Topic: Victory Gallop

Rebel Stakes (1998) Arkansas Derby (1998) Stephen Foster Handicap (1999) Whitney Handicap (1999)

Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995 in Ontario, Canada) was an American-based Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Ivan Dalos' Tall Oaks Farm, Victory Gallop was foaled later in the year than is common for most Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbreds. Sired by 1987 Florida Derby winner Cryptoclearance who won 12 of 44 starts and earned $3,376,327 lifetime, he was out of the mare Victorious Lil. He was purchased by Prestonwood Farm of Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Houston, Texas oilmen Jack, Art, and J. R. Preston, who also owned and raced two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Da Hoss.

Racing at age two, Victory Gallop won two ungraded stakes races and was second in the important Laurel Futurity. The following year in the lead-up to the American Classic Races for three-year-olds, Victory Gallop won the Rebel Stakes then beat Favorite Trick to capture the Arkansas Derby. In the Kentucky Derby he was running dead last behind fourteen other horses at the half mile pole then made a powerful drive near the end of the homestretch to pass betting favorite Indian Charlie but ran out of track and finished second to winner, Real Quiet. In the Preakness Stakes he finished second again to Real Quiet then won the longer distance Belmont Stakes by a matter of a few inches. From there, Victory Gallop went on to a second place finish behind Coronado's Quest in the Haskell Invitational Handicap and in the Travers Stakes.