Page 5 - January 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, January 2007 5
Champion Futural To Retire In Style
Hastings’ past champion racehorse, Futural, is off to greener pastures. On Dec.10 his trainer and owners, David Milburn and Don Muldoon, arranged for his safe journey to the prestigious Old Friend Retirement Facility in Georgetown, Kentucky. Old Friend Retirement is home to 22 former champions, including several G1 winners. Milburn believes
of a length.
Futural was entered two more times in claim races
and on Oct. 23, 2004, the connections of Milburn and Muldoon decided it was time to claim the past Champion.
“Well, we really claimed him hoping to rejuvenate his excellent past performance,”
Old Friends. When Dave claimed him, I phoned and said when you’re ready I’ll find a home for him, and he agreed.”
Milburn and Muldoon went on to race Futural for the next two seasons. Futural had now become a barn favorite because of his domineering attitude.
Continued Page 29
Futural was deserving of such a splendid retirement.
“Futural is a great horse. He won over $800,000. He went out a winner with the up-and- comer Gutierrez in the irons of the old campaigner,” declared Milburn.
Owner Muldoon echoes Milburn’s belief.
“He’s been a wonderful horse for us. I wish all horses could have a deserved retirement like that,” said Muldoon.
Milburn said, “He is a great looking horse and, besides, he was running pretty good already.”
Milburn’s gallop girl, Lisa Balson, found plenty to love about the veteran racehorse with the cantankerous personality.
“Lisa was really attached to Futural,” confessed Milburn, “She liked him so much, she became his groom. She had to use a feather duster extension when brushing liked getting brushed. He
Shortly after claiming Futural, Milburn received a call from Katey Barrett, a photographer in California, who was interested in Futural’s retirement.
“I followed Futural from an assignment in the Florida Horse magazine. That’s when Futural was brought to my attention,” said Barrett, “I followed his G2 races and when he was claimed, I continued to follow him. He deserves to be at
By Jackie Humber
Futural is a 10-year-old
gelding, bred in Florida. He is
by Future Storm and grandson of the great Storm Cat out of the Dam, Twigazuri. Futural began his life with high expectations after being purchased for $75,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton 1998 Two-Year-Old Sale. He justified his price tag by winning two out of his first three races. After that impressive start, Futural began racing with the “big boys” in Graded races. His champion status became apparent when he won the Grade 2 San Bernardino Handicap at Santa Anita in April 2001. Less than one month later he beat all rivals at Hollywood Park in the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy Handicap.
Following on the heels of those big wins, Futural finished first in the Grade 1 million dollar Hollywood Gold Cup on July 1, 2001. Unfortunately, the stewards found him guilty of a bumping infraction and Futural was disqualified and placed third. Futural didn’t win another race until two years later. On Sept. 20, 2003, after being claimed on six different occasions, Futural found himself at Hastings Racetrack in Vancouver, B.C., entered in the Prestigious Winston Churchill Handicap, a race which attracts high calibre horses. Futural returned dramatically to form, winning the Winston Churchill by three quarters
him because he never was a very special horse,”
Futural and Minna Rytkonen in November. Jackie Humber photo
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