Old Warriors

By JOANN GUIDRY

It takes both talent and long-term racing luck to be named a Florida-bred Old Warrior. The annual prestigious badge of honor is only awarded to a Florida-bred who is at least 7-years-old and has won at least one black-type stakes race on the season. Thanks to the rigors of horse racing and fickle Lady Luck, this is not an easy task It takes both talent and to accomplish. But year after year, a select few Florida- long-term racing luck breds prove to be up to the challenge and garner their Old to be named a Florida-bred Warriors badge. In 2020, the elite Old Warriors group included Grade 1 Old Warrior. multi-millionaire stakes-winner Starship Jubilee and elder statesman stakes winner Pay Any Price, who made his fourth consecutive appearance in the club. Those two were joined by stakes winners Extravagant Kid and Faction Cat, who were newcomers to the club. Here’s a look at their outstanding seasons, through Dec. 7, 2020.

The aptly-named Starship Jubilee most certainly took Park. Runner-up was Magic Star with Tapit Today in the her connections on an out-of-this-world ride and gave show spot. Starship Jubilee’s winning time in that facile them plenty for which to be jubilant during her racing victory was 1:47.54 for the nine-furlong turf event. career. And 2020, despite its less-than-storybook end- The Starship Jubilee show then cruised over to Tampa ing, was Starship Jubilee’s best. In seven Bay Downs for the Hillsborough Stakes starts, she posted five wins, four of them STARSHIP JUBILEE (G2) on March 7. Different track—same regraded victories with a Grade 1 tally in that 2013 bay mare by Indy Wind – Perfectly Wild, by Forest Wildcat sult. Starship Jubilee bested Beautiful Lover latter group. On the season, Starship Ju- Breeder: by a length-and-a-quarter with Kelsey’s bilee banked $921,682. William P. Sorren Owner: Cross settling for third. Winning time for

Raced by Blue Heaven Farm and trained Blue Heaven Farm the nine furlongs on the turf was 1:47.83. by Kevin Attard, Starship Jubilee opened up (Bonnie Baskin) Saratoga is the summer place to be, so the season in winning fashion. She captured Trainer: Kevin Attard Starship Jubilee was there for the Ballston the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Spa Stakes (G2) on July 25. Proving her Stakes by three-and-a-quarter lengths on 2020 Race Record/Earnings 7-5-0-0/$921,682 racehorse grittiness, Starship Jubilee preJan. 18 at Gulfstream Park. It was her third 2020 Black-Type vailed by a neck over Call Me Love (GB) consecutive win in that event. Coming in Stakes Record with Sistercharlie (Ire) third. She stopped second to Starship Jubilee was Beautiful Wins Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1) the clock at 1:41.76 for the mile-and-a-sixLover with Vow to Recover third. Winning Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) teenth on the turf. time for the eight-and-a-half furlong turf Hillsborough Stakes (G2) After a puzzling fourth in the Diana test was 1:42.57. Suwannee River (G3) Stakes (G1) on Aug. 23 at Saratoga, Starship

Three weeks later, Starship Jubilee Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Jubilee headed north for the Woodbine Mile rolled to a four-and-a-quarter-length tally Turf Sprint Stakes Stakes (G1) on Sept. 19. It should be noted

that Starship Jubilee, a multiple Florida-bred champion, Florida-bred raced so well at Woodbine over the years that she collected Pay Any Price several Sovereign Awards. The latter included 2017, 2018 and 2019 champion female turf horse. In 2019, she was also named the Canadian Horse of the Year.

Starship Jubilee proved once again that those accolades were well-deserved as she rallied five-wide to win the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1) by a length over fellow Florida-bred March to the Arch. War of Will, the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1)-winner, was third. Starship Jubilee was the only mare in the race and became only the third mare to win the prestigious race. Her winning time of 1:32.06 was only .31 of a second off of 2012-13 Horse of the Year Wise Dan’s course record set in the 2013 Woodbine Mile.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and for Starship Jubilee’s racing career, it was a very unexpected ending. In the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Starship Jubilee stumbled out of her post position one, unseated jockey Florent Geroux and ran riderless until PAY ANY PRICE caught by an outrider. While thankfully un- 2010 chestnut gelding by Wildcat Heir – injured in the mishap, Starship Jubilee was One to Five, by Naevus immediately retired with career earnings of Breeders: Brent & Crystal Fernung $2,093,069. Owners:

A 2013 bay mare by Indy Wind out of Matties Racing Stable LLC Perfectly Wild, by Forest Wildcat, Starship & Averill Racing LLC Trainer: Jubilee was bred by William P. Sorren of Georgina Baxter Miami Beach, Fla. At the 2014 Ocala 2020 Race Record/Earnings Breeders’ Sales Company’s August year- 6-2-1-1/$93,600 ling sale, she was consigned by The Acorn 2020 Black-Type as an agent and sold for $6,500 to Lau- Stakes Record Wins rence F. Leavy. She also went through the Bob Umphrey 2015 OBS April juvenile sale, but was a Turf Sprint Stakes $34,000 RNA.

Starship Jubilee, owned by Starship Stables and trained by Steve Dwoskin, broke her maiden in a $35,000 maiden claiming race on June 1, 2016, at Gulfstream Park. On Jan. 4, 2017, Starship Jubilee was claimed for $16,000 at Gulfstream Park by Jorge Navarro for JN Racing Stables Inc. On Feb. 12 at Gulfstream Park, she was claimed for $16,000 by Tino Attard and then raced for Kevin Attard and Soli Mehta. At the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Starship Jubilee was a $425,000 RNA and before being sold privately to Bonnie Baskin’s Blue Heaven Farm.

PAY ANY PRICE

Just call 10-year-old Pay Any Price the King of the Old Warriors club. He first earned membership in 2017 and has been on the roll call ever since. And in three of those seasons, winning the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint

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Florida-bred Faction Cat Stakes at Gulfstream Park has been his admission ticket. nungs’ Ocala-based Journeyman Stallions. In 2017, Pay Any Price won the five-furlong turf test by Pay Any Price also won the 2017 listed Turf Dash three-and-a-quarters lengths in a sizzling :54.30. He en- Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and the 2017 listed Silk cored in 2018 with a length-and-a-quarter tally in :59.29. Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In the latter, he set a Pay Any Price skipped the Bob Umphrey Turf in 2019 track and North American record of :53.61 for the five but was back in its winner’s circle in 2020. furlongs. Pay Any Price captured the Crystal River

On July 5, Pay Any Price scored a head victory over Stakes (2018 & 2019) and 2018 Tamiami Handicap, all Ambassador Luna with Krsto Skye third at Gulfstream Park. A true turf sprinter, all of to add another Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Pay Any Price’s stakes victories have come Stakes trophy to his collection. His win- FACTION CAT 2013 chestnut gelding at five furlongs. ning time was a crisp :56.08. Raced by by Wildcat Heir – Zooming By, With the age restriction at his homebase Matties Racing Stable LLC and Averill by Cimarron Secret Breeder: of Gulfstream Park of not allowing horses Racing LLC, the Georgina Baxter-trained Ann Ferrentino older than 10 to compete, Pay Any Price Pay Any Price banked $84,600. In an in- Owner: made his final start on Dec. 11, 2020. He teresting note, Baxter was Pay Any Price’s Asterace Group LLC Trainer: finished second in a five-furlong allowance exercise rider for six years prior to be- Georgina Baxter optional claiming on the turf. In his final coming his trainer. 2020 Race Record/Earnings season at the age of 10, he earned $93,600.

Bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung, 2-2-0-0/$76,200 In 34 career starts, Pay Any Price tallied 19 Pay Any Price is a 2010 chestnut gelding 2020 Black-Type wins, four seconds and three thirds for a caby Wildcat Heir out of One to Five, by Stakes Record reer bankroll of $727,443. Pay Any Price Naevus. The late Wildcat Heir, a multiWin Turf Dash Stakes (L) will spend his retirement years at the Ferple-leading Florida sire, stood at the Fer- nungs’ Ocala-based Journeyman Stud.

EXTRAVAGANT KID

Proving that things can get better with age, Extravagant Kid was a solid racehorse for his first three seasons but became a black-type stakes winner as a 5-year-old in 2018. He has won at least one stakes every subsequent season and in 2020 that earned him entry into the Old Warriors club as a 7-year-old.

Raced by DARRS Inc., who claimed him for $62,500 from owner Frank Vicino’s Vinco Racing Stables Inc., in January of 2018, Extravagant Kid posted his sixth career stakes win and first of the 2020 season in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes on Jan. 18 at Gulfstream Park. The Brendan Walsh trainee bested Lady’s Island by two-andthree-quarter lengths with Jackson third. Winning time for the six-furlongs was a handy 1:10.04.

Showing his versatility, Extravagant Kid would later be graded stakes-placed twice in turf events. On Sept. 4, the Kiss the Kid gelding was second to Diamond Oops in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Then on Oct. 3, he was second to Leinstar in the Woodford Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Extravagant Kid wrapped up his season with a good fourth to Glass Slippers (GB) in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. He banked $224,996 on the season.

Extravagant Kid is a 2013 bay gelding by Kiss the Kid out of Pretty Extravagant, by With Distinction and was bred by Vicino Racing Stables Inc., of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., who campaigned him in his first 23 starts before the claim by DARRS and Walsh on Jan. 18, 2018.

To date, he has made 46 starts, posted 14 wins, 13 seconds and six thirds to bank career earnings of $952,210.

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Florida-bred Extravagant Kid FACTION CAT EXTRAVAGANT KID

In one of those odd horse racing twists 2013 bay gelding by Kiss the Kid – Pretty Extravagant, of fate, Faction Cat and the aforementioned by With Distinction Pay Any Price have several things in com- Breeder: mon besides the Old Warriors club. Both Vicino Racing Stable Owner: geldings are by Wildcat Heir, ar e trained by DARRS Inc. Georgina Baxter and are wicked fast. Trainer:

Faction Cat earned his first career black- Brendan P. Walsh type stakes as a 7-year-old with a course- 2020 Race Record/Earnings 7-2-2-0/$224,996 record win in the listed Turf Dash on Feb. 22 at Tampa Bay Downs. He won by three-quar- 2020 Black-Type Stakes Record ters-of-a-length over Justaholic with Mai Ty Wins One On in third. Faction Cat’s course record Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes was a sizzling :53.97 for the five furlongs. Seconds

Bred by Ann Ferrentino and owned by Twin Spires Turf Asterace Group LLC, Faction Cat has to Sprint Stakes (G2T) date banked $76,200 on the season. Woodford Stakes (G2T) Through Dec. 6, the chestnut speedster had 33 career starts with eight wins, 13 seconds and four thirds with career earnings of $334,634. ■