Shuttle stallion Val Royal, who won the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT), has died from internal hemorrhaging in Brazil.
“He collapsed suddenly in his stall,” Dr. Luis Alberto Marinho, farm manager of Haras Basano, told the Racing Post.
Twelve-year-old Val Royal (Royal Academy--Vadlava, by Bikala) was a group II winner in his native France before arriving in North America the summer of 1999. He promptly won the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT), and then was sidelined until early 2001. He put together consecutive wins that fall for owner David Milch in the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile, winning the latter at Belmont Park in 1:32.05.
Bred by J.L. Lagardere, Val Royal exited racing with seven wins from a dozen starts and earnings of $1,186,687. His two best runners are English and Irish classic winner Cockney Rebel and U.S. grade II winner Valbenny. Cockney Rebel won both the 2007 Stan James Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) and Boylesports Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I).
Val Royal was based at the National Stud in England.