Like the human snowbirds who have begun to migrate back North, our equine athletes have as well. With Winter Racing in most Southern locales coming to an end, horses are vanning to Kentucky, New York, Maryland et al, for the start of the Spring Racing season. In the last two weeks we’ve had a couple of “shippers” run races that would suggest they are happy to return home!
The first was Engineer Empire, a 3 year old New York Bred colt trained by Christophe Clement. After training all Winter at Payson Park Thoroughbred Training Center (Indiantown, FL), Engineer Empire returned to Aqueduct Racetrack. Engineer Empire tracked the early pacesetter going a mile and an eighth on March 26 and drew off when asked at the top of the stretch to win by 8 3/4 lengths. Owned by Tony Weintraub, Steven Bouchey, Peter Dorsman Racing, LLC and Brandon Dalinka, he’s a horse bred to run all day.
Engineer Empire
The second was Perform, a 3 year old colt trained by Shug McGaughey. If horses were required to have a passport, Perform’s would be full. His first six races were at Belmont Park, Saratoga Racetrack, Keeneland Racetrack, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs! In addition to his travels, Perform has run against some very good horses. Three of the horses Perform has faced (Rocket Can, Raise Cain and Mage) will be in the starting gate for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
After breaking his maiden on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs, Perform headed to Laurel Park in Maryland for the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes. Owned by Woodford Racing, Lanes End Farm, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone and Edward Hudson, Perform was ignored in the wagering and sent off at 10-1 odds. As the starting gate opened, he stumbled and found himself last in the field of nine. Under a patient ride from jockey Feargal Lynch, Perform gradually gained ground but was still sixth at the top of the stretch. Despite traffic trouble and getting shut off, he swung off the rail in deep stretch to win by a head. Whether you are a fan of thoroughbred racing or not, this year’s edition of the Tesio was a thriller!
Past the Wire Article on Perform Race
It’s only April and most of our horses are just settling in at their new Northern confines. I can’t wait to see what’s next!