Post by Kenren on Oct 13, 2013 18:34:54 GMT -5
Valkyrie Three-Year-Olds May Be Big Factors In Y14
New on the racing scene as of late September of Y13, Valkyrie Stables has done rather well for itself. Even though they haven't landed the big races, they have done something very crucial: set themselves up for the future. A big part of this future is the current three-year-olds, most of which seem to be setting up for explosive four-year-old seasons. Read on to learn about the underdog up-and-comers.
Barely Legal is a dirt filly picked up by Valkyrie when her previous owners went under. From her record at the time, mostly consisting of her juvenile year, Barely Legal could have been passed off as a dud. However, she has proven to be anything but. The filly has won three of her four starts for Valkyrie since being brought on, and there are high hopes that this girl will continue to grow. "She's got more experience than a lot of horses twice her age. She had some trouble for whatever reason last year, but we're seeing none of it now," commented head trainer Cole Mavecci.
Bowen Arrow, a horse taken in around the same time Valkyrie opened from Bowen Acres, has also performed incredibly well thus far. All of the races in his three-year-old season have been run with Valkyrie, and of the five, he won three and placed third in the Superstar Sprint. He's looking to be a great sprinter-miler on turf.
Handsome Tabby is a homebred turf miler for the stable, and he's another unlined horse that's starting to cause a stir. Of six starts since September, Handsome Tabby has won three and placed in three. Valkyrie is hoping he will grade up to G4 before the new year, where he is likely to participate in the Green Mile series.
Grey's Wisdom was bought along with Bowen Arrow from Bowen Acres, and is perhaps the strongest of the Valkyrie horses who could make a splash from an underdog status. Of six races in his three-year-old season, all run for Valkyrie, the colt has won four, including the Winter Cup G5 Turf, and placed twice. He's setting himself up to be a turf router competitor.
When asked about his plan in taking these relatively unknown horses to the big stage, Mavecci was hopeful. "You can never tell how a horse is going to handle tougher competition, but I think they all have the potential. We'll build them up and start them small. We'll see how it goes."
