Team Valor transfers its horses to Motion barn

Tom Keyser

Pluck, with Garrett Gomez up, wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Team Valor announced late Thursday that it was immediately transferring all of its horses, including Pluck, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Saturday, to trainer Graham Motion.

All the horses will be based with Motion at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland. Team Valor is buying a 40-stall barn at Fair Hill in which to house the runners, according to a press release from Team Valor.

Pluck had been trained by Todd Pletcher. According to the press release, Pluck is "under serious consideration" for the Irish 2000 Guineas next spring.

"I remember when Fourstars Allstar was trained on the East Coast and was sent over to win the Irish 2000 Guineas," said Barry Irwin, who heads Team Valor. "I always had in mind to try to duplicate that feat if we ever came up with a proper candidate. I think Pluck could be that horse. I mentioned this to Graham, and he shares my enthusiasm for the project."

Motion was one of several trainers currently employed by Team Valor. Motion will continue to operate his public stable. One of his clients is the Sagamore Farm of Kevin Plank, for whom Motion won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf last Friday with Shared Account.

Irwin said he wanted to employ one trainer in order to have "a more cohesive business and training environment with all of our horses in one place."