Red Eagle, a 6-year-old gelding by Danza bred by Deann and Greg Baer, made the Finale in two classes at last week’s Thoroughbred Makeover. Retired Racehorse Project/Pyrois Media Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Last week’s Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America proved fruitful for New York-breds with four competing in five disciplines during Saturday’s Finale and 11 finishing in the top 10 in their respective disciplines.
While preliminary scores decide which five horses qualify for the Finale in each discipline, all five horses enter that day’s competition with a clean slate and the chance to move up and claim the discipline’s Championship title. No horse who makes it to the Finale can finish worse than fifth in their discipline.
Tying for the Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award when finishing third in the Show Jumping division during the preliminary competition, Red Eagle made the Finale in two classes.
Under the eye of two judges at the Finale, Red Eagle was given an overall score of 133.625 to finish fifth in Show Jumping, but first among those with the junior riders aboard. The 6-year-old Danza gelding came back one class later to show off his show hunter skills after finishing fifth in the preliminary competition for that class. He made an impact in that class, moving up to fourth when registering a score of 91, 2 points behind the third-place finisher.
Bred by Deann and Greg Baer, DVM, in New York, Red Eagle only made one start on the track when fourth at Delaware Park in July 2022.
Hush Gorgeous, a 4-year-old daughter of Creative Cause bred by Dr. Scott Pierce, also earned Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award. Retired Racehorse Project/Pyrois Media Photo.
Red Eagle was joined by Hush Gorgeous as the winners of the Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award when that 4-year-old Creative Cause filly bred by Dr. Scott Pierce finished third in Eventing during preliminary competition.
Competing in the first discipline of the morning at the Finale, Hush Gorgeous made it clear she was a serious threat with Jenna Denver aboard. The pair impressed judges during their Finale jumping course to score 83 points – almost 5 points ahead of the third-placed horse and just 2 points behind the winner.
Last racing in August 2022 at Thistledown, Hush Gorgeous finished on the board once in those five starts and earned $2,445.
The filly was joined by Hoboken Jack in Eventing at the Finale after that gelding finished fifth during preliminary competition. In a strong field of competitors, Hoboken Jack stayed steady in the Finale to retain his fifth-place spot among the 66 horses to complete Eventing at the Makeover. He also nearly joined Red Eagle as a two-discipline competitor in the Finale after finishing sixth in Dressage during preliminary competition.
It had been a tight fight for the Dressage Finale spot with New York-bred Ofalltheginjoints just edging Hoboken Jack out of fifth place. With just over 10 points separating first through fifth in the Finale, Ofalltheginjoints’ 40.100 saw her take home the fifth-place ribbon at the end of the weekend.
A maiden winner in her debut at Aqueduct in December of 2021, Ofalltheginjoints was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and is by the farm’s and state’s leading stallion Central Banker.
Bred by Mr Amore Stables, Hoboken Jack was another who broke his maiden on the track with a maiden-claiming victory in his second start at Belmont Park. By former New York stallion Union Jackson, he is one of two named foals out of Hoboken Honey, who Mr. Amore Stables purchased for $11,000 as a 2-year-old.
To see complete Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award results from this years’ preliminary competition, click here.
