11-yr old hardnocker claimed, retired: Callmetony

[Glimmerglass]

A good story …(DRF) Valente re-claims, retires Callmetony

Roddy Valente has owned dozens of horses over the years, but one that grew close to his heart was the hard-knocking claimer Callmetony.

On Tuesday, Valente claimed Callemetony for the fourth – and final time – and subsequently retired him. The 11-year-old gelding by Runaway Groom will retire to Akindale Farm, a rehabilitation, rescue, and retirement facility, in Pawling, N.Y.

[b]Callmetony made his 85th start Tuesday, finishing second in a $5,000 claiming race at Parx Racing. Valente and his Parx-based trainer, Ronald Dandy, claimed the horse and won a two-way shake to get him.

Callmetony retires with a record of 21-22-17 from 85 starts and earnings of $666,446. He went 17 for 46 for Valente.[/b]

“Sometimes, I get a little too attached and it makes it hard,” Valente said. “He’s one of those horses that comes along every 10 years; him Coyote Lakes, Bustin Stones, those were special horses. This horse is just a cool horse.”

Valente first claimed Callmetony for $32,000 in July 2005. Callmetony won 13 of 37 starts for Valente and trainer Bruce Levine before they lost him at the claim box in April 2009.

Over the next two years, Valente claimed Callmetony on two more occasions before losing him for $7,500 to Joe Imperio on Dec. 31.

Callmetony went 0 for 7 on the New York circuit before Imperio dropped him for $5,000 on Tuesday at Parx.

In landing at Akindale, Callmetony joins in retirement some well-known stalwarts such as Evening Attire, Hotstufanthensome, and Greeley’s Legacy. Tacticianor, a half-brother to Evening Attire also is at Akindale.

[rustbreeches]

What a classy thing to do. I hope the old man (Callmetony)enjoys his retirement

[runwayz]

So how do claiming races work? Why would you enter in one? Are you basically trying to “sell” the horse? And good luck to Callmetony in his retirement!

[Linny]

Roddy is a freind of mine and I knew that he was going to do this. He had “semi-retired” him once before but the old boy acted like he wanted to keep training. He brought him back and “Tony” won a few but was claimed away. Roddy retook him but kept losing him because he was in good form.

Roddy has retired several of his old claiming horses and an old NY favorite, distance runner, Coyote Lakes.

[rustbreeches]

Claiming races are where most bottom tier horses will spend their lives. It is also where horses end up on their way back down the ladder if they made it out. Essentially, if you enter your horse in a $5k claimer, any licensed owner and trainer can drop a slip in the claim box, provided they have the money in their track account to cover it. After the horse runs, the person who put in the claim takes possession. You enter a horse in one because he isn’t good enough to run in allowance company, or in some cases to get him eligible for a starter allowance. Some allowance races will allow for an ‘optional claimer’ you can say your horse is eligible to be claimed, or not. You aren’t trying to sell the horse, just run him in a spot that fits. Or sneak in an easy race for something coming off a layoff

[Texarkana]

[QUOTE=rustbreeches;6363022]
Claiming races are where most bottom tier horses will spend their lives.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn’t even say bottom tier, I’d just say it’s where most horses spend their lives. Not knocking your explanation or anything, just acknowledging the vast majority of pari-mutuel races in this country are claiming races.

Claiming keeps racing fair for bettors.

I love stories like these. I’m a sucker for older claimers and my door is always open to them. Just sayin’…

[rustbreeches]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;6363067]

Claiming keeps racing fair for bettors.

I love stories like these. I’m a sucker for older claimers and my door is always open to them. Just sayin’… ;)[/QUOTE]

See, I would argue that claiming races are the problem. As long as you can patch together a $2500 horse to run for a chance at 8 or 10k, bettors run the chance of placing their money on something that might not make the finish line.

Not knocking the claiming game, many people make their living at it. Just saying that the only times I EVER bought a ticket on a claimer I had inside info.

I alos enjoy the stories about someone doing right by a horse. Sad that this story won’t reach nearly as many people as if the horse had wound up at slaughter. Nobody spreads the happy stories

[betonbill]

Well, I see that 90 people so far have read about this, and I think we are all happy for Callmetony. Happy retirement, old boy.

[Linny]

Bottom claimers running for $8k get 60% of the total (less than $5k) if they win.
About 80% of the races in the US are claiming and they are fair. In some jurisdictions the ratio is more like 95% claiming races. The system is designed to match equal horses because if you ran a (say) $10k horse against $5k horses, he’d win all the time. Of course, he’d be claimed all the time too.

In claiming races (which run for tags of between $4k and as high as $100k) it’s not about wanting to sell the horse. It’s about running him against his equals. In some cases, you get the impression that the “for sale” sign is on, but most of the time, horses are placed where they fit to earn enough to pay the bills.

[Slewdledo]

I knew I recognized the name. He ran at Emerald, finished 2nd to future Longacres Mile winner NO Giveaway in the latter’s maiden win in 2004. Went on to break his maiden here on Labor Day, in the race that Sandbagger Sam jumped the outside fence turning for home when Steve Bullock happened to be walking by and grabbed him. We were working the sale, had gone up to watch the Derby and were watching from the turn. I think the fence is still bent from that. :lol:

These people have earned some major good karma points.

[BansheeBreeze]

Awww what a wonderful story!! How great of the guy to do right by the horse

[Laurierace]

I claimed my old guy back four times, each time for less than I lost him for. Twice at age 13! I finally retired him not because he wasn’t still winning but because every time I got him back he was filled with equipoise and acted like a stallion for a month and it was a total pain in the butt. I gave him nine months of professional eventing training before donating him to TRF to make him more adoptable. Hopefully TRF didn’t starve him.

[alspharmd]

@Linny;6363110

Bottom claimers running for $8k get 60% of the total (less than $5k) if they win.

Bottom claimers at Penn earn over $7k for a win.

[lily04]

[QUOTE=alspharmd;6363393]
Bottom claimers at Penn earn over $7k for a win.[/QUOTE]

But after trainers percentage, grooms stake, jocks percentage, lead pony, vet, HBPA “gate fee” and retirement fee half of that is gone.

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;6363067]
I wouldn’t even say bottom tier, I’d just say it’s where most horses spend their lives. Not knocking your explanation or anything, just acknowledging the vast majority of pari-mutuel races in this country are claiming races.

Claiming keeps racing fair for bettors.

I love stories like these. I’m a sucker for older claimers and my door is always open to them. Just sayin’… ;)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, given claiming prices can push up towards six figures in some places, I’m not sure “bottom tier” is the right word…

And good for the trainer, though I can see why he had to draw for him (did they roll dice? going by ‘shake’) as finsihing second means he was still earning money! Talk about a tough old campaigner!

[beaujolais]

I love Callmetony !

He is my virtual stable. Bless his owners.

[Myhorsedosentapprove]

If anyone’s wondering, he’s currently up for sale at his rescue as a hunter jumper and priced at $1,700 but is being inquired by one person

[csaper58]

Thought he was retired there? Why is he for sale after 5 yrs?

Info on him says he now belongs to “Jean and the girls”, under ‘success stories’ near the bottom of the page.

[danacat]

Here’s another really great feel good story from THERACINGBIZ

Today in Racing History is an occasional feature focusing on some of racing history’s interesting, important, or unusual events.

by Richard Hackerman
[h=1]TODAY IN RACING HISTORY: PORT CONWAY LANE[/h]
Posted by Richard Hackerman | Mar 2, 2014 | Breaking, Features, Regionwide

March 2, 1983

[I]Some may imagine that Port Conway Lane is a picturesque seaside locale. But those in the know knew that on March 2, 1983, the racehorse Port Conway Lane would make one of his 242 career starts a winning one in the 7th race at Penn National. Oddly, it was the second time in his career that the gelding won in the seventh race on March 2; four years earlier to the day Port Conway Lane had won the 7th race at Bowie. Those were just two of Port Conway Lane’s 52 winning efforts, to go along with 39 second-place finishes and 36 thirds. Port Conway Lane had career earnings of $431,593.00.

Port Conway Lane’s final win came on June 6, 1983 at Pimlico. He retired later that year, 12 years after making his debut.

Port Conway Lane was purchased in 1970 for a mere $7,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 1970. From those modest beginnings, the gelded son of Bold Commander became a multiple stakes winner including winning the City of Baltimore Handicap at Pimlico in two consecutive years. Port Conway Lane earned paychecks at 17 different tracks, including victories at Pimlico, Laurel, Bowie, Timonium, Penn National , Delaware Park, Keystone (now Parx), Calder and Monmouth. His trainers included Marvin Kuhn and King Leatherbury, each having claimed Port Conway Lane 3 times. He was claimed 10 times. He raced for 13 different owners. Port Conway Lane raced from age 2 to 14.

Along the way, Port Conway Lane became a true mid-Atlantic legend. At the close of his career, the New York Times reported, he was “warmly cheered” as he was paraded before the crowd at Laurel Park.

He was claimed the final time by Marvin Kuhn who graciously retired the old warrior to his farm.[/I]

[gumtree]

@danacat

Here’s another really great feel good story from THERACINGBIZ

Today in Racing History is an occasional feature focusing on some of racing history’s interesting, important, or unusual events.

by Richard Hackerman
TODAY IN RACING HISTORY: PORT CONWAY LANE

Posted by Richard Hackerman | Mar 2, 2014 | Breaking, Features, Regionwide

March 2, 1983

[I]Some may imagine that Port Conway Lane is a picturesque seaside locale. But those in the know knew that on March 2, 1983, the racehorse Port Conway Lane would make one of his 242 career starts a winning one in the 7th race at Penn National. Oddly, it was the second time in his career that the gelding won in the seventh race on March 2; four years earlier to the day Port Conway Lane had won the 7th race at Bowie. Those were just two of Port Conway Lane’s 52 winning efforts, to go along with 39 second-place finishes and 36 thirds. Port Conway Lane had career earnings of $431,593.00.

Port Conway Lane’s final win came on June 6, 1983 at Pimlico. He retired later that year, 12 years after making his debut.

Port Conway Lane was purchased in 1970 for a mere $7,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 1970. From those modest beginnings, the gelded son of Bold Commander became a multiple stakes winner including winning the City of Baltimore Handicap at Pimlico in two consecutive years. Port Conway Lane earned paychecks at 17 different tracks, including victories at Pimlico, Laurel, Bowie, Timonium, Penn National , Delaware Park, Keystone (now Parx), Calder and Monmouth. His trainers included Marvin Kuhn and King Leatherbury, each having claimed Port Conway Lane 3 times. He was claimed 10 times. He raced for 13 different owners. Port Conway Lane raced from age 2 to 14.

Along the way, Port Conway Lane became a true mid-Atlantic legend. At the close of his career, the New York Times reported, he was “warmly cheered” as he was paraded before the crowd at Laurel Park.

He was claimed the final time by Marvin Kuhn who graciously retired the old warrior to his farm.[/I]

Thanks for the memories! I remember the horse well. Saw him run a bunch of times. We ALWAYS made a sentimental bet on him.

“Port Conway Lane was purchased in 1970 for a mere $7,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 1970”

I always find it interesting and shows how writers fail to put things in perspective. $7,000 in 1970 dollars is over $45,000 in “today’s money”. Over $18,000 in 1983 dollars. Considering the average at the recent Maryland yearling sale was $25,000 which in 1970’s dollars would have been $4,000 the horse was “well sold”.

In the book Seabiscuit the writer says Seabiscuit who couldn’t win for claiming $2,500 was sold for the “Paltry sum of $8,000”. Which made me laugh. $8,000 in 1936 is worth over $143,000 for a horse that couldn’t win for $44,000 claiming. ($2,500 claiming 1936 would be $44,000 in today’s dollars)