Val Royal (FR)

Trained by Julio Canani for owner David S. Milch, Val Royal turned in one of the most thrilling races in Breeders’ Cup history with his 1 ¾-length victory in the 2001 Mile. Running last of 11 horses for much of the race, the French-born son of Royal Academy came flying down the stretch on the far outside to hit the finish line first in 1:32.05, still the fastest time in the Mile’s 28-year history. It was the biggest career win for Val Royal, a two-time Group stakes winner in France who captured the Grade 2 Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in 2001, and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in his North American debut to cap his 2-year-old season. Shuttled to Brazil for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, Val Royal collapsed and died unexpectedly in October 2008 from an internal hemorrhage.