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Old Friends Welcomes Multiple Graded Stakes-Winning Millionaire Fearless

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky., is pleased to announce that Fearless, a multiple-graded stakes winning millionaire, arrived at the farm Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023.

The 7-year old bay gelding was retired to the farm courtesy of his owner, Mike Repole, a longtime supporter of Old Friends.

“Fearless was a gutsy and determined racehorse with the perfect name,” said Repole. “The stable really thought Old Friends would be a great place for him to spend the rest of his career with other great horses.

“Fearless showed up every time and gave his best. He exhibited his versatility by winning from distances of six furlongs to a mile and three quarters. He was a graded stakes winner of $1,251,450.

“I'm thrilled people will be able to visit him at Old Friends.”

Bred by the Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Fearless, who is by Ghostzapper–And Why Not, by Street Cry (Ire), was foaled in Kentucky on March 17, 2006.

Initially owned by China Horse Club International and WinStar Farm, and trained his entire career by Todd Pletcher, Fearless broke his maiden in his first start in 2019 as a 3-year old in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 22.

In 2020 as a 4-year old, he won two allowance optional claiming races, the first at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 1 and the second at Churchill Downs on May 30. Then, following a sixth in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill on June 27, he closed out his year with a win in the WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream on Feb. 27 for his first graded-stakes win.

In 2021 as a 5-year old, he finished second in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park on April 17, and third in the Pimlico Special Match Series Stakes (G3) at Pimlico on May 14. Later in the year he was purchased by Mike Repole, and then, still trained by Pletcher, he won the Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream on Dec. 18.

As a 6-year old in 2022, his biggest wins were the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3), a race named after his sire, on April 2 at Gulfstream, the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on June 11, and the Birdstone Stakes (Listed) at Saratoga on July 28. Coincidently, Birdstone is a retiree at Old Friends.

Fearless returned to the track in 2023 as a 7-year old and ran in only one race, the True North Stakes (G2) at Belmont on June 10 where he finished fifth.

Following that race, he was retired with a record of eight wins, six seconds, one third, and earnings of $1,251,450 in 19 starts. It should be noted that in his 15 starts, he was in the money in 79 percent of his races, which included five stakes wins, four of them graded-stakes.

Repole then sent Fearless to Old Friends for his retirement.

“No one has been better to Old Friends and his horses than Mike Repole,” said Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends. “We are grateful to him for several retirees, especially Fearless who won a Saratoga stakes race named for another Old Friends resident, Birdstone. And he's gorgeous. Fearless, that is!”

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Los Alamitos: Allred Plans Up To $1 Million In Backstretch Improvements

Ed Allred, owner and CEO of Los Alamitos Race Course, announced on Thursday morning that he will investing a minimum of $500,000 and up to $1,000,000 over the next 12 months on a series of significant improvement projects to the backstretch facilities at the Orange County track with the first set of new upgrades beginning immediately.

Los Alamitos Race Course management, which includes Track President Cathy Monji, Interim Racing Director Jordan Castaneda, and Track Superintendent Frank Sherren, have been conducting thorough inspections of all backstretch areas in recent weeks in order to designate and prioritize the projects. On Monday, August 7, work will start with modernizing men's and women's bathrooms in the backstretch. New concrete has already been poured into designated areas to help prevent standing water and avoid excess mud around the barns.

The improvements are in addition to the year-round repairs conducted by the maintenance staff at Los Alamitos in the barn area, which includes any type of roofing needs and repairs to the barns.

In June, Los Alamitos completed work on improvements to the receiving barn and testing areas prioritizing suggestions and recommendations from staff in those areas. Los Alamitos also built a brand-new office at the main entrance of the barn area for more efficient traffic control.

“We are going to continue to improve and modernize our backstretch at Los Alamitos Race Course,” Allred said. “The work on announced projects will start right away.”

Less than 10 years ago, after the closure of Hollywood Park and in anticipation of the Southern California Thoroughbred racing circuit's need for training and racing, Los Alamitos Race Course conducted an extensive racetrack expansion from a 5/8ths of a mile track to a mile dirt track. This landmark construction was completed ahead of the announced deadlines, and featured major changes, as well as improvements to the barn area. These improvements included the building of four brand new, modern, and full-sized barns in preparation for the influx of horses from Hollywood Park. A new receiving barn closer to the paddock area was also built; and the large walking area between the rows of barns was completely changed from a paved path to a dirt path – consistent to the dirt being used on the racetrack – to improve horse and rider safety.

Additional projects to the barn area for 2023-2024 will be announced in the months to come. For more information on racing at Los Alamitos Race Course, please visit LosAlamitos.com.

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‘Where’d The Time Go?’: Trainer Joel Berndt Celebrates 1,000th Victory

Thoroughbred trainer Joel Berndt won his 1,000th career race Thursday night when Modern Science won the sixth race at Canterbury Park. Berndt has won two training titles and is currently the leading trainer at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack.

Modern Science was ridden by Lindey Wade and is owned by Bob Lothenbach.

Berndt, 55, won his first recognized race at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb. on March 24, 1991 with a horse named Sweet Cap. He had started horses at smaller, unrecognized tracks on the fair circuit in his native South Dakota beginning in 1988. He has won 342 races at Canterbury.

“Where'd the time go?” Berndt said. “It seems like I was just in Nebraska with five horses and doing all the work myself and here we are with a leading owner and a nice set of horses and a thousand wins. Time goes fast.”

Berndt has saddled 6,100 starters, earning $17,709,396 in purses. Illinois-bred Silver Bid was his top earner, winning multiple stakes and earning $743,039. Berndt's lone graded stakes win was achieved in 2016 with Hay Dakota in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs.

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Los Alamitos Backstretch Improvements On The Way

Over the next year, Los Alamitos Race Course will conduct a series of improvement projects throughout its backstretch facilities with the first set of upgrades set to begin immediately, the track said in a release late Thursday.

Work will start next Monday with modernizing the men's and women's restroom facilities on the backstretch and new concrete has already been poured into designated areas to help prevent standing water and avoid excess mud around the barns.

In June, Los Alamitos completed work on improvements to the receiving barn and testing areas prioritizing suggestions and recommendations from staff in those areas. The track also built a brand-new office at the main entrance of the barn area for more efficient traffic control.

Additional projects to the barn area for 2023-2024 will be announced in the months to come.

The post Los Alamitos Backstretch Improvements On The Way appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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