Harris Farms News

Benoit Photo

Expect Valkyr (Valid Expectations out of Harlingen). This juvenile filly is bred and owned by Harris Farms, she is shown here impressively breaking her maiden at Hollywood Park on June 23rd.

Always fun to dream in this fabulous sport. Here is some background on the filly I bred that we run in the 1st on Saturday at Hollywood Park—Expect Valkyr (Valid Expectations-Harlingen, by Capote) I have always been fascinated by the Valkry Trophy and we have had the good fortune to win it with Work the Crowd, Soviet Problem, Super High, Alphabet Kisses and Moscow Burning.

Here is the background on the trophy and its namesake—researched by Vivian Montoya, the very capable librarian at CTBA—

The Valkyr Trophy was started in 1951. Mrs. Amory Hutchinson donated a large, rich, noble piece of silverware in the form of an ornate Sheffield plate she prescribed the rules under which it should be annually awarded, the award to be determined by the CTBA. Mrs. Hutchinson decided it should go to the most consistent 2 or 3 year-old California-bred filly winner, annually, regardless of class, who has started ten or more times during the year. Ruth Lily is the first winner of the Valkyr Trophy in 1951.

Vivian Montoya, Librarian
Carleton F. Burke Memorial Library
vivian@ctba.com

The background on Valkyr, also researched by Vivian is –Valkyr, 1925 chestnut mare, Man o’ War--*Princess Palatine by *Prince Palatine.

Race record, 27 starts, 9 wins, 6 places, 8 shows, total money earned $13,005. Dosage profile= 0-0-2-22-4 (28)

Mr. Woodward bought Valkyr out of a spring 1931 dispersal sale of Gifford A. Cochran’s estate. She was a big powerful mare, with the chestnut coat and the high head and high spirit of her famous sire. She had her first foal at side, a black colt (Vicar) by Flying Ebony, and was in foal to Flying Ebony, carrying the filly Vicaress. For $10,000 Mr. Woodward got three stakes winners. Later she produced two other stakes winning fillies, Vagrancy and Hypnotic (C.C.A. Oaks and Alabama Stakes) and Valerian and Bellicose, plus three less distinguished fillies which have become the dams of the stakes winners Vienna, Warrigan, and Post Graduate.

I bought a mare, Harlingen, out of the Keeneland Fall Sale in 2004, and after I got home and further researched her pedigree, I noted that her 6thth dam was Valkyr, thus 5th dam the top racemare and producer, Vagrancy. The 05 filly by Valid Expectations (Valid Appeal) was the first we had out of her, so in searching around for a name, and I hope I wasn’t too presumptuous, I came up with Expect Valkyr.

It is also interesting that she is inbred to Man O War-- 7S x 7S x 9s x 9d x 9D x 9D x 8D x 8d

Hope springs eternal.

HARRIS FARMS HORSE DIVISION
27366 W. Oakland Avenue
Coalinga, CA 93210
Tel: 559.884.2859 or 800.311.6211
FAX: 559.884.2855
Internet: info@harrisfarms.com