Fran's Valentine (1982 – October, 2007) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse filly, who, in 1985 as a three-year-old, won the

Graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

s the

Hollywood Oaks The Summertime Oaks is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in June at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade III event is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race on dirt at a distance of one and one-sixteenth mil ...

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

and

Santa Susana Stakes Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs ( miles) on the dirt. The race is a Grade II even ...

. Trained by Joseph Manzi, she was the first filly to win both the Kentucky Oaks and Hollywood Oaks. Her lifetime earnings were $1,375,465, and she had 13 wins from 34 races. Fran's Valentine was bred at Green Thumb Farm Stables, in

Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino's surroundings ha ...

by Earl Scheib, an entrepreneur who made his fortune in discounted car paint. Both of Fran's Valentine's parents, her dam Iza Valentine, and her sire, Saros, were owned by Scheib. Scheib named Fran's Valentine after his wife Fran; the filly was his favourite horse.

Racing career

In November 1984, as a two-year-old, Fran's Valentine was first over the line in the inaugural

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Un ...

at Hollywood Park. Although she finished first by half a length, Fran's Valentine was relegated to tenth after stewards judged that she had bumped another horse at the top of the back stretch. The decision moved her jockey, Pat Valenzuela, to tears. Scheib, who was well known for starring in television commercials promoting his discount car-painting business, was asked why he was still smiling in the commercial that aired just after the race; his questioner had not realized that the commercial had been recorded in advance. Fernando Toro, the jockey of Pirate's Glow who was bumped during the race, said he could have been killed, and criticized Valenzuela's riding. The win was awarded to Outstandingly, the filly that was second across the line. On March 2, 1985, Fran's Valentine won the

Las Virgenes Stakes The Las Virgenes Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over the distance of one mile on the dirt scheduled annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The eve ...

at Santa Anita to win $77,150. Later that month, ridden by Pat Valenzuela, she won the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

by two and a half lengths, earning $122,100. Her next race, in May 1985, was the

. Fran's Valentine was the first filly that her trainer, Joe Manzi, had entered into the Oaks, and she won in a record time for the track, again ridden by Valenzuela. The track was hard, her preferred type of surface. In July 1985, Fran's Valentine won the Hollywood Oaks by a head over Magnificent Lindy; this was her fifth stakes victory in six starts.

Chris McCarron Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years ...

rode her to this victory in a record time for the track of 1:47.25. In preparation for the

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United Stat ...

, Fran's Valentine defeated her male counterparts in the Yankee Valor Handicap at Santa Anita Park. Her winnings were $93,300, with an additional Breeders Cup award of $27,000. In August 1986, she won the Grade II Chula Vista Handicap on a track that was hard, and in 1987 she won the

Santa Maria Handicap The Santa Maria Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A race for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt over a di ...

(Grade II).

Retirement and stud

After racing, Fran's Valentine became a broodmare; six of her ten foals became winners, including With Anticipation, a Grade I winning horse who earned over $2.6 million in his career. After having her third foal, she was bought by

George W. Strawbridge Jr. George W. Strawbridge Jr. (born October 10, 1937) is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman and philanthropist. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Margaret ("Peggy") Dorrance and the stockbroker George ...

Fran's Valentine was retired to Derry Meeting Farm,

Cochranville, Pennsylvania Cochranville is a census-designated place (CDP) in West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 488 as of the 2022 on the Data Commons website. It is the hometown of Olympic swimmer Cierra Runge. G ...

, where she lived until she was euthanized at the age of 25 due to infirmities of old age.

References

{{Reflist Kentucky Oaks winners 1982 racehorse births 2007 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in California Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters Thoroughbred family 1-n