Horse Racing Forum - USA Thoroughbred Races

Has anyone ever heard of a horse racing then taking off for a time to be a stud or broodmare then racing again? I have only heard of 2 horses ever doing this.

Yes quite a few stallions. Usually stallions that are infertile or subfertile. There have been a handful that have covered mares and raced again just because that is what their owners wanted. Mares it has happened but not often. With mares its usually a surprise pregnancy that the mare has while in training. Though there have been some that the owner decided to race again. Its also not super uncommon for a mare to race in foal but she usually retires by July.

Stallions: Bertrando (had an injury, bred mares, raced later that year); Battle of Midway (pretty much infertile, brokedown in training before he raced again); Barney Roy (infertile, raced again, gelded and retired); Starspangledbanner (was subfertile, raced again and then back to stud); Toast of New York(covered mares in Qatar, gelded, returned to races, I guess he is retired don't remember an article); George Washington (pretty much infertile, returned to race, brokedown in the 2007 BC Classic); Al Kazeem (subfertile, returned to race, went back to stud); Kementari (pretty much infertile, returned to the races, then was retired); Gold Rush Dancer(stood 2 years, returned to racing for 1 year, then retired to stud again); Visitant(stood in 2023, raced later in 2023, went back to stud); Pants on Fire (not sure if he qualifies as he never had mares reported bred but he was standing at stud, returned to races 2+ years later in Saudi Arabia and disappeared); Songster(infertile, returned to races, I guess retired can't remember). Reckless Abandon(fertility, returned to training but didn't race, gelded, retired). There are more I can't think of their names. (I keep adding names as they come to me)

Mares: Beautyatitsbest (had a surprise foal as a 3yo, raced 4x as a 4yo in 2023); Speak Compelling (surprise foal as a 3yo, like 10 days after she had raced, she went on to race through age 6). I remember a mare that raced against her own foal or on the same card, but I don't remember her name. I know there are more I also can't think of them.

Flanders wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:43 am Yes quite a few stallions. Usually stallions that are infertile or subfertile. There have been a handful that have covered mares and raced again just because that is what their owners wanted. Mares it has happened but not often. With mares its usually a surprise pregnancy that the mare has while in training. Though there have been some that the owner decided to race again. Its also not super uncommon for a mare to race in foal but she usually retires by July.

Stallions: Bertrando (had an injury, bred mares, raced later that year); Battle of Midway (pretty much infertile, brokedown in training before he raced again); Barney Roy (infertile, raced again, gelded and retired); Starspangledbanner (was subfertile, raced again and then back to stud); Toast of New York(covered mares in Qatar, gelded, returned to races, I guess he is retired don't remember an article); George Washington (pretty much infertile, returned to race, brokedown in the 2007 BC Classic); Al Kazeem (subfertile, returned to race, went back to stud); Kementari (pretty much infertile, returned to the races, then was retired); Gold Rush Dancer(stood 2 years, returned to racing for 1 year, then retired to stud again); Visitant(stood in 2023, raced later in 2023, went back to stud); Pants on Fire (not sure if he qualifies as he never had mares reported bred but he was standing at stud, returned to races 2+ years later in Saudi Arabia and disappeared); Songster(infertile, returned to races, I guess retired can't remember). Reckless Abandon(fertility, returned to training but didn't race, gelded, retired). There are more I can't think of their names. (I keep adding names as they come to me)

Mares: Beautyatitsbest (had a surprise foal as a 3yo, raced 4x as a 4yo in 2023); Speak Compelling (surprise foal as a 3yo, like 10 days after she had raced, she went on to race through age 6). I remember a mare that raced against her own foal or on the same card, but I don't remember her name. I know there are more I also can't think of them.

Songster spent time as a stable pony later in his careeer. I have a photo of him back at the track from 2016 and I know I have one of him under tack somewhere but I guess we can't add attachments any more, only web link photos

edit - looks like he wa sstill stable pony as recently as 2020.

I missed Maximum Security this morning but I saw a bald eagle and Songster, so I did okay in the end. Songster (Songandaprayer), a G2/G3 SW, is Tom Albertrani's longtime stable pony.

Little clip from Darley from 2018

https://x.com/godolphin/status/10649408 ... 85/video/1

Precisionist (1981-2006) was another prominent infertile horse who returned to racing and won at least one stakes. He eventually retired to Old Friends and Michael Blowen's report of his death was very moving. He was certainly loved.

Diver52 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:41 pm Precisionist (1981-2006) was another prominent infertile horse who returned to racing and won at least one stakes. He eventually retired to Old Friends and Michael Blowen's report of his death was very moving. He was certainly loved.

I'm embarrassed I forgot him. My brain kept giving me names, yet it didn't yield his.

Assault and Black Gold are two others I thought of.

Flanders wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 3:57 pm Assault and Black Gold are two others I thought of.

I was gonna add these two, Black Gold is one of my all-time favorites.

Flanders wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 2:11 pm

Diver52 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:41 pm Precisionist (1981-2006) was another prominent infertile horse who returned to racing and won at least one stakes. He eventually retired to Old Friends and Michael Blowen's report of his death was very moving. He was certainly loved.

I'm embarrassed I forgot him. My brain kept giving me names, yet it didn't yield his.

Well, I'm old enough to remember him, but apparently not quite old enough to forget him!

Diver52 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 5:04 pm

Flanders wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 2:11 pm

Diver52 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:41 pm Precisionist (1981-2006) was another prominent infertile horse who returned to racing and won at least one stakes. He eventually retired to Old Friends and Michael Blowen's report of his death was very moving. He was certainly loved.

I'm embarrassed I forgot him. My brain kept giving me names, yet it didn't yield his.

Well, I'm old enough to remember him, but apparently not quite old enough to forget him!

There is a possibility I saw him run in the 88 BC(that was the first horse racing I ever saw on TV). But I didn't know who he was at that time.

I had to search for this one I just remembered a Canadian HOTY, owned by Schickedanz, and the circumstances were horrible. Wake At Noon (infertile, raced again, didn't race from 10 until he was put back in training at age 13, brokedown in training and was euthanized)

Another one with a grim story was The Last Lion (retired to stud after his 2yo year, was subfertile but stood for 4 years, was gelded in 2021 and returned to racing as a 7yo, then brokedown at 8yo)

Battle of Midway raced several times after being brought back and was a GSW during that time. Silveyville, a GSW, and Variety Road also were brought back. 2017 Longacres Mile winner, Gold Rush Dancer, was also returned to the track.

Flanders wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 12:43 am There have been a handful that have covered mares and raced again just because that is what their owners wanted. Mares it has happened but not often. With mares its usually a surprise pregnancy that the mare has while in training. Though there have been some that the owner decided to race again. Its also not super uncommon for a mare to race in foal but she usually retires by July

I remember Cassandra Go many years ago winning at Royal Ascot while in foal. (She's the great granddam of Auguste Rodin.)

Here's an interesting article I found on other pregnant racing mares. https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/f ... gF6f8Q5q4/

I seem to remember that Spain raced in foal once, but that would have been close to 25 years ago. When you get to be my age, memories can get a little mixed up, to make an understatement! Maybe I'm thinking of another Lukas mare?

And naturally, my vague recollection doesn't include any circumstances as to how she was raced in foal, Or who she was in foal to. The more I think about it, my head must be making this up!🫣

Missbeholder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:25 pm I seem to remember that Spain raced in foal once, but that would have been close to 25 years ago. When you get to be my age, memories can get a little mixed up, to make an understatement! Maybe I'm thinking of another Lukas mare?

And naturally, my vague recollection doesn't include any circumstances as to how she was raced in foal, Or who she was in foal to. The more I think about it, my head must be making this up!🫣

She 100% raced in foal. She also won in foal so had to be at least 2 starts, she finished 3rd in her very last start but won the previous one. I think they bred her fairly late in the breeding season cause she raced at Santa Anita then went to the Apple Blossom and I believe wasn't bred until her schedule took her to Kentucky. Trust me Lukas wasn't going to be missing a race to let the mare be bred

Flanders wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:39 pm

Missbeholder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:25 pm I seem to remember that Spain raced in foal once, but that would have been close to 25 years ago. When you get to be my age, memories can get a little mixed up, to make an understatement! Maybe I'm thinking of another Lukas mare?

And naturally, my vague recollection doesn't include any circumstances as to how she was raced in foal, Or who she was in foal to. The more I think about it, my head must be making this up!🫣

She 100% raced in foal. She also won in foal so had to be at least 2 starts, she finished 3rd in her very last start but won the previous one. I think they bred her fairly late in the breeding season cause she raced at Santa Anita then went to the Apple Blossom and I believe wasn't bred until her schedule took her to Kentucky. Trust me Lukas wasn't going to be missing a race to let the mare be bred

https://www.espn.com/horse/news/2002/0613/1394358.html

then two weeks later....

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/20 ... 089443007/

stark wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:54 pm

Flanders wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:39 pm

Missbeholder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:25 pm I seem to remember that Spain raced in foal once, but that would have been close to 25 years ago. When you get to be my age, memories can get a little mixed up, to make an understatement! Maybe I'm thinking of another Lukas mare?

And naturally, my vague recollection doesn't include any circumstances as to how she was raced in foal, Or who she was in foal to. The more I think about it, my head must be making this up!🫣

She 100% raced in foal. She also won in foal so had to be at least 2 starts, she finished 3rd in her very last start but won the previous one. I think they bred her fairly late in the breeding season cause she raced at Santa Anita then went to the Apple Blossom and I believe wasn't bred until her schedule took her to Kentucky. Trust me Lukas wasn't going to be missing a race to let the mare be bred

https://www.espn.com/horse/news/2002/0613/1394358.html

then two weeks later....

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/20 ... 089443007/

Yeah I remember thinking she'd race a little longer, just cause she was bred late. But she had raced a lot already so I understand them deciding to stop.

Well, I'm awfully glad to know that my brain wasn't making things up in my head...........I guess far from it! Thanks all!

interesting thread! never knew this happened.