retirement

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...

Roy H (More Than Ready), champion sprinter of 2017 and 2018, has been retired at age eight, trainer Peter Miller said in a statement Thursday. "It is with some sadness but also great joy that we announce the retirement of Roy H from racing," Miller said. "What can you say about a horse like this who has given us so many thrilling moments? He is the embodiment of class and we will definitely miss seeing him compete. Fortunately, we will not have to miss him for long as he will...

Hunter O'Riley (Tiz Wonderful) last saw the starting gate just over a year ago. Some may remember him blowing up their ticket that day, as it was when he snuck up from the outside to win the GI United Nations S. at odds of 14-1, beating the likes of eventual GI Pegasus World Cup Turf S. winner Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}), as well as the near-millionaire graded stakes-winning Channel Cat (English Channel). Co-owner Mike Ryan has had his share of pinnacle moments in racing as the bloodstock agent for...

 When Michelle Crawford came across the 25-year-old blue hen Tizso (Cee's Tizzy), a full-sister to Hall of Famer Tiznow, in the Keeneland January catalogue, she immediately knew she had to have her. The longtime Standardbred owner/breeder, who operates Crawford Farms in Durhamville, N.Y. with her husband Al, wanted to ensure that the mare received the retirement she deserved. "I started going through the catalogue and she was number 90, so I didn't get very far before I said that is it, she is the one I'm getting," Crawford said from...