Izmit Stud Celebrates Victory Gallop's 27th Birthday

The upcoming 27th birthday of grade 1 winner Victory Gallop , now a senior stallion for the Jockey Club of Turkey, was recently celebrated at Izmit Stud Farm, where he stands.

The leading Turkish stallion from 2015-21, Victory Gallop has progeny worldwide, with approximately 616 starters, with 439 winners, according to the Turkish Jockey Club. His progeny earnings have reached 158 million Turkish lira (US$9,654,424).

At the age of 27 he is still in excellent health and continuing his successful stud career, the Turkish Jockey Club reported. For the 2022 breeding season, the son of Cryptoclearance has covered 25 of his 30 book of mares so far.

Among Victory Gallop's leading runners are graded/group stakes winners Anak Nakal, Eishin Dover, Eishin Lombard, Victory U.S.A., and Kettleoneup.

A nine-time winner in 17 starts, Victory Gallop is best known for upsetting Real Quiet's 1998 Triple Crown bid in a thrilling finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1). After finishing second behind Real Quiet in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1), Victory Gallop drove past his rival in the final strides for a nose victory under a masterful ride from Gary Stevens.

Victory Gallop, a stakes winner in all three years he raced, pulled out another nail-bitingly close finish in the 1999 Whitney Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, where he scored by a nostril over Behrens . The stretch-running Victory Gallop was retired prematurely after the Whitney due to a torn suspensory injury, but was still bestowed the Eclipse Award for champion older male that year. In addition to the Whitney, he captured the Stephen Foster Handicap (G2) in track-record time of 1:47.28 for 1 1/8 miles over a top-class field and placed third in the Dubai World Cup (G1). He had bankrolled $3,505,895.

Out of the Vice Regent mare Victorious Lil, Victory Gallop was bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, which sent him through the 1996 Keeneland September Sale with Eaton Sales, where he sold to Hart Farm for $25,000. Speriamo Stable initially campaigned the colt with Maryland trainer Mary Eppler through his juvenile year before he was transferred to Kentucky-based Elliott Walden and ran in the colors of Prestonwood Farm through the remainder of his career.

Victory Gallop stands as the best horse Walden ever trained, among many other future sires. His stud career began at Prestonwood Farm in Kentucky, where he stood for $25,000 in 2000. He was moved to WinStar Farm, where he remained until he was exported to Turkey in 2008.