Peaks and Valleys, Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1995 and a successful stallion, has died from the infirmities of old age. The 20-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Mt. Livermore stood first at Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Ky., and later at Gardiner Farms in Ontario, Canada.
"The success Mrs. Abercrombie enjoyed with Peaks and Valleys was a turning point for our program," said Pin Oak general manager Clifford Barry. "He let all of us know what it was like to participate in racing at the very highest level."
A Pin Oak homebred trained the first part of his career by Jim Day, Peaks and Valleys won the Molson Export Million Stakes (gr. I) at Woodbine and the Meadowlands Cup Handicap (gr. I), the Illinois Derby (gr. II), and the Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Down the year he was Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male. At 2 he captured the Miller High Life Cradle Stakes.
Peaks and Valleys, who placed in five stakes, exited racing with a record of 9-3-2 from 16 starts and earnings of $1,589,270.
Peaks and Valley has sired 34 stakes winners including grade II winners Dollar Bill, Chamrousse, and Higher World. He is represented by 359 winners from 565 foals of racing age and the earners of more than $30 million.
A half brother to multiple stakes winner Alternate, Peaks and Valleys was produced from the winning Green Dancer mare Strike a Balance.
"We would like to thank the entire staff at Gardiner Farms, especially the late Dr. Mike Colterjohn and his assistant, Sherry McLean, for the tremendous care they gave Peaks and Valleys over the years," Barry said.
Peaks and Valleys will be returned to Pin Oak and buried.