Team Valor's Irwin Registers a First

Barry Irwin, the founder and chief executive of Lexington, Kentucky-based Team Valor International, was represented individually as an owner Friday at Busan, South Korea, when Chastity (Kor), a 3-year-old filly by the recently deceased former GI Florida Derby winner Vicar, annexed a Class 5 handicap by 1 3/4 lengths.

Trained by South African ex-pat Bart Rice, Chastity was rousted along to race prominently throughout the 1400-meter test, dug in gamely for the final furlong and was going away at the finish to post a 24-1 upset (video). The chestnut, a daughter of Miss Stravinsky (NZ) (Stravinsky) finished runner-up in each of her first two racetrack appearances at this venue last Nov. 27 and Jan. 8, but was having her first run since finishing a distant 10th Feb. 21.

Irwin becomes the second American owner to win a race in the island nation. New York native Joe Dallao, a Team Valor partner in several U.S.-based horses and a South Korean resident since 1981, earned his first victory when Noble Warrior (Kor) (Biwa Shinseiki {Jpn}) annexed a July 8 handicap.

Irwin and Dallao were among a small group accepted when the Korean Racing Authority opened the country's racing program to foreign owners. Irwin acquired Chastity and a now 3-year-old gelding named Swoop (Kor) (Hawk Wing) at a 2-year-olds in training sale on Jeju Island in 2015. Swoop has a single runner-up effort from six starts to date.

With the victory, Irwin has now won races in 18 different countries: U.S., Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and the UAE, according to Team Valor's Jeff Lowe.