R Rated Superstar a graded multimillionaire who became a fan favorite at an advanced age of racing, was announced by his connections on June 23 to be retired at the age of ten.
“Owning an ‘R-Rated’ has been one of the greatest gifts of our racing careers,” wrote Allison Caldwell on Twitter, whose husband Danny Caldwell owned and raced the R-Rated Superstar at the end. gelding’s career. “He’s a family member and we always do things his way, in his best interest.”
The son of Kodiak Kowboy out of Gold Case mare Wicked Wish, who last raced on May 6 at Oaklawn Parkwill be retired to Old Friends, a Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky. that serves as a thoroughbred aftercare farm for a number of highly successful former racehorses.
“‘R-Rated’ is retired, happy and healthy,” Alison Caldwell added in a follow-up tweet. “We’re excited about this next chapter, and we’re asking that if you’re in the Old Friends area, please schedule a time to visit or donate on his behalf. He’s very social and he loves meeting his friends!”
R Rated Superstar in @EllisParkRacing Paddock at 2 years old pic.twitter.com/MGkuc3b92C
– Gary McIntyre (@Gary_McIntyre56) June 23, 2023
The R-rated superstar will match his proven partners on the farm, having won 13 races in a 70-race campaign that began July 2015 at Ellis . Park. Thoroughbred runner Thorndale ran for a number of different owners and coaches, early enough to win at the age of 2 before finishing third that year in Breeders’ Futurity (G1) year 2015 at Keeneland for Radar Racing owner and coach Kenny McPeek. A month later, he finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup for Minors (G1) that fall, behind the champion Nyquist .
He will win 2018 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at Keeneland for Radar Racing and McPeek.
R-Rated Superstar Wins 2018 Ben Ali Stake in Keeneland
Years later, after racing for other relationships, Danny Caldwell will win the 7-year-old R-Rated Superstar for $50,000 in January 2021 with coach Federico Villafranco.
In less than two-and-a-half years, he’ll make $965,374 in 22 appearances for Caldwell, winning five bet races in that span, including the 2022 Essex (G3) Handicap in Oaklawn. His last win was at Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial Stakes at Remington Park in December 2022.
He wanted a repeat in Essex this year but finished Saturday. A third in the January 5th Season Betting at Oaklawn means he has been wagered in both his first year (2 years) and final year (10 years).
He was substituted in his last four starts after Season Five, restricted to fifth place in the May 6 option claimant at Oaklawn Park for coach Martin Villafranco .
Allison Caldwell took note of rule changes that eased the use of Lasix in many parts of the country this year when it announced the retirement of the R-Rated Superstar. As a diuretic, Lasix is approved It is used by horsemen to control respiratory bleeding in horses, but ponies in many states are prohibited from racing with it. Critics of Lasix feel it enhances performance due to its weight loss effects and is overused, with non-bleeding horses also being treated with it.
The R-rated superstar raced Lasix in all of his races in 2023.
“We feel that the lack of therapeutic drugs does not provide the best benefit for optimal health and performance. We are not in the habit of changing things that are working according to rules that are not conducive to our health. horse like (personal),” Caldwell tweeted.
Caldwell received well wishes on Twitter in response to her announcement of the retirement of R-Rated Superstar, including from Old Friends, who welcomed his addition. farm and thanked Caldwell for “trusting us with your boy!”
