Continentalvictory - 2FT
black filly, by Valley Victory
Valley Victory surprised the racing world at the end of his two-year-old season with his speed and grace and command. Struck down by illness just as he was about to make the leap into greatness, he was forced instead to prove his superiority in the stallion barn. His get seemed cast from a newer, more efficient mold of trotter, and one in particular was eye-catching and breathtaking. Continentalvictory, a black daughter of Valley Victory and the Chiola Hanover mare Intercontinental, came from a family of trotting champions and by her birthright should have excelled. Still she seemed a breed apart. Though imperfect, as her break in the Merrie Annabelle final proved, she came into the Breeders Crown in as solid a form as any seasoned race horse. She'd won seven straight races by a total of 36 1/4 lengths, trotted in 1:55.4 at Lexington, made a break just once in her pari-mutuel career and exhibited a poise beyond her tender years.
Despite her obvious superiority, 18 other fillies were willing to give her a try in Crown competition. The eliminations only enforced Continentalvictory's reputation, after driver Mike Lachance had to restrain her to a six length triumph in 1:56. If she had to choose a nemesis, it would be Act Of Grace, trained by Hall of Famer Stanley Dancer, who had never won a Breeders Crown despite a lifetime of achievements, paired with driver John Campbell, who has won more Crown races than anyone. Act Of Grace was also a daughter of Valley Victory and she had actually defeated Continentalvictory in July, though the pair had not met for the past two months.
There was a cast of supporting characters that included Merrie Annabelle winner Missy Will Do It and New York Sires Stake dominatrix Armbro Monet. But those who were willing to believe their eyes only saw Continentalvictory, and thought Act Of Grace might at least be an interesting warm-up for the long striding black filly.
The weather turned abysmal on Breeders Crown night, with rain and wind offering excuses for breaking stride and misbehavior. From the start, it was clear the weather meant nothing to Continentalvictory, and she bullied Monet Blue Chip into the pocket when Wally Hennessey made a tentative move for the front out of the gate. Lachance just enjoyed the big filly from that point on, letting her slowly out a notch as they cruised past the three-quarter pole in an unbelievable 1:26.2. Her eight-length victory could have just as easily been 18 lengths, but Lachance saw no reason to unwrap the entire package. The challenge from Act Of Grace never came. A miscue near the five-eighths pole meant she was out of the race, and the battle would be fought another day. Southwind Rise held her nose out to be second over Broadway Diamond, but they both had lost sight of Continentalvictory. By the time they crossed the wire, she'd gone by well ahead of them.
Ron Gurfein has produced many trotters, Hambletonian winners and even two Breeders Crown champions in one night. Those who saw Continentalvictory’s performance whispered "superstar" under their breath, not quite sure of what they had seen. Mike Lachance beamed with pride in describing her and the pleasure of being aboard -- the fact that he'd picked up his twelfth Breeders Crown trophy seemed incidental. The group of owners that agreed to split the cost of the $100,000 yearling filly in 1994 were Eugene & Deena Frost, Dave Offenberg, Jerry & Rosalie Silva, Harvey Gold, Ken Orr and David Hauck. It was the first Crown credit for all of them, and the perfect ending to an absolute fairy tale of a year that was capped with divisional honors.
Brittany Farms picked up yet another Breeders Crown breeder credit, and Valley Victory offspring hit an all-time high at the yearlings sales.
Purse $350,000
Garden State Park, Cherry Hill, NJ - October 20, 1995
Extras
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