Murray Valene is the TOBA October Member of the Month.
By Carly Silver, BloodHorse Magazine, October 1, 2025
Year after year, Louisiana-based Valene Farms continues to produce standout racehorses. And 2025 is no exception. On July 25, three-year-old Smoken Wicked annexed the Amsterdam Stakes Presented by Albany Med Health System (G2) at Saratoga. Most recently, the chestnut colt, bred by Tom Curtis and Wayne Simpson, finished seventh in the Aug. 23 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), also at the Spa.
Murray Valene has developed a three-decade-long relationship with Clear Creek Stud in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Valene said of Smoken Wicked, “Part of what Clear Creek Stud does is, it preps sale horses, and they do anywhere from 30 to 60 horses a year. He happened to be one of the horses that was being sales prepped and happened to be out at the farm. I saw this colt being sales prepped, and I sort of fell in love with him.” Clear Creek also stands Bobby's Wicked One , sire of Smoken Wicked.
Valene instructed his representative to spend whatever was necessary to buy the colt. Valene Farms wound up bringing home Smoken Wicked for $38,000 in 2023. Valene added, “Well, he is a very, very pretty chestnut. He is correct. He was big; he was built. I could tell he was just going to be a big, good-looking horse and he’s got a lot of muscle, great shoulder, great hip, and just what you really look for in a race horse, and pretty correct. He has been a warrior.”
Last year, Smoken Wicked earned honors as champion Louisiana-bred juvenile colt. Stakes-placed at Saratoga and Churchill Downs that summer, he ran well in multiple grade 1 stakes before hitting his stride as 2024 ended. On Nov. 2, Smoken Wicked romped by 8 1/4 lengths in an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill. On Dec. 14, he captured the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes at Fair Grounds; he wheeled back 15 days later at the same oval, winning the Louisiana Futurity by five lengths.
An active polo player on the national and international stages until his late forties, Valene is a lifelong horseman. Because he has spent time around high-quality equine athletes his whole life, the transition to Thoroughbreds came quite naturally. He recalled, “So we actually bought our first horse, I believe it was about 1966, and we raced under Valene Farms. We just had a few horses, but we actually were actively involved in East Coast and Canadian racing at that time.” A Minnesota native, he has had a business in New Orleans since 1967 and moved there in 1979.
In succeeding years, Valene built up his Thoroughbred operation in the Pelican State. “In 1990, we really started getting involved in the Louisiana-bred program, my father and myself, and we’ve been fairly successful here and we’ve raced all over the country with our Louisiana horses.” He reflected, “Well, my first Louisiana-bred horse was called BJ’s Delta Pro and she was outstanding and she won in the first big Louisiana-bred stakes.” In total, BJ’s Delta Pro won five stakes races at both Louisiana Downs and Evangeline.
Needless to say, Valene is a fan of the state-bred program, commenting, “It is a very good program. One of the best in the country, I think.” Valene currently has 15 horses in training. Valene Farms’ Louisiana-bred runners have represented the state at the highest levels of competition. Their numbers have included Designer Legs, who captured the 2013 Adirondack Stakes (G2) at Saratoga before going on to compete in three grade 1 events that fall, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and 1993 Adirondack victress Astas Foxy Lady. Numerous other special, successful horses have been part of Valene Farms since then; one standout was Classy John, named after Valene’s father. Valene remembered Classy John’s first outing was a 2018 maiden special weight at Saratoga, in which he romped home by six lengths; that son of Songandaprayer went on to be named champion Louisiana-bred juvenile colt.
Valene Farms currently has one broodmare. Homebred Platinum Minit is a daughter of former Valene-owned stallion Givemeaminit and 2015 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint Stakes winner Platinum Lady. The farm also plans to sell Accommodate Eva, who won the 2023 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Stakes and 2024 Louisiana Broodmare Of The Year Lipstick Junky Stakes, at the Keeneland November sale; Accommodate Eva is in foal to Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey.
Watch TOBA Breakaway Rail Talk | October Member of the Month: Murray Valene Presented by Rail Talk in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) Hosted by Jon Green & Joe Bianca.