Early Voting Gets First Winner With Valkyrie

Taylor Made stallion's freshman sire and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) sired his first winner from his first starter April 26 in the second race at Churchill Downs. Arindel's 2-year-old filly, Valkyrie, won the 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by 1 length for trainer Kenny McPeek. After setting swift opening fractions of :23.17 and :45.70, she drew clear under jockey Declan Cannon at the 5/16 pole, turning away Cardio Cat and finishing in a final time of :52.97. Valkyrie was bred in Kentucky by Ashley Hiller and purchased by Arindel for $30,000 as a weanling at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She is out of the winning Violence mare, Vegas Palm, who is a half sister to the multiple graded stakes-placed Competitive Speed. Early Voting was bred by Three Chimneys Farm and purchased by Klaravich Stables for $200,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is Gun Runner's only classic-winning son and is out of a half sister to Speightstown. He raced under the care of trainer Chad Brown, winning the Withers Stakes (G3) at 2, and securing a victory in the 2021 Preakness Stakes. Early Voting was ranked in the top five freshman sires by yearling average, and recently saw his 2-year-olds command hefty prices at the Ocala Breeders' Sales' March and Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sales. A filly out of the American Pharoah mare, Lipstikliesnlovers, brought $850,000 from Three Amigos at the OBS Spring Sale. The Early Voting filly breezed a swift quarter-mile in :20 2/5 for consignor Jesse Hoppel. Early Voting stands at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky., for an advertised fee of $12,500.