Old Friends Virtual Tour -Game On Dude, Little Mike, Hogy and Soi Phet
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- Опубліковано 10 тра 2020
- Michael Blowen, founder of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farms with Game On Dude, Little Mike, Soi Phet and Hogy. Filmed by Mary Greene. Please consider making a donation to Old Friends at www.oldfriendsequine.org to support our over 200 thoroughbred retirees.
Game On Dude:
Game On Dude is only horse to win three runnings of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). His list of triumphal repeats also includes two Hollywood Gold Cups (G1) and two San Antonio Stakes (G2). In his six year old campaign in 2013 “the Dude” captured all three of California’s most coveted Grade 1 stakes, the “Big Cap,” the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic. At seven his Santa Anita Handicap time nearly equaled the 1:58 set in 1980 by Spectacular Bid. He retired with nearly $6.5 million. In order, Game On Dude’s wins are: 2010 Lone Star Derby (G3). 2011 Santa Anita H (G1) and Goodwood S (G1). 2012 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), the Awesome Again S (G1)-doing his sire proud, the San Antonio S (G2), California S (G2) and Native Diver S (G3). In 2013, the Santa Anita H (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), Pacific Classic (G1), San Antonio (G2) and Charles Town Classic (G2), and in 2014 the Santa Anita H (G1). In 34 starts, that’s 16 wins, 7 seconds and 1 third for a total of $6,498,893. Owned by Diamond Pride LLC, Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC and Bernard Schiappa, Game On Dude’s jockeys in his most prestigious wins were Chantal Sutherland Kruse, Martin Garcia and Mike Smith. Old Friends gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Game On Dude’s Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and Jill Baffert, who enabled his retirement to us.
Little Mike:
The 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf and Arlington Million winner was 2nd ranked by earnings in North America that year, out-earning even Wise Dan. Bred in Florida by Carlo Vaccarezza, owned by Priscilla Vaccarezza, and trained for most of his career by Dale Romans, he won the 2011 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G3), Canadian Turf Stakes(G3)-in which future Old Friends retiree Yankee Fourtune ran third-and the Emirates Airlines Appleton Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park with Joe Bravo in the saddle. In 2012 he took the Florida Sunshine Millions Turf and repeated his Canadian Turf Stakes wins. Little Mike won the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve at Churchill under Joe Bravo, and that summer captured the Arlington Million (G1) wire to wire with Ramon Dominguez up. He crowned a spectacular year with the Breeders’ Cup Turf(G1), again with Ramon Dominguez. The 2013 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont belonged to a partnership of two of the greatest Mikes in racing, Little Mike and Mike Smith. In 2014, conditioned by Carlo Vaccarezza, Little Mike won the Flying Pidgeon Stakes, with Elvis Trujilo up. A 2016 comeback was mooted, but when the Vaccarezzas determined that his best interests were served by retirement, they generously donated Little Mike to Old Friends. Little Mike had a whopping 14 wins out of 30 starts and earnings of $3,543,392.
Soi Phet:
On May 23, 2013 Gerald and Sandra Benowitz, Mathilde Powell and Paul A. Viskovich claimed a five year old gelding names Soi Phet for $16,000. In the hands of trainer Leonard Powell the horse bloomed. He won the 2014 Bertrando Stakes and Los Alamitos Mile, the 2016 McCann's Mojave Handicap, Harry F. Brubaker Stakes, the 2016 and 2017 E. B. Johnston Stakes, the 2018 Crystal Water Stakes and Bertrando Stakes. Soi Phet’s 2018 Crystal Waters victory at 10 made him the oldest stakes winner in Santa Anita history. That Fourth of July, Leonard Powell tweeted, “We believe Soi Phet is following the American Dream where nothing can not be done, with work and perseverance. We can't summarize what he has accomplished for us. Thank you Soi Phet. I will like to believe that some of those fireworks will be for you today.” Soi Phet retired with $1,023,917 earnings in 64 races with 15 wins, 7 seconds and 6 thirds.
Hogy:
Bred by Dr. John E. Little in Kentucky, Hogy (Offlee Wild -Floy, by Petionvillle), finishes his seven-year career with 55 starts and 19 wins and earnings of $1,339,782. The near-black gelding launched his career at Arlington Park in 2011 capturing his first three starts, including the Brian Barenscheer Juvenile Stakes at Canterbury Park. He earned his first graded stakes in 2013 in the grade 3 Hanshin Cup Stakes, again at Arlington. In 2017 he set a track record for 5½ furlongs in the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds, while defeating Old Friends retiree-and that day's 4-5 favorite-Green Mask. Claimed from owner William Stiritz and trainer Scott Becker for $80,000 in 2017 following three straight losses, Hogy quickly earned his keep for new owner Michael Hui and trainer Mike Maker when he took the grade 3 Kentucky Turf Sprint, defeating Undrafted in the process. After a defeat in the grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, he captured the grade Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream.
Please consider making a donation at www.oldfriendsequine.org. - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
Love Old Friends. You are to be applauded for doing a tremendous job in keeping these horses fit and showing them the love and respect an older horse deserves. Little Mike and Game On Dude are truly good friends. I know the great Silver Charm is your favorite, but your storytelling is priceless. Many thanks Mr. Blowen for what you do.
Inspiring! Little Mike and Game on Dude look great! Hogy and Soi Phet are fabulous too!
Love the virtual tours! Thank you!!! 🐴😘
So enjoy learning about your wonderful place. Seeing the horses so happy after their careers is how it should be. Thanks to the care and kindness of their owners who were thankful for all they did for them. Always breaks my heart to learn of so many who end up in the kill pens for slaughter. Need more compassionate owners who would do the right thing.
Thank you for caring for them as you do.
God bless...
Michael, so sorry to read about the loss of Hogy today. Condolences to everyone at Old Friends and to Hogy’s connections.
RIP Big guy
I enjoy these visits so much, especially these days! Those are some happy horses! Thanks again!
So beautiful! Such a wonderful thing you do for these magnificent horses ! Thanks for videos! Can't wait to see them all again and the new guys! Bless you!
Michael and his staff are angels God put on Earth.
I just loved this virtual tour. Old Friends. Just the best. SOI Phet was such a fan favorite. Saw him race many times . And I followed Slim Shadey from the time he was in Ca to the East Coast. Thank you to all the owners and to you Michael for this great tour. GOD AND Little Mike all such great horses . This was especially nice because for me at least I recognized all the horses I hope and pray you can re open soon as there is no place quite like Old Friends. Thank you
Great place. Pls support these horses.
I hope that you'll make more videos, Mr. Blowen. It was so nice of you to sign the letter acknowledging my modest donation. Your videos are so entertaining and endearing.
There need to be more places like this for old timers to stay and live happy and have time people come see them as are the best male or female need great people like mike care for in slow years. Tc and gb people and places like this
Wonderful video! Hoping Game On Dude does make it to the Hall Of Fame. He's got a lot of fans hoping that he does!
Each one of them wants their share of carrots and to be the center of attention. Your their favorite person for sure Michael. Thank you so much for sharing them with all of us.💕
I think it is wonderful that you tale such great care of these horses they deserve it. Silver Charm is a favorite of mine i watched him race and I don't live to far from where he was from in Florida.
Thank you so much for the tour I really enjoyed it so much. God Bless you and your beautiful friends their at your farm.
🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴
Oh, I got such a laugh reading the captions! Was like these 4 guys were really talking🐎👏. Bless you😇 OFF & Michael Blowen I love seeing these virtual tours
YES 👍👍🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏👏👏👌👌👌👌👌👌✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅🆗🆗🆗🆗🆗🆗🙂🙂🙂🙂
HA! Little Mike is like "more carrots! enough of the small talk" funny!
So great to see our former west coast horses 🏇
I remember when a group of us Z Dumplings kept asking when SOI PHET was going to be retired to Old Friends 😉
Thanks Saint Michael ❤
Glad Patch is feeling so good hope he has many fans to visit when sequester is over😬
We visited there today.
It was fabulous!
Thank you for stressing that taking care of these wonderful equine athletes, they can race for years and retire sound. Thank you also for posting your videos. It's great to see horses retiring to a wonderful place like Old Friends.
Hi Micheal and crew !
It’s so amazing what u do! Keep posting these videos!!! Soon u will get some UA-cam $$$ I am so amazed at what u r doing! Maybe someday, every time a bet is placed, or an owner or trainer or breeder profits there cld be a percentage that goes to the aftercare for these beauties! I am amazed that w/ all the billions that r made from the thoroughbreds, that it takes a Boston Globe reporter to get something going for the aftercare. There shld be a winnings tax or investment fee for their retirement. Anyhow, Micheal u and ur team there ROCK! Ox
I would certainly want to check out wherever one of my horses ended up if I hadn’t seen it so glad Little Mike’s former Dad cared enough to cry/ check you out/ escort him to his new digs
They all were such good boys for the video!
Game on Dude!
I never knew such a place existed. So often, you hear old race horses are tragically sent to slaughter, if lucky, a few end up in rescues. This is one cool guy! Is there a website for Old Friends?
oldfriendsequine.com
being geldings and nearly the same color, not surprising they are friends ( in my experience:horses of the same color tended to get along better ( when not competing over carrots 😬
God bless Michael for giving these horses a place to retire; will donate as soon as I can😬♥️♥️♥️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼👍🏼
also helps if they ‘re all TBs (or at least I had an OTTB gelding who strongly preferred other TBs
My experience as well 😬
It’s my experience too that the thoroughbreds stick together in mixed herds of different breeds, pretty cool!