Page 174 - Jan_2020

The Championship at Sunland Park-G1
VALIANT TIBERIAS
by Danny Camp
Valiant Tiberias earns his money the hard way, by running down the tough horses. His latest win was the $350,000 Grade 1 Championship At Sunland Park.
Jockey James Flores had his work cut out for him. After breaking mid-pack, the gelding started to drift in. They rallied for first and crossed the wire a neck in front.
Racing for Sergio Holguin, Clifton Nielson and Felix Rodriguez, Valiant Tiberias com- pleted the 440 yards in :20.907 to earn a 107 speed index. Including first place money of $157,000, the gelding has now earned a total of $395,644. Trained by Wes Giles, he now has a race record of 12-6(3)-3(1)-1.
Prior to this race, Valiant Tiberias
was second in the $200,000 Zia Park Championship-G1. He also won the $154,750 Adequan Derby Challenge Championship-G3 wire to wire and the $53,108 Ruidoso Adequan Derby Challenge wire to wire. He was also a finalist in this year’s All American Derby-G1.
Reliance Ranches LLC bred Valiant Tiberias out
of lightly raced American Feature. She has produced 100% winners from three starters. Valiant Tiberias is her second stakes winner and top earner.
“Valiant Tiberias is a cool
horse,” said trainer Wes Giles.
“He’s full of himself and is a
showoff. He wants to make
sure everyone notices him so
he cuts up. When he goes to the track in the mornings, he has to have a pony. Not because he’s rank, just because he wants to be noticed. He doesn’t want any horses to be in front of him, he’s very competitive that way,” he con- tinues. “At the barn and on the walker, he is as gentle as a pony horse, but on the track, it’s a different story,” Giles continued. “He is a very impatient horse; he wants out of the paddock so he can get to work.
“In the Championship, he broke like a rocket. It seemed like he anticipated the gates opening. He seemed to drift in a little, but the nine horse didn’t get out, and Tiberias was looking for another horse beside him.
“The three owners are really a class act. Sergio Holguin, Cliften Nielson and Felix Rodriguez. We are talking over the future for Tiberias and we are
the Challenge in Tucson.
170 SPEEDHORSE, January 2020
Valiant Tiberias and James Flores win the $350,000 Championship at Sunland Park-G1.
Sunland Park $350,000 • 440 yards :20.907 • si 107
First Down Dash
Valiant Hero
Corona Chick
VALIANT TIBERIAS, ‘16-g.
Feature Mr Jess
American Feature
Allamericandreamgirl
leaning towards
Then maybe a little time off to freshen up and then the All American Gold Cup and, hopefully, the Champion Of Champions.”
Danjer (FDD Dynasty-Shez Jess Toxic) finished second under Cody Jensen for owners Downtime Enterprise, Billy Smith and Dean Frey, who also trains the gelding. Danjer won the First Down Dash Stakes earlier this year as well as the 2018 All American Juvenile Stakes.
RACING NEWS
Coady Photography