BY LAURIE ROSS

Some horses announce themselves the moment you lay eyes on them, and Valiant Minister (Candy Ride (Arg) – Spooky Minister, by Deputy Minister)  is one of those horses. The large, flashy gray possesses proven bloodlines, natural speed and expanding sire credentials.

At the Races

An auction-topping $680,000 purchase by Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp. at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, Valiant Minister hinted at significant natural talent when he breezed a bullet furlong in 9.80 seconds, immediately catching the eye of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. 

The large gray colt required time to mature and grow into his substantial frame, a patience that was ultimately rewarded in his sole career start at age four.

Valiant Minister went straight to the front in a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Santa Anita and never looked back, winning by two-and-a-quarter lengths and stopping the clock in a sharp 1:08.84. He easily defeated the field, including Lord Simba, who subsequently became a Grade 3 winner.

This dominant effort earned him a strong 99 Beyer Speed Figure and triple-digit speed ratings from both Equibase and Brisnet. 

Pedigree

George Isaacs, General Manager of Bridlewood Farm, notes that Valiant Minister is upwards of 16.3 hands and has a lot of scope. The well-conformed stallion has a big, free walk to go with his size and he covers a lot of ground. Personality-wise, he’s an alpha male stallion, all business. 

Valiant Minister’s sire, Candy Ride, requires no introduction as a solid and consistent mainstay. The Argentinian-bred stallion has produced more than 115 black-type winners, accounting for roughly 8% of his total progeny. 

As an elite sire-of-sires, his 18 sons, including the notable Gun Runner, Game Winner, Twirling Candy and Vekoma, stand nationally and regionally, consistently producing quality offspring.

Valiant Minister is bred on the proven and effective cross of Candy Ride – Deputy Minister, a pairing that has generated more than 250 stakes winners, approximately 10% of the total winners. 

His immediate family is a testament to this specific bloodline cross and yielded two black-type earners. 

Valiant Minister is the third foal out of the unraced mare Spooky Minister (Deputy Minister). Three of his full siblings and one half-brother own black type and include: 

• Moe Candy (Candy Ride), secured second place in both the 2017 Palos Verdes and Kona Gold Stakes (both Grade 2 events), and third in the prestigious Grade 1 Bing Crosby behind acclaimed sprinters Ransom the Moon and two-time Champion Male Sprinter Roy H.
• Holy Candy (Candy Ride), placed third in the mile-and-one-sixteenth 2012 Affirmed Handicap (G3).
• Holloween Candy (Candy Ride), earned $118,940 in 11 starts and has produced five offspring, including the stakes-winner Getting Joellenned (by Trappe Shot).
• Silver Assault (by Maclean’s Music), a precocious 2-year-old, placed in a trio of stakes events, including the listed Santa Anita Juvenile.

Valiant Minister’s second dam, Lunar Spook (by Silver Ghost), was also precocious, winning two stakes races and placing second in a third. She progressed significantly at three, capturing the 1993 Ashland Stakes (G1) and the Davona Dale (G3), while also placing in a pair of Grade 2 events, the Forward Gal and Bonnie Miss Stakes. 

In addition to Spooky Minister, Lunar Spook bore the win-early turf miler, Broadway Moon (by Theatrical), who placed in the Generous Stakes (G2). 

There are further win-early traits contributed by Valiant Minister’s damsire, Deputy Minister (CAN), a two-time American champion sire who holds the distinction of being the first from his home country to lead the US Experimental Free Handicap for juveniles.

Stud Career

Valiant Minister was off to a strong start at stud, checking in third as a 2021 Florida First-Crop sire. He maintained this position as a Second-Crop sire before rising to the top of the Third-Crop standings, boasting 79 named foals and progeny earnings totaling $1,447,327. He is currently ranked fifth on both the Florida and Southeast sire lists by overall earnings, a reflection of steady, real-world results on the racetrack. 

Valiant Minister’s progeny stand out mentally as well as physically. They are generally good-sized, correct individuals who, like their sire, possess athleticism while also responding to the stamina influence of their dams. 

Owners have shown a clear preference for racing his offspring, which has kept relatively few from reaching the auction ring. In 2025, only three entered the training sales, where they posted respectable breeze times of :10.60, :21 flat, and :21.40.

Valiant Minister flashed Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)-caliber speed during his own career and has successfully passed that brilliance to his offspring, most notably his son, Bentornato, hero of the 2025 Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Bentornato completed six furlongs in 1:08.20 slightly quicker than his sire’s debut time, and previously finished a close second, beaten just a half-length, in the 2024 edition of the Sprint.

 

Valiant Minister’s record of black-type performers extends well beyond Bentornato. Daughter Outfoxed was in the money in five of seven starts and earned $497,554. As a 2-year-old, she captured three stakes, including two legs of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series: the Susan’s Girl and My Dear Girl Stakes, and added the Gasparilla Stakes as a 3-year-old. She also placed in the Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes, underscoring her consistency across seasons.

Even though Valiant Minister raced only once, his offspring are notably durable. Many have made a dozen or more starts, including Loco Abarrio, who captured the Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap and placed in three additional stakes. The 5-year-old gelding has faced the starter 30 times, with current earnings of $465,575, and remains competitive.

With a consistent record of producing dependable runners, expanding earnings, and already having a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner on his résumé, Valiant Minister has firmly established himself as a reliable regional sire whose foals offer a desirable combination of speed, durability, and competitive form. 

His upward trajectory on the Florida and Southeast sire lists directly reflects real-world results. As more of his progeny reach the track, his reputation as a practical, value-driven stallion is expected to continue its growth.

He will stand the 2026 season for $3,500 stands and nurses.

Return to the December 16 issue of Wire to Wire