Old Friends

𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 20 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕, 𝒘𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒌’𝒔 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔.

This week, in the spirit of remembering the Hollywood Gold Cup run this past Memorial Day, we take a look back at Marquetry.

Marquetry
- Foaled: January 30, 1987 in Kentucky
- Bred by: Edward A. Cox, Jr.
- Pedigree: Conquistador Cielo x Regent’s Walk
- Claim to Fame: Winner of the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup, G1 Meadowlands Cup, G1 Eddie Read; earned $2,857,886.
- After Racing: Stood at Vinery Stud, KY; Stonewall Farm, KY; Stonewall Farm, FL.
- Notable Offspring : Artax - 1999 G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Sprint Champion; Sq**rtle Sq**rt - 2001 G2 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Sprint Champion
- Retired to Old Friends: 2010
- In Memoriam: 2013

𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐):
Marquetry is one of the most perfect Thoroughbreds ever retired at Old Friends. Trained by Old Friends benefactor Bobby Frankel, this spectacular son of Conquistador Cielo won multiple stakes races, including the Hollywood Gold Cup. I saw him win The New England Classic at Rockingham Park on the hottest day of the year. When Stonewall Stallions agreed to retire Marquetry to Old Friends, I was ecstatic.

Little did I know that as great as he was on the track and in the breeding shed (siring Breeders' Cup winners Sq**rtle Sq**rt and Artax), he's even better greeting visitors. He nickers for carrots, scratches my back and adores company. I like all of our horses but I only love a few of them and Marquetry is at the very top.

𝐈𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐤’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐):
Marquetry ran his first four races in England in 1989 and 1990. He broke his maiden on June 28, 1989 at Salisbury Racecourse with a win in his very first race, a maiden weight for age race. He then ran three more times there before coming to the United States in October 1990.

Marquetry turned out to like the American race tracks and proved to be a versatile horse, as he won a number of stakes races on both the dirt and turf.

His biggest win was the 1991 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) at Hollywood Park where he went off at 27-1 odds and beat favorite Farma Way for the win. According to Blood-Horse magazine, that win ranks as the biggest upset in Hollywood Gold Cup history.

There was a fun thing Michael used to do with Marquetry to entertain visitors and, sometimes, just to enjoy doing themselves. You see, before Michael raced War Emblem along his paddock fence a number of years later, some visitors got to watch and enjoy Michael and Marquetry race each other either along his paddock fence line, or, because Marquetry was such a sweet horse, sometimes right in his paddock.

In those races, Michael would always get an early lead, and Marquetry would kind of look at him like "You're kidding, right?!" Still, Marquetry was an intelligent horse and had learned over time that carrots would be the reward if he played along, so he would launch himself forward, and easily catch up and pass Michael, then circle back for his carrots, which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Marquetry enjoyed three years at Old Friends until his death on Feb. 1, 2013. The many people who knew him, worked with him, or got to see him on a tour, would all agree that Marquetry’s beauty was truly something to behold, and his presence on the farm is very much missed by all.

Rail Trip made his Grade 1 debut a winning one in 2009! Making his first start at the level, he didn’t let a 13-horse field deter him, turning a stalking second trip into a 3-length victory.

2009 Hollywood Gold Cup Rail Trip ($21.40) upsets the Grade 1, $700,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park on July 11, 2009.