retirements | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hammonds to Retire From BloodHorse

The BloodHorse has announced the retirement of Evan Hammonds, editorial director, effective Monday, May 17, 2021. He will continue with BloodHorse part-time.

“Evan's passion for horse racing, his talent as a writer and editor, and his dedication and compassion as a team leader have been instrumental to the success of BloodHorse,” said Carl Hamilton, chairman of BloodHorse. “We are very fortunate that he will still be available to our team as an invaluable resource, if only on a part-time basis.”

Hammonds's first stint with BloodHorse was in September 1977 when he was a senior in high school. His position continued through college at the University of Kentucky, and prior to graduation he was named production manager for the weekly publication, a position he held for several years. In June 1998, after stints with FIGS Form, a precursor to Racing Times, and Daily Racing Form, Hammonds returned to Central Kentucky and became managing editor of BloodHorse. He served as editor of BloodHorse.com and as executive editor before taking his role as editorial director in January 2020.

“After chronicling the sport–and business–of Thoroughbred breeding and racing for BloodHorse for nearly a quarter-century, I have decided to spend more time walking the shedrow,” Hammonds said. “I look forward to following the sport just as closely while, more importantly, having more time with my family. The cast of talented professionals I've worked with along the way is incredibly deep, and I've met a multitude of people who have dedicated their lives to the game and to the horse.”

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Simply Ravishing Retired, Breeding Plans To Be Determined

Grade 1 winner Simply Ravishing has been retired from racing and will start her broodmare career, with the aim of selling her at one of the major November mixed sales this fall, TVG and BloodHorse report.

The 3-year-old daughter of Laoban finished last of six after setting the early pace in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 3.

“Simply Ravishing cooled out sound,” trainer Kenny McPeek wrote on social media after the retirement was announced. “She has a minor breathing issue that we are unable to resolve in time for the Kentucky Oaks. We are disappointed and will do what's right for her. At her best she has freaky talent and she showed that in the Grade 1 Alcibiades.”

Stallions under consideration for Simply Ravishing's first mating include leading sires Curlin, Into Mischief, and Tapit.

Simply Ravishing won three of six starts during her on-track career for earnings of $422,200.

After winning on debut in Saratoga, Simply Ravishing made her first stakes start in a rained-off-the-turf P. G. Johnson Stakes at the same track, winning by 6 1/2 lengths. She then jumped into the deep end, and proved to be just as dominant, winning the G1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland by 6 1/4 lengths.

After finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Simply Ravishing ended her 2-year-old season with another fourth in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes. The Ashland was her first start of 2021.

Bred in New York by Meg Levy, Simply Ravishing raced for the partnership of Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing, and Nehoc Stables.

Grade 2 Winner Maraud Retired To Stand In Puerto Rico

Maraud, a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Blame, has been retired from the track and will enter stud at Potrero Los Llanos in Coamo, Puerto Rico, Thoroughbred Daily News reports.

The 6-year-old won four of 21 starts for owner Collinsworth Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Bret Calhoun, earning $506,510. His most successful season came in 2018, when he took the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs and the G3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

He also finished in the money in four additional graded stakes races from ages two to five.

Bred in Kentucky by John and Frank Penn, Maraud is out of the unplaced Empire Maker mare Unbridled Empire, whose foals also include Grade 1 winner Arklow. His extended family features Grade 1 winners Fourty Niner's Son and Cindy's Hero.

Grade 3 Winner Performer Retired To Claiborne Farm, Will Debut In 2022

Multiple Grade 3 winner Performer has been retired from racing, and he will stand at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., debuting for the 2022 breeding season, Daily Racing Form reports.

The 5-year-old son of Speightstown came out of a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes on Feb. 27 with an ankle injury, re-aggravating an ailment that kept him on the shelf for nearly a year in 2019 and 2020.

Performer retires with six wins in nine career starts, earning $420,475 for owners Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm. He was trained Shug McGaughey.

Never worse than third in any of his efforts, Performer won the G3 Discovery Stakes as a 3-year-old, and he kicked off the 2021 season with a victory in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes. He also finished third in last year's G1 Cigar Mile Handicap.

Claiborne Farm president Walker Hancock said the decision to delay Performer's debut at stud to 2022 was due to the timing of the horse's injury, coming in the middle of the breeding season already in progress.

Performer is out of the Grade 2-placed A.P. Indy mare Protesting, whose foals also include Grade 2-placed stakes winner Breaking the Rules. A multi-generational member of the taproot line in the Phipps breeding program, his second dam is graded stakes producer On Parade, his third dam is Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion-producing My Flag, and his fourth dam is Hall of Famer and 1996 Broodmare of the Year Personal Ensign.