Remembering Great Stallions: Valley Victory

As harness racing gets underway today (August 16) at the Illinois State Fair, it brings to memory a champion trotting sire who influenced performers at that one-mile surface over the decades: Valley Victory (Baltic Speed) 3, 1:55.3 ($485,307). While he stood in New Jersey and Kentucky, Valley Victory’s influence over the Prairie State trotting scene was enormous.

For those who study pedigrees, it comes as no surprise that the name of Valley Victory was once a strong factor in Illinois trotting circles. That superstar trotting machine progressed from a dynamic 2-year-old to become one of the hottest diagonally gaited stallions of the 1990s and beyond.

Valley Victory produced 361 total starters (351 trotters and ten pacers) who went on to earn $35,018,448, becoming one of the most sought-after stallions of his time. He produced 262 horses who were clocked in 2:05 or better, 197 timed in 2:00 or faster and 33 sub-1:55 performers from 1990 through 2009.

Valley Victory’s progeny list contains some of the most heralded names in harness racing history: Lookout Victory 7, 1:54.3s ($1,921,611); Continentalvictory 3, 1:52.1 ($1,611,170); Muscles Yankee 3, 1:52.2 ($1,424,938); Victory Dream 3, 1:53.2 ($1,016,537); Rum Boogie 3, 1:55 ($900,908); Lindy Lane 3, 1:53k ($895,110); Bullville Victory 3, 1:53.1 ($759,285); Donerail 2, 1:55.4 ($703,049); Act of Grace 3, 1:52.3 ($403,525); Homestretch 7, 1:53.3f ($314,645), to name just a few.

Steve Elliott, who conditioned Valley Victory throughout his racing career, told this writer that Valley Victory always stood apart from his competitors.

“He had a lot of speed right from the start, but he was goofy,” Steve told this writer several years ago. “He won in :57.2 as a 2-year-old but it took a long time to get his mind right. He broke three jog carts and a couple of race bikes before we got his head on straight.”

Valley Victory’s influence on the trotting breed is evident in that he produced three Hambletonian winners, as well as numerous Hambletonian participants and elimination winners, in addition to Hambletonian Oaks, Breeders Crown, World Trotting Derby, Yonkers Trot, and American National winners, etc. He is also the grandsire of 1999 Hambletonian winner Self Possessed 3, 1:51.3 ($1,346,390).

“Valley Victory was obviously a great sire,” Chuck Sylvester remembered. “It seems like his horses were either very good or not good at all. He had very, very high speed and that seems to be the main trait that he passed on to his babies.”

“The Valley Victory’s tend to be very, very smart horses who have tremendous wind capacity,” the late great trainer Ron Gurfein related to this writer in 2006. “Continentalvictory never had a pimple on her during her career and Victory Dream was the same way.”

Valley Victory was honored into the Harness Racing Living Hall of Fame in 2002, and passed away on March 4, 2011, at age 25, and was enshrined into the Walnut Hall Horse Cemetery.

Valley Victor, out of the Power Seat 3, 1:55.4 ($533,639) mare Divine Power 4, 2:00.1f ($24,609) was nearly as prolific as his famous sire, despite never having set hoof on a racetrack. From 1997 through 2015, first in Illinois (1997-2005); to Kentucky (2006-2010); to Indiana (2011-2013); and finally, to Ohio (2014-2015), where he died in November of 2015, Valley Victor sired 530 starters who earned $31,561, 356. Those performers saw 238 clocked in 2:00 or faster, with 37 timed in 1:55 or better.

In many instances, multiple numbers of youngsters sired by Valley Victor would race against one another, such as 17 years ago today when ten of his progenies lined up behind the Springfield, Illinois starting gate. Some of his best performers include Victors Vicky 7, 1:55 (712,342); Before He Cheats 4, 1:52.1 ($676,679) Spunky Vic 6, 1:55f ($708,133); Awesome Valley 7, 1:52.2f ($625,223); The Vicster 4, 1:52.4 ($194,367); Fusion Man 3, 1:52.4 ($649,314); Notorious Buck 4, 1:55.4 f ($639,755); Battleshoe Victor 4, 1:53.3 ($478,916), etc.

Obviously, the pedigree and bloodlines of Valley Victory and Valley Victor continue to influence the sport today, through grandsons, broodmares, and others, with great success.

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink