A P Valentine
A P Valentine | |
---|---|
Sire | A.P. Indy |
Grandsire | Seattle Slew |
Dam | Twenty Eight Carat |
Damsire | Alydar |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1998 |
Country | United States |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | William S. Kilroy |
Owner | Celtic Pride Stable |
Trainer | Nick Zito |
Record | 13:3-3-2 |
Earnings | $864,170 |
Major wins | |
Champagne Stakes (2000)
American Classic Race placing: Preakness Stakes 2nd (2001) | |
Last updated on September 19, 2007 |
A P Valentine (foaled February 14, 1998) is a retired Grade I-winning Thoroughbred racehorse sired by A.P. Indy out of an Alydar mare, Twenty Eight Carat. His name was derived by splicing the beginning of his sire's name "A P" with the holiday that he was born on, "Valentine's Day".
Two-year-old campaign
Trained by Nick Zito and owned by Celtic Pride Stable, a partnership led by Rick Pitino, A P Valentine began his racing career at Saratoga with a third-place finish in a maiden special weight.[1] In his next start at Belmont, he broke his maiden race in a dominant performance winning by over four lengths.
Zito was so impressed by A P Valentine's performance in breaking his maiden, that he entered him in the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont. The horse did not disappoint, squeezing by eventual American Horse of the Year, Point Given on the rail and pulling away to win by 1-3/4 lengths.[2]
Following the Champagne, Coolmore purchased the breeding rights to AP Valentine for $15.1 million.[1]
He made his final start of 2000 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. While he went off as the favorite, he was never a factor and came home in last place.[3]
Three-year-old campaign
He began his three-year-old campaign at Gulfstream where he was upset in an allowance race.[4] In his next start, A P Valentine managed not only to win but to break the track record for 1.1875 miles (1.9111 km) at Hialeah, romping by 3-3/4 lengths in an optional claimer.[5] For A P Valentine, that would be the last victory of his career that spanned three years.
In his three-year-old stakes debut in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course, he was not a factor and ran fifth.[6] He turned in yet another lackluster performance in the Kentucky Derby [7] before regaining the form he showed as a two-year-old with runner-up performances to Point Given in both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.[8]
In the Preakness Stakes, he was a luke warm 10-1 fourth choice in the morning line. A P Valentine faced a premium field of stakes winners that included Kentucky Derby Winner Monarchos, eventual Horse-of-the-Year Point Given, Derby runner-up Invisible Ink, multi-millionaire Congaree, Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Dollar Bill and local favorite Richly Blended. At the start of the race he was shuffled back by jockey Victor Espinoza as they passed the grandstand the first time around. Richly Blended and Congaree led most of the race. He raced seventh in a field of eleven during most of the early race. With three and a half furlongs to go A P Valentine split horses weaving his way through traffic while Point Given and Monarchos looped the field wide. At the top of the stretch Point Given took the lead and widened it to win by two lengths. A P Valentine bore down and was able to outfinish Congaree down the lane by a half length to win second place money of $200,000. Derby winner Monarchos faded to be no factor. [9]
In the summer of 2001, he ran in the Jim Dandy Stakes, finishing fourth after losing a battle with Congaree for the show position.[10] He followed with another fourth in the Travers Stakes.[11]
AP Valentine made one final start in his career, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a race that would be his only career race against older horses. After finishing in sixth, 29.5 lengths behind the winner, AP Valentine was retired. He finished his career with a record of three wins, three places and two shows in 13 starts and $864,170 in earnings.
Retirement
Following his retirement, he was shipped to Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky where he stood for a fee of $15,000.[12]
In his first year at stud, A P Valentine was discovered to have fertility issues,[13] which led to Coolmore retiring him from stud duty.[14] However, after working with a fertility specialist, he was put back into stud duty and sent to Cedar Creek Farm in Brenham, Texas.[15]
Finally, in July 2006, Higgie, a two-year old A P Valentine filly out of a mare named Aces won a five furlong maiden claimer at Monmouth Park.[16]
A P Valentine is currently standing at Cedar Creek with a stud fee of $5,000.[17]
Races
Finish | Race | Distance | Track | Date |
6th | Jockey Club Gold Cup | One and One-Quarter Miles | Belmont Park | October 4, 2001 |
4th | Travers Stakes | One and One-Quarter Miles | Saratoga Race Course | August 25, 2001 |
4th | Jim Dandy Stakes | One and One-Eight Miles | Saratoga Race Course | August 4, 2001 |
2nd | Belmont Stakes | One and One-Half Miles | Belmont Park | June 9, 2001 |
2nd | Preakness Stakes | One and Three-Sixteenths Miles | Pimlico Race Course | May 19, 2001 |
7th | Kentucky Derby | One and One-Quarter Miles | Churchill Downs | May 5, 2001 |
5th | Blue Grass Stakes | One and One-Eighth Miles | Keeneland Race Course | April 21, 2001 |
1st | Allowance Optional Claiming | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Hialeah Park | March 24, 2001 |
3rd | Allowance | Seven Furlongs | Gulfstream Park | February 17, 2001 |
14th | Breeders' Cup Juvenile | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Churchill Downs | November 4, 2000 |
1st | Champagne Stakes | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Saratoga Race Course | October 14, 2000 |
1st | Maiden Special Weight | Belmont Park | September 23, 2000 | |
3rd | Maiden Special Weight | Saratoga Race Course | September 4, 2000 |
Breeding
Sire A.P. Indy |
Seattle Slew | Bold Reasoning | Boldnesian |
---|---|---|---|
Reason to Earn | |||
My Charmer | Poker | ||
Fair Charmer | |||
Weekend Surprise | Secretariat | Bold Ruler | |
Somethingroyal | |||
Lassie Dear | Buckpasser | ||
Gay Missile | |||
Dam Twenty Eight Carat |
Alydar | Raise a Native | Native Dancer |
Raise You | |||
Sweet Tooth | On-and-On | ||
Plum Cake | |||
Voodoo Dance | Stage Door Johnny | Prince John | |
Peroxide Blonde | |||
Witch Dance | Northern Dancer | ||
Shama |
External links
References
- ^ a b Coolmore obtains breeding rights to A P Valentine - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ That would be the first of four meetings that the two rivals would finish first and second in a grade one race.Champagne Stakes recap: A P Valentine squeezes through on the rail - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ Breeders' Cup Juvenile recap: Macho Uno edges Point Given - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ Hero's Tribute Upsets A P Valentine in Gulfstream Allowance| bloodhorse.com Archived December 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A P Valentine Breaks Track Record at Hialeah Park| bloodhorse.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ Strong Wind in Blue Grass - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Monarchos second fastest in winning Derby - Sunday May 06, 2001 10:31 PM
- ^ CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Notebook: A P Valentine rebounds as well - Saturday May 19, 2001 09:51 PM
- ^ CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Point Given runs away with Belmont Stakes - Sunday June 10, 2001 02:30 AM
- ^ Lukas stings Jim Dandy with Scorpion - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ 'Big Red Train' Rolls to Fourth Straight Grade I Win| bloodhorse.com Archived August 17, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Beautiful Pleasure, A P Valentine retired - Thoroughbred Times
- ^ First-Year Stallion A P Valentine Having Fertility Problems| bloodhorse.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ It's Over: A P Valentine Retired From Stud Duty| bloodhorse.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ A P Valentine to Cedar Creek in Texas| bloodhorse.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ A P Valentine Represented by First Winner| bloodhorse.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ SR1.pdf Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine