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Channel Maker Arrives at Old Friends

Fan-favorite Channel Maker (English Channel), the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning turf male who made a record six appearances at the Breeders' Cup, has taken up residence at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 9-year-old was donated to the farm by Adam Wachtel and his fellow owners.

Bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker was a stakes winner at two for trainer Danny Vella and took the 2017 Breeders' S. He was a Grade I winner each year from 2018 to 2020, scoring his first such victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic before adding the Man O'War S. in 2019 and the Sword Dancer and a second Joe Hirsch the following year. He was also a close third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf en route to his championship.

A gallant second in the $1-million Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia at the outset of his 7-year-old season, Channel Maker retained his zest for racing into the latter part of his career, winning the GII Elkhorn S. in the spring of 2022 and this year's GII Bowling Green S. at Saratoga in gate-to-wire fashion. He retired with a record of 10-6-5 from 56 starts for earnings of $3,915,983.

“I've idolized Channel Maker ever since I first laid eyes on him devouring the field in the 2020 Sword Dancer at Saratoga,” said Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. “He arrived at Old Friends covered in dapples and in spectacular condition. Our deepest thanks to Adam and his partners, and to trainer Bill Mott, for allowing us to show him off to his legion of fans. We are honored.”

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Turf Champion Channel Maker Retired

MGISW and 2020's Eclipse Champion Turf Male Channel Maker (English Channel) has been retired from racing, his connections said Saturday.

The announcement came one day after the 9-year-old gelding finished next to last in the GIII Sycamore at Keeneland.

“It's time,” part-owner Adam Wachtel said.

Channel Maker ran a record six times in the Breeders' Cup.

“I've never had a horse that's run at the highest level against the toughest competition from 2 through 9,” Wachtel said. “I love what Bill had to say about him after the Bowling Green; he said he's the happiest horse in the barn.”

Channel Maker ended his career with a record of 10-6-5 from 56 starts and career earnings of $3,915,983.

Wachtel said it is hoped that Channel Maker will take up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions in Lexington.

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Long Weekend, Keeneland’s Haggin Turf Course Hosts A Trio Of Graded Races

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue.

According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course.

Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving as board chairman of the Keeneland Association beginning in 1970, he was a decedent of the gold rusher and California stud farm innovator James Ben Ali Haggin.

As for the Keeneland turf course records, they recognized various distances and rail settings, but for the 2016 Fall meet, the inside rail was replaced on the Haggin Course with a portable fence that can be placed a variety of distances to protect the inside portion of the course. So, beginning with the 2017 Spring meet, Keeneland amalgamated records into one set based on distance.

Now that we mowed through a bit of turf history, the Haggin will take center stage starting on Friday, as the Association cards a trio of graded grass races which will headline another weekend of racing action.

On Friday at Keeneland, a key distance test will be renewed when turf specialists contest the GIII Sycamore S. going 12 furlongs. Grizzled veterans like GISW Red Knight (Pure Prize) and MGISW Channel Maker (English Channel) are present, but so are up and comers like MGSP Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) and GSP Red Run (Gun Runner). Add in Godolphin homebred Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who is group stakes placed in England and France for trainer Charlie Appleby, and this should set up as quite a late scramble.

Lindy | Coady Photography

Heading to Saturday in the Bluegrass, it is the annual invitation-only GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. for 3-year-old fillies. The nine-furlong run over the Haggin includes several invaders with European form. Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}) made her U.S. debut a good one when she captured the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational Aug. 4 after running second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary S. at ParisLongchamp May 14 and when she was fifth behind G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines heroine Blue Rose Cen (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de Diane S. June 18 at Chantilly.

Shifting from Jean-Philippe Dubois to Arnaud Delacour, the bay filly will face another who recently changed yards in Lindy (Fr) (Le Harve {Ire}). She made the switch from Christophe Ferland to Brendan Walsh over the summer after finishing second in the G1 French 1000 Guineas S. to Blue Rose Cen and then a well-beaten eighth in the Prix de Diane. Under Walsh, she successfully shipped into Kentucky Downs and won an optional claimer at a short price going a mile.

Other imports into this field include Sounds of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who was third at the Royal Meeting in the G1 Coronation S. for Jessica Harrington, French stakes winner for Jean-Claude Roget Elounda Queen (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and finally, Mawj (Ire), who was last seen winning the G1 1000 Guineas S. at Newmarket May 7 for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Incidently, this will be bin Suroor's first trip to Keeneland since 2014.

“You have to send the right horse to run here,” bin Suroor said. “This is the right place for her. This was the plan to come here and then go to the Breeders' Cup. Either the [GI Breeders' Cup] Mile or the [GI Breeders' Cup] Filly & Mare Turf. I want to see how she runs here and then on to L.A. Mawj had a little chest infection before Ascot [in the summer] and she had a break,” bin Suroor said of the five months between starts.

As for the American contingent, Chad Brown will be well-represented with pair of entries in GSW Liguria (War Front) and GISP Prerequisite (Upstart). Brown has won four of the last five editions of this race.

Finally, on Sunday it will be time to go sprinting at Keeneland when the GII Franklin S. goes off at five and a half furlongs for older females. MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast) returns to her favorite course, the site of her upset win last fall in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, as she attempts to repeat in the Franklin S. for trainer Brad Cox. The accomplished 6-year-old, who will be offered at the Keeneland November Sale, will once again face GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victoress Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}). The 4-year-old bay filly is looking to get back on track for Wesley Ward after an unsuccessful trip to Del Mar July 28 in the Daiseycutter S. Also of note is the presence of GII Ladies Turf Sprint winner Bay Storm (Kantharos), who had her own way at Kentucky Downs, and the untested Godolphin homebred from England for Charlie Appleby, Star Guest (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Eternal Hope | Chelsea Durand

The stakes docket is not restricted to just Central Kentucky as both Aqueduct and Woodbine host their own graded races on Saturday.

With rain in the forecast later in the day and Sunday's GIII Knickerbocker S. moved to next week as a consequence, we will get to see the GII Sands Point S. early on the Belmont at the Big A card. Out of 10 entrants and three also-eligibles, Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) will get another crack at Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who bested her by only a neck in the Sept. 16 GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

Joining the fray are a pair of alums who ran second and third in last month's Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. Jeff Drown's Root Cause (Into Mischief) and Don Alberto homebred Alpha Bella (Justify) have proved they can handle nine furlongs as they look to win their first graded race.

Ranging up the Canada, Woodbine has a pair of Grade IIIs scheduled over their Tapeta on Saturday when SW Mouffy (Uncle Mo) takes on MGSW Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo) in the Ontario Matron S. and GSW Loyalty (Hard Spun) battles MGSW Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper) in the Ontario Fashion S.

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Classy, Durable Channel Maker Ready For Sixth Sword Dancer

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–On the subject of the resilience of 9-year-old Channel Maker (English Channel) approaching his sixth-consecutive start in the GI Sword Dancer S. Saturday, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott made his point in a few words.

“I can't say enough,” he said.

Mott was smiling, but he wasn't joking.

“What can you say?” Mott said. “He sort of seems like an oddity in this day and age that he's able to stay around and still be in somewhat close to top form.”

Channel Maker has stood the tests of quality and time. The $1 million GI Sword Dancer will be the 55th start for the Ontario-bred in a career that began on July 24, 2016 with a third-place finish in a turf sprint for maidens at Woodbine. He snagged that first win for trainer Danny Vella the following month in the Vandal S. From there, it was on to a third in the GII Summer Stakes, the first of 45 graded stakes–28 of them G1–in his career. He has a record of 10-6-5 and earnings of $3,890,358.

Equibase stats show that since 1976 Channel Maker is one of 12 horses that has run in the same stake a least five times in a row. The stake had to be a Grade I at some point in its history. Of that dozen, five of them–including Channel Maker–accomplished their five-peat in the Breeders' Cup: Better Talk Now (Talkin Man), Turf; California Flag (Avenue of Flags), Turf Sprint; Channel Maker, Turf; Kona Gold (Java Gold) Sprint; and Perfect Drift (Dynaformer), Classic. Before his run in the Turf, Channel Maker ran in the GI Juvenile Turf and is the Breeders' Cup record holder with six appearances.

Channel Maker, the 2020 Eclipse Award champion turf male, is the only one in that group who has also run at least five times in a stake outside of the Breeders' Cup. He has done it twice, both in GI races–the Sword Dancer and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. He has won the Hirsch twice and the Sword Dancer once.

When he leaves the gate for the 1 1/2 mile Sword Dancer, he will pull into a tie with Desert Waves, who ran six times, winning twice, in the Niagara Handicap in the 1990s at Woodbine. Even with six, Desert Times (Alysheba) and Channel Maker will be one behind the legendary iron horse Fourstardave (Compliance), who started in the Jaipur every year between 1989 and 1995. He had a record of 1-2-2 in the Jaipur. In his five appearances in the Daryl's Joy at Saratoga, Fourstardave had two wins and two seconds. The race is now the GI Fourstardave.

During Fourstardave's remarkable 100-race career with trainer Leo O'Brien, the New York-bred gelding won at least one race at Saratoga Race Course for eight consecutive seasons.

According to Equibase statistics, the five who did their five-peats outside the Breeders' Cup are: Cozzene's Prince (Cozzene), Rothman's International; Grand Couturier {GB} (Grand Lodge), Sword Dancer; Hero's Reward (Partners Hero), Highlander S.; Interpatation (Langfuhr), Joe Hirsch; Stutz Bearcat (First Landing), Nearctic.

Channel Maker was handled by Vella for his first six starts, but was moved to Mott's care prior to an April 8, 2017 start at Keeneland after Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber bought into the ownership of the gelding. He was the Canadian champion 3-year-old male that season. His ownership group is now Wachtel Stable, Barber, R.A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.

First seen at Saratoga as a 4-year-old in 2018, Channel Maker has made 10 starts at Saratoga and compiled a record of 3-1-1. That first summer, he finished in a dead heat for first with Glorious Empire {IRE} (Holy Roman Emperor {IRE}) in the GII Bowling Green then ended up second by three-quarters of a length to Glorious Empire in the Sword Dancer. In his standard front-running style, he won the Bowling Green again this summer, at 15-1, ending a seven-race losing streak, and is back in the Sword Dancer, his 50th start for Mott.

Since New York does not allow horses 10 and older to compete, this is likely to be Channel Maker's final appearance in Saratoga. Mott said he did not know if Channel Maker might run in 2024. He said the Bowling Green performance, which carried him to the Sword Dancer, might have been his final start.

“There were plans that if he hadn't run well the last time that maybe he'd be retired,” Mott said. “I don't think any of us want to see his form go five races beaten double digits or something like that. That's not going to happen.”

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