A P Valentine, River Squall join Old Friends roster

A P Valentine, a Grade 1 winner and runner-up in the 2001 Preakness and Belmont Stakes, has been pensioned to Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., along with Grade 3 winner River Squall.

Both horses previously resided at veterinarian William Day's Cedar Creek Farm in Brenham, Texas.

“Dr. Day is one of the preeminent reproduction experts for stallions in the country, and A P Valentine unfortunately had some reproductive problems,” said Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen. “Dr. Day was getting older and the horses were getting older, so he called and asked if we could take them, and we have, and it’s worked really well.”

A P Valentine, a 20-year-old son of A.P. Indy, won three of 13 career starts for earnings of $864,170. He raced for Rick Pitino’s Celtic Pride Stable, later named Ol Memorial Stable, and he was joined by Michael Tabor of the Coolmore partnership after the group acquired the colt’s breeding rights for a reported $16 million. Nick Zito trained the horse, who was bred in Kentucky by W.S. Kilroy.

After winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at age 2, A P Valentine ran ninth in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, then finished second to Point Given in the Preakness and Belmont.

A P Valentine retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud for the 2002 breeding season, but failed to impregnate any mares during his first year in the shed. He was moved to reproductive specialist Dr. Phillip McCarthy’s Watercress Farm in Lexington, Ky., later that year. McCarthy worked closely with the stallion, and got him to impregnate a small sample of mares the following season. He was relocated to Cedar Creek Farm in 2004.

In total, A P Valentine has sired seven crops comprising 28 total foals. Thirteen are winners, and his combined progeny earnings are $659,749. He had two six-figure earners, Ifonlyjohnny and A P Valor.

River Squall, a 24-year-old Summer Squall horse won six of 20 starts for earnings of $376,305, highlighted by victories in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby and Saranac Stakes. He was owned by Thomas Carey, trained by Peter Vestal, and bred in Kentucky by F.A. Genter Stable.

The horse retired to Huisache Farm in Hempstead, Texas, for the 1999 breeding season, and later relocated to Cedar Creek Farm. River Squall has sired 14 crops, with 42 winners and combined progeny earnings of more than $1.6 million. His top runners include stakes winners Pretty Squall, Rapid Squall, and Dancing Squall.