Norton Herrick

When Hull skipped under the wire 4 lengths clear to take this afternoon's Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs, he became stakes winner number 100 to represent a racing partnership formed by Team Valor International owner Barry Irwin since 1987. – Team Valor Headline News

Hull exceeded expectations today when he dominated the Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs, pressing the pace from the outside while extremely wide and drawing off to triumph by 4 lengths as the 7 to 3 third choice in a field of 8 for trainer Dale Romans and owners Team Valor International, Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Gary Barber. – Team Valor Headline News

Four-year-old Visionaire, who rolled home to a 2 ¼-length victory last summer in the Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga, has been retired from racing, it was announced by trainer Michael Matz. "Visionaire most likely suffered a knee chip in the King's Bishop," said Matz. "His next two races were unlike him. Surgery was performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage last fall, but he has not trained to our satisfaction, so the owners have decided to retire him, rather than blemish his racing record." – Team Valor Headline News

Hull stamped himself as much more than a "one-hit-wonder" and as a bona-fide contender nationally in the sophomore ranks on Thursday at Turfway Park when he parlayed his debut romp at Fair Grounds in February with an encore performance saturated with brilliance. The recent Team Valor acquisition cruised by 7 ¾ lengths in his first start against winners and despite being held in the proverbial "death-grip" by jockey Miguel Mena for the entire 1:16 1/5 of the race, the blue-sky prospect stopped the clock just four-fifths of a second shy of the track record on the Polytrack. – Team Valor Headline News

Gitano Hernando made a sterling impression in his Team Valor International debut at Doncaster Racecourse on Sunday in the northern part of England, storming home down the stretch to register a resounding 2 ½-length score in a Class 3 Handicap over 1 ¼ miles on firm turf. The win marks a successful initial step on the colt's path towards the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Belmont Stakes on June 6. The son of Hernando was acquired by Team Valor earlier in the year. – Team Valor Headline News

Even though a decision was made last week to run Russian Sage in the 9-furlong Dubai Duty Free, Team Valor International owner Barry Irwin could not reconcile the decision and kept regretting it over the last several days. When Mike de Kock removed probable favorite Eagle Mountain because of an injury, Irwin really started questioning the sanity of running against the top middle-distance performers in the world in the hottest race on the World Cup card in the Duty Free, instead of taking the path of least resistance in the Sheema Classic. – Team Valor Headline News

Barry Irwin no longer has to answer the oft-asked question "Whatever happened to that expensive yearling you bought a couple of years ago at Saratoga, that big chestnut Mr. Greeley colt?" Kinsella answered the question himself in emphatic fashion when in his introduction to the racing game this afternoon in a maiden special weight on the grass at Gulfstream Park, the tall, athletic sophomore turned in a breathtaking performance to win in his debut by three-quarters of a length. – Team Valor Headline News

Russian Sage had more difficulty getting into the Grade 2 Jebel Hatta than running well in the World Cup night prep, but everything worked out well in the end for the owners of the South African Champion. The Team Valor International colorbearer shared highweight of 131 pounds with fellow South African Jay Peg, who won the $5-million Grade 1 Duty Free last year in course record time. At the finish of the Jebel Hatta, Russian Sage and Jay Peg finished on even terms. – Team Valor Headline News