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‘Warrior Of The Turf’ Hogy Euthanized After Paddock Accident At Old Friends

Multiple graded stakes winner Hogy was euthanized this morning at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY, where he has been pensioned since 2019.

The 12-year-old gelded son of Offlee Wild suffered a catastrophic fracture of the left hind ankle in a paddock accident and was attended to by Dr. Ashton Broman of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, made the announcement Monday.

Bred by Dr. John E. Little in Kentucky, Hogy finished his seven-year career with 55 starts and 19 wins and earnings of $1,339,782.

The near-black gelding launched his career at Arlington Park in 2011 capturing his first three starts, including the Brian Barenscheer Juvenile Stakes at Canterbury Park. He earned his first graded stakes in the 2013 in the grade 3 Hanshin Cup Stakes, again at Arlington. In 2017 he set a track record for 5½ furlongs in the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds, while defeating Old Friends retiree and that day's 4-5 favorite, Green Mask.

Claimed from owner William Stiritz and trainer Scott Becker for $80,000 in 2017 following three straight losses, Hogy quickly earned his keep for new owner Michael Hui and trainer Mike Maker when he took the grade 3 Kentucky Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs, defeating group 1 winner Undrafted in the process. After a defeat in the grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Hogy went on the following year to capture the grade Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream.

“Hogy had become one of the most beloved retirees on the farm and will be deeply missed,” said Old Friends's Blowen.

“He shared a paddock and became a good friend to Soi Phet, whose career mirrored Hogy's on the West Coast. They were an amazing pair,” Blowen added. “We're very thankful to Michael Hui for allowing us to care for his warrior of the turf these last two years.”

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Ward Files Motion For Summary Judgment Against Ramseys, Alleging Payments Have Stopped

Weeks after trainer Mike Maker filed a motion in Kentucky civil court against Eclipse Award-winning owner/breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Wesley Ward has filed a similar motion alleging payments from the couple have stopped. The Ramseys were sued earlier this year by both trainers for allegedly failing to pay board and training bills. Ken Ramsey told media and the trainers at the time the lawsuits became public that he intended to catch up on the nearly $2 million he owed Ward and Maker.

Ward's motion for summary judgement, filed in Jessamine Circuit Court on Aug. 3, states that the couple agreed to make minimum monthly payments of $100,000 until the total overdue balance of $974,790.40 was satisfied. Ward alleges he received his May payment of $100,000 as well as miscellaneous amounts from purses and claims, but after that the payments stopped. He also alleges that the couple did not pay all the amounts owed to him from purses and claims.

Ward now says the remaining unpaid balance from Ramsey horses, including past and current horses, totals $903,274.96.

At the time he filed his civil suit, Ward also placed liens on 44 Ramsey horses in his care.

Maker filed a similar motion in July, stating that Ramsey agreed to pay him $100,000 or more a month until he was caught up, and that he made payments of $127,531.70 in March, $131, 290 in April, and $160,000 in May. After that, Maker said, he stopped receiving payments from Ramsey.

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Maker Barn Sprints to Early Spa Lead

Mike Maker, with 42 training titles at Kentucky's five racetracks, is very much a contender this summer for the coveted prize at Saratoga Race Course.

A remarkable stretch of nine wins from 25 starters last week pushed Maker to the top of the table with 14 wins in the first 14 days of the 40-day season. He had at least one winner in each of the five racing days of the week and his stable hit the board at a 72% rate. That run of success enabled Maker to finish the week on Sunday with a six-victory lead over Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen and he was seven ahead of Chad Brown and Brad Cox. His win streak ended during Wednesday's program he had a third and a fourth with his starters.

Maker, 52, acknowledged that he was optimistic about how his stable might fare in the opening weeks of the Saratoga season.

“The condition book fit us well,” he said. “We had a lot of horses doing well, a lot of babies getting ready to run. It's hard to predict 14 wins, but we have had a good start.”

Maker's stable is typically strong on the turf–he started Wednesday's card with a meet-leading seven wins on the grass– had to deal with what has been an unusually rainy summer in upstate New York. A total of 21 races–10 last week alone–have been moved from the turf to the main track this season.

“It kind of hurt us the first week, but that's racing,” Maker said. “You keep plugging along.”

Maker earned his 11th Saratoga stakes victory, and seventh in the past two seasons, according to Equibase, on Saturday when Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border (English Channel) picked up a repeat victory in the GII Bowling Green S.

With 44 horses at Saratoga and another 50 at Belmont Park, Maker has a well-stocked stable to compete at Saratoga.

“We've been rotating them in and out and we've got Kentucky to draw from, too,” he said. “We're still going to try to place the horses properly and see what happens.”

Maker had his best showing at Saratoga in 2020, finishing in a tie for third place with Christophe Clement at 20 victories. Todd Pletcher led the way 32 wins, four ahead of Chad Brown.

With a smile and nod, Maker said he thinks about winning the Saratoga title.

“It's a nice thought,” he said. “Chad, Todd, Christophe are tough and we know racing can turn around in a hurry. You've got to have a lot of racing luck.”

Maker said finishing on top at Saratoga is always a goal, but one that has not yet been achieved.

“It'd be great, obviously,” he said. “Very prestigious meet. We're fortunate to be in the position we are.”

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Maker Talks Next Starts For Cross Border, Somelikeithotbrown

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border continued his dominance on the Saratoga turf with a decisive 1 1/4-length score in Saturday's $250,000 Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 7-year-old New York-bred tracked in third position as Channel Maker and Channel Cat – fellow progeny of English Channel – set the early pace over the inner turf. Luis Saez tipped Cross Border out a path for the stretch run and the dark bay ridgling responded with a powerful turn of foot to secure the win and a 100 Beyer.

Trained by Mike Maker, who tops the Spa trainer standings with 12 wins heading into Sunday's card, Cross Border boasts a record of 7-6-1-0 on the Saratoga turf, including four wins on the inner course.

“The race shaped up like it looked on paper,” Maker said. “We had a great trip and we were fortunate enough to get the job done. He came back super.”

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border went 3-for-3 over the local turf in 2019, led by an open allowance score.

Last year, Cross Border stepped things up a notch, winning the state-bred Lubash ahead of a win in the Bowling Green by disqualification. He completed his 2020 Spa campaign with a runner-up effort to Channel Maker in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer.

Maker said Cross Border will now target a return engagement in the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28. The 1 1/2-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” qualifier to the $4 million Longines Turf in November at Del Mar.

Maker said he is hoping to send out another New York-bred for a stakes win this summer when he saddles multiple graded stakes winner Somelikeithotbrown in the $150,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank, a 1 1/16-mile test for state-breds 3-years-old and up on August 27.

“We have another New York-bred, Somelikeithotbrown, who will show up in the West Point and Cross Border will come back in the Sword Dancer,” Maker said.

Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown has made three starts on the Saratoga turf, including a maiden win ahead of a runner-up effort in the 2018 Grade 3 With Anticipation. Last year, the talented bay, bred in the Empire State by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch in gate-to-wire fashion.

Maker will also look to secure a Grade 1 win later in the meet with Three Diamonds Farm's Kentucky-bred Army Wife in the $600,000 Alabama, a 10-furlong test for sophomore fillies on August 21.

By Declaration of War, Army Wife will be in search of a graded-stakes hat trick following scores in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., and the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks on July 2 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

Maker, who is four wins clear of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher heading into Day 14 of the summer meet, credited his staff for the strong start to the meet.

“We have a lot of horses that fit the book well and we're fortunate enough to get some wins,” Maker said. “I know we're on top but we've got a long way to go. It would be great for the staff [to win the meet] and they deserve it.”

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