They say ‘never give up!’ That motto must have been on a poster somewhere near Henley’s Joy ‘s stall Jan. 31 as the 8-year-old gelding ended a 34-race losing streak while winning the featured eighth race, a 1 3/8-mile $72,000 allowance optional claiming event, at Gulfstream Park.
The son of Kitten’s Joy had early success in his career, winning the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Stakes and Gulfstream’s Pulpit Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2018. Sandwiched between those victories were a runner-up finish in the Bourbon Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland and an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs.
At age 3, a failed attempt at the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail was made in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots before switching back to turf for another graded stakes placing in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland.
Henley’s Joy then got his signature victory with a three-quarter-length win in the 2019 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, pulling the upset at odds of 20-1.
It would be the last race he won for four and a half years.
Henley’s Joy could not hit the board in his last five starts as a 3-year-old. Invited to start his 4-year-old campaign in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park, he would finish seventh. It was his best finish of four races, all stakes, in 2020.
The next three years all repeated the same story: one appearance in a graded stakes race with a few allowance placings sprinkled in. Finally, after 34 races at 15 different tracks, Henley’s Joy returned to the winners’ circle with a 2 1/2-length victory.
Video: Race 8 (AOC) at GP on 1/31/24
Henley’s Joy began his career with trainer Mike Maker, but was transferred by owner Bloom Racing Stable to Steve Asmussen following his loss in the 2020 Pegasus Turf. He was then transferred to Richard Baltas in California for the start of the 2022 season. After two races, he was moved to Mark Casse’s barn in Canada.
On Sep. 9, 2023, at Kentucky Downs, Maker claimed Henley’s Joy back for $62,500 out of an allowance optional claimer. For the first time, Henley’s Joy left Bloom Racing for the new owners Paradise Farms and David Staudacher.
“I got fired, and we took him back,” Maker said after ending the losing streak. “He found his form, maybe a little cheaper than we wanted. He had a good trip. Every win is special.”
Henley’s Joy has now raced 46 times with five wins, five seconds, and six thirds for earnings of $1,243,014. He will now look to win back-to-back races for the first time since the first two races of his career with new trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who claimed him from this victory for owner Skymac Stables for $35,000.
