heart, Touch'n Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) would not let the filly go in the final yards and bravely got by Elysian Fields (Hard Spun) to prevail by the slimmest of margins, determined by a photo. Last seen finishing fifth in the Kings Plate S. won by familiar face Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman)--where the runner-up here again played bridesmaid--and gone since then, Touch'n Ride was content to track from fifth in a packed field of 14 as the speed went on its way. Cruising along in...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will host its fifth annual Racing Partnership and Syndicate Night Aug. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from 20 partnerships about getting involved in Thoroughbred racehorse ownership. This year's participating partnerships include Team Valor International, West Point Thoroughbreds, Windhorse Thoroughbreds, BBN Racing, Belladonna Racing, Crown's Way Racing, Pocket Aces Racing, Celtic Magic Thoroughbreds, Taste of Victory Stables, Sackatoga Stables, Centennial Farms, Bourbon Lane Stables, Brown Road Racing, Bond Racing Stables, McMahon...

Bet down from a 12-1 morning line to be off at less than half that quote, Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field (Hard Spun) stamped her authority on Sunday's Woodbine Oaks--despite some wayward ways in the final eighth of a mile--to give trainer Mark Casse a fourth victory in the first leg of the Canadian Filly Triple Crown and first since Barber's Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) scored in 2014. In partnership with Michael Langlois, Barber also won Sunday's Plate Trial S. with Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman). With...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) in the Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Sioux Nation Colt Makes The Cut At Gulfstream Rockingham Ranch, Talla Racing, LLC and David Bernsen's Behind Enemy Lines (GB) (Sioux Nation) ran like a 1-9 favourite should to give his Coolmore sire his fifth stakes winner and first Stateside in the Cutler Bay S. at Gulfstream...

G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) will be offered during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale from Nov. 28-Dec. 1. The Paddy Twomey trainee will go through the ring during the elite Sceptre Session on Nov. 29. Also, a winner of the G2 Blandford S. and G3 Give Thanks S., the 4-year-old races in the colours of Team Valor. Bred in Ireland by Bernd and Ute Schone, the filly is out of a half-sister to G1 German Derby winner Laveron (GB) (Konigsstuhl {Ger})....

A lack of competitors doesn't always translate to a lack of competition and the GII Shuvee S. at Saratoga is a case in point, with an abbreviated field of four featuring a pair of titans. Fellow Curlin daughters Clairiere and Malathaat will bring their rivalry to round six in the 1 1/8-mile contest at the Spa; the latter coming out on the better end on four prior occasions. Malathaat will be breaking from the gate sporting blinkers for the first time in her career, likely intended to combat her tendency...

Team Valor International's Green Up romped to an effortless victory in the Boiling Springs S. at Monmouth Park Sunday. The 3-2 shot was under a snug hold while setting fractions of :24.77 and :49.26 in a compact field of four. She skipped clear down the lane to score under wraps. "My thought was just to go to the lead since she looked like the only speed in the race," said winning jockey Paco Lopez. "Todd Pletcher told me to do whatever I felt comfortable doing. She jumped a little at...

Team Valor International and Marco Saviozzi's 3-year-old filly Nadette (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}--Ciboulette {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) was two places behind subsequent G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) when fifth going one mile at ParisLongchamp in last month's G3 Prix de la Grotte and stepped forward to collect a career high in Thursday's Listed Prix Finlande upped to nine furlongs back at the Bois de Boulogne venue. The 32-5 chance, who also ran fifth in last term's G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville, found a smooth...

Regarding T. D. Thornton's Weekly Roundup, I would like to chime in to say that, as opposed to baseball in their juice era, Thoroughbred racing has only begun its purge. Only the tip of the iceberg has been shown so far. Wait until investigations reach the Midwest and the West Coast. The round up of miscreants is going to be very large in terms of numbers of cheaters who will be forced to find something else to do in life besides doping horses and robbing honest horse trainers and owners....

Since its inaugural running in 2017, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational has become one of the marquee events during Gulfstream's Championship Meeting. Its 'Turf' equivalent, which was added in 2019, was won by that season's Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, and three years later, a division for the fairer set is added to the card, the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. Formerly the Marshua's River S., the 8 1/2-furlong test for older fillies and mares features a pair of Grade I winners--morning...

Group 1-winning stayer Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}-Arosa {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) will enter stud in 2022 at Haras de Montaigu. He will be syndicated. Trained by Martyn Meade, Technician was purchased by Team Valor International after breaking his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths in April of his 3-year-old campaign in 2019. He finished second next out in the G3 Classic Trial before earning his first black-type score two starts later in the Listed Prix Ridgway over a mile and a quarter. Technician added the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. later that...