A P Valentine

A P Valentine (February 14, 1998 – September 1, 2018) was a 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".

A P Valentine
SireA.P. Indy
GrandsireSeattle Slew
DamTwenty Eight Carat
DamsireAlydar
SexStallion
Foaled1998
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederWilliam S. Kilroy
OwnerCeltic Pride Stable
TrainerNick Zito
Record13:3–3–2
Earnings$864,170
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (2000) American Classic Race placing:
Preakness Stakes 2nd (2001) Belmont Stakes (2001)
Last updated on August 26th 2018

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 lukewarm 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 stood at Cedar Creek with a stud fee of $5,000[17] until 2018, when he was moved to Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Kentucky. He was euthanized due to complications from colic on September 1, 2018.[18]

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
Pedigree of A P Valentine
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

References
  1. Coolmore obtains breeding rights to A P Valentine - Thoroughbred Times
  2. 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
  3. Breeders' Cup Juvenile recap: Macho Uno edges Point Given - Thoroughbred Times
  4. Hero's Tribute Upsets A P Valentine in Gulfstream Allowance| bloodhorse.com Archived December 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  5. A P Valentine Breaks Track Record at Hialeah Park| bloodhorse.com
  6. Strong Wind in Blue Grass - Thoroughbred Times
  7. CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Monarchos second fastest in winning Derby - Sunday May 06, 2001 10:31 PM
  8. CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Notebook: A P Valentine rebounds as well - Saturday May 19, 2001 09:51 PM
  9. CNNSI.com - 2001 Triple Crown - Point Given runs away with Belmont Stakes - Sunday June 10, 2001 02:30 AM
  10. Lukas stings Jim Dandy with Scorpion - Thoroughbred Times
  11. 'Big Red Train' Rolls to Fourth Straight Grade I Win| bloodhorse.com Archived August 17, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  12. Beautiful Pleasure, A P Valentine retired - Thoroughbred Times
  13. First-Year Stallion A P Valentine Having Fertility Problems| bloodhorse.com
  14. It's Over: A P Valentine Retired From Stud Duty| bloodhorse.com
  15. A P Valentine to Cedar Creek in Texas| bloodhorse.com
  16. A P Valentine Represented by First Winner| bloodhorse.com
  17. SR1.pdf Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "A P Valentine, Son of A P Indy, Euthanized at 20". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
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