arclow A well-recognized face on prime North American turf fields for a lot of the final six years, he’ll be trying to make his method again to the monitor as a steady pony in 2023.
Now 9 years outdated and his newly castrated son belt He began his profession on the age of three and has amassed six wins on the progressive bookmaker, incomes over $3 million for coach Brad Cox and house owners Donegal Racing and Joseph Bulger. He retired in October 2022 with a 9-9-2 document from 39 begins.
“Common earnings have been just below $78,000 per starter. That is fairly shocking for an 8-year-old racing horse,” mentioned Donegal CEO Jerry Crawford.
Arklow wins 2017 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs
Trying again on his illustrious profession, Crawford recalled the complicated course of of buying the then-tumbled Tumbler for $160,000 from a Penn Gross sales consignment on the 2015 Keeneland September Tumble Sale.
“We had a extremely onerous time deciding if he was wholesome. We examined him and the vet was unsure … We ultimately received three vets (take a look at him),” Crawford mentioned. “I lastly mentioned, ‘Rattling, I will purchase it if I can.’ It was an advanced course of from begin to end.'”
Discovering tough diamonds is a method Donegal has made an integral a part of their success. Different purchases beneath $150,000 embrace #1 millionaires Sharp Ice And Paddy O’Prado .
“We’re looking for excessive performing horses. We have been to the Kentucky Derby 4 occasions in the identical interval, and I do not assume the typical wage we pay for these horses has reached $200,000,” Crawford mentioned. “That is our enterprise card. We won’t exit and pay like $500,000 a 12 months, so we’ve to search out the Arklows on our method.”
Jerry Crawford leads Eager Ice to the winners’ circle after the 2015 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Raceway
Underneath Cox’s tutelage and the watchful eye of longtime assistant coach Tessa Walden, Kentucky horse wins within the 2017 American Turf Stakes (G2T), 2018 and 2020 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T), 2019 Joe Hirsch Turf Traditional Stakes (G1T) recorded. ), the 2020 Hollywood Cup Turf Stakes (G2T), and the 2021 Louisville Stakes (G3T). She made three journeys to the Breeders’ Cup (G1T) in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
After a rare end within the Sycamore Stakes (G3T) Keeneland Arklow retired final fall and his connections made preliminary plans for him to turn into a stallion. When that did not work, Walden jumped on the likelihood to take her residence.
“It’s extremely tough to get turf contracts for stallions. It is almost unimaginable to promote these high-achieving turf horses,” Crawford mentioned. “She thought this was her likelihood to stroll and spoke to Brad, her husband and us. We have been nonetheless investigating if there was an opportunity of a stallion deal and it turned out not, so we thought this was a fantastic second selection.”
Walden is married to teach Will Walden, who began his coaching profession final spring. She says it is onerous to discover a appropriate pony as a result of she’s over 1.80 meters tall. Fortunately, the Arklow stands at about 17 fingers and it appears match for objective.
“He already had 4 months off as a result of he retired in October, so it was actually good that he was capable of disappoint and lose a few of that racehorse health, after which we castrated him a couple of months in the past,” Walden mentioned. “He is at present attending Hattaway Farms in Paris (Ky). We’ll most likely simply go away him there for a couple of months and let him get off the castration. As soon as they’re his age, it may be onerous for them to lose all the things. The testosterone they’re used to having.
“We are going to ship him to McQuerry Efficiency Horses in Versailles (Ky.) and they’re going to experience him for us for a couple of months after which my husband Will hopes to make use of him as a pony.”
Recalling his days on the cabin, Walden describes Arklow as “at all times hungry” and “beloved being in coaching and it wasn’t onerous; he simply beloved taking part in with the motive force.” She says she believes she’s going to get pleasure from her new profession and appears ahead to giving up being castrated as a lot as she will be able to.
Arklow (outdoors) wins the 2019 Joe Hirsch Turf Traditional Stakes at Belmont Park
“I’ll experience it for enjoyable too. Me and my associates love path using round Shakertown, Eagles Nest, Georgetown Reservoir, Masterson Station, and we love taking the hunter steps,” Walden mentioned. “I believe he will find it irresistible. He likes to exit and do issues and he is retired his voice, so he has no limits on what he can do bodily. I really feel so good with the ability to give him a enjoyable new method.”
And if Arklow ultimately decides that he prefers the tranquility of nature to the sights and sounds of getting again on the monitor, it will not make any distinction to Walden.
“He would not owe anybody something. If he would not need to be a pony and it would not work after we attempt to he is nervous to get again on monitor or he simply cannot get used to it, he would not should,” Walden mentioned.
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