Each year there are many Thoroughbreds at Finger Lakes Race Track in Western New York who are ready to end their racing careers and find good new non-racing homes. Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable tax exempt not-for-profit corporation that works with trainers at the track and with people interested in acquiring an OTTB to help the retiring race horses find ideal new homes.
Here are three we’d love to see sprinting out of a startbox someday!
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
Lucci the Lion (Lion Heart – Precious Queenie, by Wild Zone ): 2010 15.3-hand New York bred stallion
This sweet boy is so deserving of a forever home where he will be treated like royalty. Lucci the Lion was a $65,000 2-year-old, so someone saw quality in him at a young age. He has raced in various tracks along the east coast and even has a win at Saratoga. He earned over $171,000 in his 57 starts with five firsts, 10 seconds and nine thirds. His trainer is ready for him to retire happily into a new career.
Lucci the Lion stood perfectly quiet for his photo shoot despite horses acting quite excitedly around him. His trainer speaks minimal English, so it was difficult to get lots of details on him, but another trainer in the shed row reported that Lucci is a barn favorite. His ankle was recently blistered so FLF will try to get a video at a later date. Gelding surgeries are relatively cheap and easy and well worth the investment. Finger Lakes Finest has a gelding incentive fund for Finger Lakes horses going to approved homes.
View Lucci the Lion on Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
Spirit of Musashi (Lion Heart – Precious Queenie, by Wild Zone ): 2013 18.1-hand New York bred gelding
This BIG boy is affectionately known as “Moose,” and he really is that big! His owner says he measured him with a stick, and he is 6’1″ at the withers. He described Moose as still maturing, physically and mentally, and as a playful guy who is no trouble to handle despite his size.
Moose is lightly raced, with only five starts, and his owner says he is very sound, and he thinks that when he figures out the racing game he has potential to be a good racehorse. But he also knows that with his huge size, strong bone and lofty movement, he has huge potential as a sport horse, for jumping or dressage. So he is open to serious offers from serious experienced homes who are in a position to develop the potential of this big young horse. He wants to recoup his investment from any resale of Moose to a sport horse career, so serious offers only please.
Moose was very well behaved for his photo session, and for his jog video he showed lofty movement with suspension and a huge stride. FLF watched the video of his first race, where he almost won, and observed that huge stride in action, with a lofty ground covering gallop that should eat up the cross country course, but it also has the rhythm and balance for dressage. Moose is named after a famous Japanese woodcut print of a Samurai warrior. He is a son of Bellamy Road, who is from the Danzig sire line and is known for getting good brained, athletic horses who have shown jumping ability. Cozzene, In Reality, Majestic Prince, Damascus, Northern Jove and Northern Dancer are other illustrious sires well known to the sport horse world in his pedigree.
View Spirit of Musashi on Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
Photo via Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
Secret Dixie Dance (Freefourinternet – Secret Gold, by Strike the Gold ): 2009 16.1-hand Pennsylvania-bred mare
With her uphill balanced build, strong shoulder, kind eye, clean legs and nice movement, Secret Dixie Dance is a diamond in the rough with great potential for many disciplines. Look past her not yet shed-out winter coat, and focus on how great she can look when filled out and a top line developed.
She is very lightly raced, with only 11 starts and one win, so there’s little wear and tear on her. She has spent most of her time hanging out at her owner’s farm, and she has now let her trainer know that the track life is no longer what she wants. He said that she is excellent to handle and work with around the barn and in morning training, but she hates the starting gate. In a recent race, she got startled while loaded in the gate, and got some superficial scrapes on her hind legs that are healing well — but now she definitely wants nothing more to do with the gate.
So it’s time to let her find a new career. She posed perfectly for her photos, jogged quietly showing good balance, and enjoyed the attention. FLF also watched the video of her winning race and observed a fluid balanced gallop with a flat kneed reach. With her nice movement and build, they can see her doing well in lower level eventing, hunter paces, the show hunter ring, or as an all-around fun trail and pleasure horse.
View Secret Dixie Dance on Finger Lakes Finest Thoroughbreds.
