It was an exciting year at the Horse Park in 2023 at the Hall of Champions. It was a bit sad during the summer that we lost two great Thoroughbreds in Hall of Famer Point Given and dual Classic-winning Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, but we were recently able to add two Breeders' Cup winners in Roy H–a two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and two-time Eclipse Award winner–and Accelerate, one of the more exciting horses of the last 10 years, a five-time Grade I winner who won almost $7 million.

They were added at the park here in December and are settling in, getting ready for 2024.

Rob Willis is Supervisor at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions

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HorseOlogy is a full-cycle Thoroughbred training and ownership organization based in Ocala, Florida, that handles everything related to breeding, training, and racing.

The event will be held at the Hall of Champions barn and attendees can enter through the Visitor Center. The next speaker in the series is Erin O'Keefe of the Retired Racehorse Project Oct. 7. Click here for more information.

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“Point Given was a special horse, loved by all, and a wonderful ambassador for the Kentucky Horse Park,” said Kentucky Horse Park President Lee Carter. “We are saddened by his passing but grateful for the memories created and our time with the Big Red Train.”

Owned and bred by The Thoroughbred Corporation, and trained by Bob Baffert, Point Given won six Grade I races, including two legs of the 2001 Triple Crown. For his efforts, he received Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

“Not only was Point Given a dual classic winning Hall of Famer, but he was also an excellent ambassador for horse racing and the state of Kentucky,” said Hall of Champions Supervisor Rob Willis. “He was a big stallion that was fun to be around. Countless visitors enjoyed being in his presence over the years. It was an honor to care for him during his retirement. His presence will be missed.”

Point Given, affectionately known as the “Big Red Train” due to his 17.1-hand height, earned $3,968,500 with nine wins and three second-place finishes from 13 starts. He was the first horse in history to win four $1 million races in a row, all under jockey Gary Stevens, and he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010.

“I'm saddened to hear of Point Given's passing,” said Gary Stevens. “He was, to me, the greatest horse to not win the Triple Crown. It was an honor to ride such a phenomenal horse. Rest in peace, PG.”

Point Given retired from racing in September 2001 to stand at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky. In 2013, he was relocated to Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he stood for five seasons before retiring to the Kentucky Horse Park. He sired over 30 stakes winners, including Canadian Horse of the Year, Sealy Hill.

Like other great Hall of Champions horses, Point Given will be buried at the park's Memorial Walk of Champions alongside past Thoroughbred residents Funny Cide, Go For Gin, Forego, Bold Forbes, John Henry, Alysheba, and Da Hoss. A public memorial service will be held at a future date.

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“We will miss Da Hoss greatly. He was a fan favorite as he proved that spirit can triumph over adversity,” said Nicole Rivera, Interim Deputy Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “I would like to extend a special thank you to Rob Willis and the Hall of Champions staff for the great care and affection they showed Da Hoss during his time here at the park.”

Sired by Gone West, out of Jolly Saint, Da Hoss was foaled on January 18, 1992. Wall Street Racing bought the lowest priced Gone West foal, Da Hoss, as a Keeneland September yearling for $6000 that same year. After racing as a two-year-old for trainer Kevin Eikleberry and Wall Street Racing, an 85 percent interest in Da Hoss was sold to Prestonwood Farm. He was immediately shipped to Fair Hill training center to start training with Michael Dickinson and Joan Wakefield.

Da Hoss is one of only five horses to win the Breeders' Cup Mile twice, and the only horse to win twice in non-consecutive years. Between the 1996 and 1998 Breeders' Cup Races, Da Hoss was injured three times and did not race for nearly two years. His inspiring finish in the 1998 Breeder's Cup Mile produced one of Tom Durkin's most memorable race calls, as he exclaimed: “The greatest comeback since Lazarus!”

“He was our horse of a lifetime,” said trainer Michael Dickinson of Tapeta Farm. “We all loved him. He brought us so many highs, even with his problems, we knew he would never let us down. He gave his all and loved to win. He was spoiled but deserved to be. He loved going out in one of his grass fields with his best friend Boomer for two or three hours every day. He knew he was special. It was comforting to know he was always well looked after by everyone at the Kentucky Horse Park where he enjoyed a wonderful retirement.”

Da Hoss shared the Kentucky Horse Park Hall of Champions with other Champion horses including Thoroughbreds Go For Gin, Funny Cide and Point Given, Standardbred pacers Western Dreamer and Won the West, and Standardbred trotter Mr. Muscleman.

Like the other great Hall of Champions horses that died in retirement at the park, Da Hoss will be buried in the Memorial Walk of Champions.

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A winner of six of eight lifetime starts, Authentic became the first horse to capture the Haskell Stakes prior to winning the Kentucky Derby as a result of a revamped racing schedule due to COVID-19 in 2020. His only two career defeats were runner-up finishes in the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness Stakes.

A winner of $7,201,200 over his career, the son of Into Mischief-Flawless by Mr. Greeley provided Hall of Famer trainer Bob Baffert with his record ninth Haskell victory.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing, the Kentucky-bred Authentic was also honored as Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 2020.

Midnight Bisou, who has never missed the board in 22 career starts, won the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2019 on the way to being named champion Older Female Dirt Horse that year.

Among the 13 career victories for the daughter of Midnight Lute-Diva Delite by Repent are five Grade 1 stakes races (and eight graded stakes overall). Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Kentucky-bred Midnight Bisou is owned by Bloom Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC and Allen Racing LLC.

Monmouth Park's Hall of Champions was established in 1986 and is located on the track's first floor Grandstand with banners representing the various owners' silks.

Authentic and Midnight Bisou bring the total of horses honored in the Hall of Champions to 67. Of those, 30 are enshrined in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, including 2015 Triple Crown champion and Haskell winner American Pharoah.

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Monmouth Park's Hall of Champions was established in 1986 and is located on the track's first floor Grandstand with banners representing the various owners' silks.

Authentic and Midnight Bisou bring the total of horses honored in the Hall of Champions to 67. Of those, 30 are enshrined in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, including 2015 Triple Crown champion and Haskell winner American Pharoah.

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