Barry Irwin‘s Team Valor International homebred colt Animal Kingdom won this year’s Kentucky Derby. Another homebred colt, Pluck, was a Breeders’ Cup winner in 2010, and recently Team Valor International sold Gitano Hernando, who won the Singapore Airlines International Cup (for South African trainer Herman Brown and jockey Glyn Schofield).
Marc Weinberg is the horse racing editor at Gambling Kingz, a UK online gambling portal. He also owns and syndicates racehorses in South Africa, including In Like Flynn.
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MARC WEINBERG: It looks to me as though Animal Kingdom will be perfectly suited to the Belmont. If that turns out to be the case how do you think that will impact his breeding value in the speed-obsessed world of American horse racing?
BARRY IRWIN: Animal Kingdom is an interesting horse, in that he showed stamina winning over 9 furlongs at 2. He never sprinted or ran around one turn at 2. No matter what he is able to accomplish, Animal Kingdom will always be suspect as a stallion prospect to commercial breeders in North America because there will be a perceived lack of precocity. In fact, he was precocious to a great extent, except his precocity was not exhibited in sprints, but in route races.
If Animal Kingdom is able to add the Belmont to a win in the Kentucky Derby and a second in the Preakness, he will be able to avoid the stigma of simply being a Belmont winner. Belmont winners without other top credentials die a slow death at stud.
Animal Kingdom has a chance to make an impact at stud if he goes to the right farm and gets the right mares. He is a top physical specimen and can serve as a stallion that can enhance both a lack of stamina and depth in his mares.
It is entirely possible that he will have more value outside of America than in America.
We already have had interest from Japan and Australia.
MARC WEINBERG: Would you consider standing the horse in Europe instead?
BARRY IRWIN: The chances of our ownership group standing Animal Kingdom is slim, because our group does not own any broodmares to support the horse’s career. It would not be fair to work any deal in which our group retained a large interest because any stallion owner would want to have support from the breeding community.
MARC WEINBERG: You have enjoyed a great deal of success purchasing and racing horses in South Africa. I’m very interested to find out your opinion of the overall standard of South African horse racing today. If a horse is a black type winner in SA do you think that “exchange rate” with the USA and other major racing centers is 1:1? Or does a horse in SA have to at least win at Grade 1 level there in order to stand a chance in stakes race company overseas?
BARRY IRWIN: There are two answers to this question: In general, a horse must be a Grade 1 runner in South Africa to make an impact in Graded races in America. A Grade 1 winner in SA is no cinch to win any Graded race in the U. S.
The second answer is something that I call style over substance. Many of my most successful imports were able to win important races in the U. S. not because of their class or quality, but because of their style. In SA and Europe and most places that have big race course, quality trumps style. Because of the smaller tracks and tighter turns in America, style very often can trump quality. I purposely look for horses to import that have the right style. Don’t ask me what that style is, because it took me a long time to figure this stuff out and I am not about to reveal my knowledge to others. This is, after all, a game, so it is up to others to learn to play it. There are no free lunches in horse racing!
MARC WEINBERG: Do you think horse racing will become more global over the next 5 years in terms of heightened interest in exports (both to race and breed) or will instances like So You Think racing in England and Team Valor’s international strategy still be exceptions to the rule?
BARRY IRWIN: I think that international racing will continue to become a bit more commonplace, but most racehorse owners lack confidence or interest in experimenting. They take their cues from trainers and most trainers are not very enterprising when it comes to this sort of thing. The ones that have energy and imagination will always seek out foreign runners and they will prosper. But most horsemen just want to keep doing the same thing over and over and over, because they are adverse to risk.
MARC WEINBERG: After the recent exploits of Gitano Hernando and Animal Kingdom how has your business changed? Does the Team Valor phone ring off the hook with prospective new partners for your syndicates?
BARRY IRWIN: We have received several inquiries from people all over the world that are interested in participating in our ventures. The most gratifying part about this aspect is that these people want to buy into my home-breds, which is great, because prior to Pluck winning the Breeders’ Cup and Animal Kingdom winning the Kentucky Derby, my home-breds were a glut on the market!
MARC WEINBERG: And finally a multi-part personal question: You’ve won so many major races and also, I believe, transformed horse racing with your global outlook, so what inspires Barry Irwin to bounce out of bed every morning? What accomplishments are missing? What is the one horse race in the world you would still like to win if you could choose only one?
BARRY IRWIN: I have always been a very optimistic guy. I look forward to winning any type of race anywhere in the world. What gets my blood boiling is uncovering racing prospects, especially in the most unlikely of places. When a horse of mine wins impressively, the good vibes last for days. I never tire of it. As for what race I would still like to win, that’s easy…the Kentucky Derby again! If I could accomplish one thing it would be to help racing become more popular again in the United States.
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Marc Weinberg the horse racing editor at Gambling Kingz, a UK online gambling portal.
