retirement

Centennial Farms and partners have retired MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Rocketry (Hard Spun-Smart Farming, by Smart Strike). The seasoned campaigner raced for five seasons and twice won what was originally known as the Breeders' Cup Marathon. He first won the race in 2018 when it was known as the GII Marathon S. presented by TAA, then captured it a second time last year when it was rebranded as the GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. The popular Jimmy Jerkens trainee also won Belmont's Temperence Hill Invitational S. in 2018, setting...

National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Waldrop will retire at the end of 2021. He has been at the forefront of the NTRA for 15 years. During Waldrop's leadership, the NTRA transitioned from a member dues-driven organization into a self-sustaining, program-driven operation with more than 90% of the entity's revenues now derived from programs that support the industry. The organization also solidified its position as the industry's leading voice and the entity that represents all segments of the Thoroughbred industry in Washington, D.C., focusing its...

Richard Johnson, a four-time champion jockey over jumps, announced his retirement on Saturday. His final ride was a third-place finish aboard Brother Tedd (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}) in the 5:25 at Newton Abbot. Johnson, who has over 3,800 winners, earned his first title in 2016 after 20-time champion jockey Sir AP McCoy retired. He retained his crown for three more seasons. Johnson was also runner-up to McCoy an additional 16 times in the jockeys' standings. Although he did not win the Grand National, he booted home two winners of the...

Paul D'Arcy, who trained Indian Haven (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) to win the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas in 2003, will saddle his final runner at Kempton on Wednesday. The soon-to-be 65-year-old will leg up John Egan on Knight of Kings (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the first race, a seven-furlong maiden over the all-weather. Egan was also aboard Indian Haven for his Classic score. A jockey prior to turning his hand to training, D'Arcy began training in 1993. "I've no regrets, I turn 65 in February and always planned to...

GSW Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby--True Kiss, by Is It True) has been retired from racing after exiting his breeze Monday with a soft tissue injury. The story was originally reported by the Daily Racing Form. A $50,000 FTSAUG buy turned $245,000 OBSMAR juvenile purchase, the Crawford Farms Racing colorbearer opened his career with a trio of impressive wins, including Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. in 2019. Third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. there next out, he was second in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. and completed the exacta...

Champion and MG1SW Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Halfway to Heaven {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) has been retired, Coolmore announced via Twitter on Tuesday. She will join the Coolmore broodmare band, but a 2021 stallion has not been decided upon. In her latest start, the 5-year-old finished third in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 13 for trainer Aidan O'Brien. "Brilliant seven-time Group 1 winner Magical (Galileo) has been retired and will join the broodmare band at Coolmore Stud," the tweet read. "Mating Plans [are] yet to be decided." Bred...

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced that the Louisville oval's president of 11 years, T. Kevin Flanery, has decided to retire at the end of 2020. Flanery's 15-year tenure at CDI began in December 2005 as vice president of national public affairs. He was named senior vice president of national public affairs and communications in March 2008 before being named the 13th President of Churchill Downs Racetrack and a Senior Vice President of CDI in July 2009. As President of Churchill Downs, Flanery led a number of significant capital investments that greatly...

MG1SW Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) will make what is likely her final start in the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy on Friday, Nov. 20. The 2019 G1 Nassau S. heroine is the first Japanese horse to campaign in Bahrain. The Toji Morita-owned bay was eighth in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4. Post positions will be drawn for the 14-horse field on Wednesday, Nov. 18. "Her two Group 1 wins came on right-handed tracks at Kyoto and Goodwood," said assistant trainer Yoshi Hashida to the Bahrain...

John Oxx, who announced his retirement earlier this fall, sent out his final runners on Monday. The trio of Monday runners contested a maiden at The Curragh, with the Oxx-trained Earlswood (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) finishing third in what would be the trainer's final race. Curraghglass (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Safecracker (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) also ran for the Oxx yard, but were unplaced. The day prior, Storm Legend (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had won at Naas. "Those are my last runners and they all ran well," said Oxx, whose...

After training for 46 years, James Bethell will retire on Jan. 1, Racing Post reported on Sunday. The licence will pass to his son Ed, who will continue to train at his father's old yard of Thorngill Stables in Middleham. Listed winner Moss Gill (Ire) (No Nay Never), who ran third in the G1 Nunthorpe S. this August, will be among the 30-odd horses in work next term. "I think younger people can work with all the technology and modern communications better than us older folk and I thought it...

On most mornings there are more than 2,000 horses being exercised on Newmarket Heath, Britain's epicentre of the Thoroughbred industry.  Plenty of them will end up as minor winners and a decent number of stakes winners will progress from the blustery East Anglian acres of turf to sun-drenched winner's enclosures across England and beyond. Every now and then a champion will emerge.  It is perhaps a term used too liberally. Each year there's a champion 2-year-old, champion 3-year-old, champion stayer, champion sprinter. To call Enable (GB) a champion doesn't really...

MGSW & G1SP Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}-- Chanterelle {Fr}, by Trempolino) has been retired due to injury, Shadwell's Racing Manager Angus Gold announced on Tuesday. The John Gosden trainee and 2019 English Highweighted Older Mare at 14 furlongs and above was pointing for this weekend's G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu. "Enbihaar will miss the Royallieu as she is currently at Shadwell Stud," said Gold of the €500,000 Arqana August yearling. "She had a minor injury, and as a result has been retired--very sadly. She's been an absolute star, and...