BY JOANN GUIDRY

Attrition plays a big role in Thoroughbred racing. Horses drop out of competition for a variety of reasons such as age and bad luck, or as the country song says, no luck at all. Others reach the highest echelons of the sport, retiring to the stud barn and broodmare band.

And then there are the Old Warriors, the blue-collar runners of the racing world. They just keep punching their work time- cards, breaking from the gates and visiting the winner’s circle. The Florida-breds who earn the annual Old Warriors badges have to be at least seven years old and have won at least one black type stakes during the year. Honorable mentions are afforded at the discretion of this writer and Brock Sheridan, The Florida Horse magazine editor-in-chief.

In 2022, a trio of Florida-breds met the criteria of being Old Warriors: Drafted, Pudding and Jalen Journey. Drafted, an 8-yearold gelding who became a graded-stakes winner and millionaire on the season, is the elder of the group. Jalen Journey, a ridgling, and Pudding, a gelding, are both 7-year-olds.

Honorable mention Old Warriors status has been awarded to a pair of 8-year-old geldings: millionaire C Z Rocket, who earned a 2021 Old Warriors badge, and Baby I’m Perfect. While neither won black type stakes on the season, both well represented the Old Warriors club.

Here’s a look at the 2022 Old Warriors and their outstanding season through Dec. 1, 2022. t

2014 gray/roan gelding by Field Commission – Keep the Profit, by Darn That Alarm DRafted

DRAFTED is the epitome of the Old Warriors designation, having raced through various winds of adversity and prevailed.

Reportedly raised by a nurse mare, Drafted was consigned by Kim Harrison to the 2016 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March juvenile sale. He was bought for $35,000 by trainer Eoin Harty. Racing for the latter and P. R. Laird, Drafted broke his maiden at first asking at Keeneland and set a track record of :50.45 for four-and-ahalf furlongs.

Drafted was then sold privately to Godolphin and finished 17th in the 2016 Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. Two months later while training at Del Mar, Drafted suffered a condylar fracture and underwent surgery. Once recovered, he sold for $10,892 at the 2017 Godolphin Racing In Dubai Sale to Brian Gleeson.

While based again in the United Arab Emirates, Drafted raced for Misty Hollow Farm and was trained by Doug Watson. Drafted won the 2018 Garhoud Sprint Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan, where he would later become a Group 3 winner. In 2019, he captured the Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored by Jebel Ali Port (G3) and the Mahab Al Shimaal Sponsored by Emirates Skywards (G3). He was also second to Raven’s Corner in the 2019 Dubawi Sponsored by Longines Ladies Master Collection (G3) and third in the 2020 Dubawi Sponsored by Emirates NBS Private Banking (G3) won by Gladiator King.

Following another private sale, Drafted would settle down back in his country of birth and notch a trio of stakes wins in 2022. He won those stakes, including two graded stakes, for the partnership of Dublin Fjord Stables LLC, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas E. O’Keefe. Drafted was saddled during the season by trainer David P. Duggan.

Drafted opened the season on a graded stakes-winning note with a rousing victory in the Toboggan (Grade 3) on Feb. 5 at Aqueduct. Despite breaking a half-step slow from the gates, Drafted rallied four-wide midway through the turn and quickly engaged the leader Happy Medium. Drafted sped into the lead in the stretch, besting Repo Rocks by four-and-a-half lengths with Happy Medium finishing third. Wining time for the seven furlongs over a muddy track was 1:25.06.

After a fifth to Speaker’s Corner in the Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct, Drafted was soon back in the winner’s circle. Moving on to Belmont Park, Drafted found the Big Sandy to his liking in the Runhappy (G3) on May 14. As is his style, he raced wide while chasing early leader Chateau. Angled six-wide into the upper stretch, Drafted kicked into gear and overtook Chateau in deep stretch to win by a length. Winning time for the six furlongs was 1:10.84.

Drafted added one more stakes victory to his seasonal record while racing at yet another racetrack. On June 4 at Monmouth Park, Drafted won the $106,000 Mr. Prospector by three-quarters of a length over Greeley and Ben. Florida-bred Hollywood Jet and Milton the Monster finished in a dead heat for third. Winning time for the six-furlong dash was 1:10.52.

Bred by John Foster, Barbara Hooker and Field Commission Partnership, Drafted also added a third in the Vosburgh (G2) behind subsequent Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)-winner Elite Power and a second to Whereshetoldmetogo in the $100,250 Alapocas Run on the season. On three wins, three seconds and three thirds in eight starts, Drafted banked $321,000 on the year to date. He also became a millionaire with career earnings to date of $1,083,193.

Coady Photo

PUDDING’S success story emerges from modest beginnings and the claiming ranks. Bred by JSL Thoroughbreds, he was consigned to the 2016 OBS August yearling sale by Beth Bayer and sold for $10,000 to Vladomir Kazakov. From there, Pudding earned his keep, toiling away in the claiming and allowance optional claiming ranks in the first four seasons of his racing career. On July 18, 2021, Pudding won by two lengths in a first condition, $25,000 optional claiming at Gulfstream Park from which he was claimed for $25,000 by trainer and owner Elizabeth Dobles.

In 2022, Pudding proved to be an astute claim.

After thirds in the Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream Park and the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Pudding found his way to his first black type victory in the NYRABETS Sprint Stakes on March 3 at Tampa Bay Downs. He broke well, took the lead before dueling with Tap It to Win in the stretch. But it was Pudding who prevailed by a neck at the wire with Tap It to Win a neck better than Cajun Cassanova. Winning time for the six furlongs was a speedy 1:09.01.

Pudding followed that with a graded-stakes second to fellow Florida-bred Willy Boi in the Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Next up was another black type win in the $65,000 Benny the Bull on Aug. 13 at Gulfstream Park. This time out, Pudding stalked the pace before going three-wide and steadily gaining on the leaders to win by a length. Gatsby was second with Morgan Point third. Winning time for the seven furlongs was 1:24.22.

The saga of Pudding took another turn on Oct. 2, when he was dropped into a second level, $62,500 optional claiming at Gulfstream Park. He won by two-and-three-quarter lengths and was claimed for $62,500 by trainer Jorge Delgado for CSLR Racing Partners. At this writing, Pudding has not made a start for his new owners.

On three wins, two in stakes, one second and four thirds in eight starts, Pudding earned $174,746 on the season to date. He has career earnings to date of $423,730 from 11 wins, eight seconds and 10 thirds from 38 starts. t

2015 bay gelding by Two Step Salsa – Jozi’s Turn, by Johannesburg Pudding

2015 bay ridgling by With Distinction – Petunia Face, by Congrats Jalen Journey

Well-named JALEN JOURNEY’S racing career has indeed been a winding journey. Bred by Dennis Foster and Edward Pendray, Jalen Journey was consigned to the 2016 OBS yearling sale by Kim Harrison he was purchased for $14,000 by Randy Bradshaw as agent. He didn’t start until his 3-year-old season where he made but one start and earned $2,000 in 2018.

But Jalen Journey’s fortunes turned for the better in 2019, when he won three races and was graded-stakes placed twice. Racing for Commonwealth Stable, he was second to Diamond Oops in the Smile Sprint Stakes (G3) on June 29 at Gulfstream Park. On July 8, Jalen Journey was consigned by Four Star Sales to the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale in Lexington, Ky., where he sold for $510,000 to J. Raymie Lightner as agent. On July 27, now racing for Peter Miller, Jalen Journey was third in the Bing Crosby (G1) won by Cistron at Del Mar.

Flash forward to 2021 and Jalen Journey is now racing for David A. Bernsen LLC and Rockingham Ranch. In the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel Park, Jalen Journey finished second to Wondrwherecraigis. But the latter is disqualified to second for interfering with Jalen Journey, who now collects his first graded stakes win.

Jalen Journey would once again change hands, this time through the claiming box. On July 27, 2022, Jalen Journey won by a neck a second condition optional claiming race at Colonial Downs and was claimed for $50,000 by trainer Norman L. Cash for Built Wright Stables LLC.

In an unlikely turn of events, Jalen Journey proved that disqualification lightning does indeed strike twice. On Aug. 16 at Colonial Downs, Jalen Journey finished second by a neck to Necker Island in the $146,500 Chesapeake with Factor It In finishing third. But after an inquiry due to multiple objections, Necker Island was disqualified to third for continuously drifting in on Factor It In. Jalen Journey was declared the winner with Factor It In moved up to second.

Jalen Journey has to date banked $204,436 on the season and has career earnings of $708,110 from 10 wins in 28 starts with three seconds and three thirds.

BABY I’M PERFECT,

t a 2014 chestnut gelding by Flower Alley out of Image of Mom, by Halo’s Image, is a claiming warrior. He has been claimed five times to date, including four times in 2021. The most recent coming after Baby I’m Perfect won on Nov. 11 at Aqueduct. Trainer Wayne Potts signed the $20,000 claim for current owner In Front Racing Stables.

On March 26, 2022, Baby I’m Perfect won the $70,000 Peeping Tom Starter Stakes, a non-black type test at Aqueduct. Trained by Gustavo Rodgriguez, Baby I’m Perfect, who was bred by Happy Alter, has seasonal earnings to date of $41,270 with a career bankroll of $306,717 from eight wins, eight seconds and four thirds from 48 starts.

Joe Labozzetta Photo

t C Z ROCKET also rose out of the claiming ranks to become a multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire. He can also boast of being named the 2020 Florida-bred champion older male/champion male sprinter. In 2022, he continued to show his Old Warriors heart with a pair of graded-stakes runner-up finishes. C Z Rocket was second by a nose to Howbeit in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) on Oct. 1. He had to be chased down in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, beaten a length-and-a-quarter by Elite Power with Jackie’s Warrior third. On the season, he has banked to date $441,000.

A 2014 bay gelding by City Zip out of Successful Sarah, by Successful Appeal, C Z Rocket was bred by Farm III Enterprises LLC. Consigned by Stephen Thoroughbreds to the 2016 OBS June juvenile sale, he was bought for a then record price of $800,000 by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations. After winning the 2018 Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, he posted no wins in 2019 and began 2020 racing in the claiming ranks.

On April 30, 2020, trainer Peter Miller claimed fifth-placed C Z Rocket for $40,000 on behalf of Tom Kagele. Campaigning for Kagele, Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Gary Barber, C Z Rocket won the 2020 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) and 2020 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2). In 2021, he won the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) and Hot Springs Handicap. To date, C Z Rocket has career earnings of $1,952,641 from 12 wins, six second and five thirds from 35 starts. TFH