Barry Irwin's Team Valor International announced July 23 the acquisition of group 3-winning filly Queen Azteca, including a plan to make her first North American start Aug. 16 in the Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The well-traveled 3-year-old filly will be ridden in the New York Racing Association fixture by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.
Winner of the Feb. 21 UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan Racecourse, she boasts a career profile of 4-2-0 in nine starts and earnings of $302,332.
Bred by Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, she was purchased for $22,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and resold the following May at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale for $39,466. She raced exclusively for Glaesner Racing through her first eight starts for trainer Niels Petersen.
When Queen Azteca resurfaced this summer to easily score in the 1 3/8-mile prep for the July 13 Swedish Derby, Team Valor worked out a deal to buy 100% of the filly, race her in the colors of the seller and the names of both buyer and seller in the 1 1/2-mile Swedish Derby, with any of the $235,000 prize money going to the seller. She gamely rallied wide to finish second, beaten two lengths in a paceless race.
Plans call for Petersen to prepare Queen Azteca for the 1 1/4-mile Alabama. The filly is due to arrive stateside Aug. 8.
As she hails from a country without an export protocol with the United States, the filly will be isolated in quarantine at Saratoga and train after the local horses have finished their morning racetrack routines. After the Alabama, the filly will be transported in a sealed van to Margaux Farm near Midway, Ky., where she will undergo tests for contagious equine metritis.
Team Valor has selected Rudy Brisset to train the new filly after the Alabama.
"We consider Rudy to be a brilliant young horseman with a proven record of training top horses on dirt, as well as turf," Irwin said. "We want to race this filly next winter and spring at Oaklawn Park, where there are excellent races for fillies and mares and the purse structure is amazing. I fully expect the filly to show more pace after Rudy has worked with her for a few months. While longer races will always suit her, an ability to be closer and in touch earlier will enhance the filly's chances of being effective in North America."
Queen Azteca is from the third crop sired by Sharp Azteca, a grade 1-winning earner of $2,406,740 with an 8-5-1 record in 17 starts. She hails from a strong female family that includes My Flag and Personal Ensign as her third and fourth dams, respectively.
Princesa Helena, dam of Queen Azteca, is an 8-year-old mare that has had two winners from two foals to race. Second dam With Flying Colors (A.P. Indy), won the 2009 Heatherten Stakes at Belmont Park and produced dual grade 3 winner Teresa Z.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
