When we assist in the retirement of Wasabi Ventures Stables horses, we place them in good homes with different opportunities. Broodmares, polo ponies, and more are the next careers for these horses. Some may have owners who want a challenge, such as the Retired Racehorse Project’s (RRP)Thoroughbred Makeover.

This year two of our retirees have owners/trainers, who have applied and been accepted into this year’s makeover.

This year’s entrants

first ride

Grace adopted Play (JC Shecanflatoutplay) in August 2022. Retired with an injury, her road to the RRP Thoroughbred Makeover has been slow and steady. Starting with stall rest, working her way up to walking, and eventually riding, Play has been a terrific student.

Katie adopted Gilly (JC Mob Mentality) in October 2022. Leaving the track sound, she had fewer obstacles to overcome. After some downtime while she acclimated to off-track life, Gilly has been training with Katie, as she learns new skills.

The road to the RRP

After applying in January, Grace and Katie received their acceptance emails on February 15th from The RRP. Now the work can begin in earnest, as they determine in which discipline each horse will compete.

We look forward to more updates on Play and Gilly, as they make their way to the Thoroughbred Makeover!

Here’s the newest update on Play (JC Shecanflatoutplay), as she makes her journey from racehorse to second career, courtesy of her owner and best friend, Grace.

First ride

Play and I had our first ride together on December 29th! I had planned to wait until January 1, however the weather was so perfect I just couldn’t wait another day. We started by lunging her a little in the round pen and then got on her and walked her around in the round pen for about ten minutes. I was so happy with how she handled herself on our first ride. It seemed like she was really happy to finally be doing something other than eating!

Since our first ride, I have ridden her about five time a week, every week. She continues to impress me with her levelheadedness and love of having a job. I am just walking her daily under saddle for 30 days, and in February I will start trotting her under saddle. I have trotted her a few times just to see how she is, and she is everything I knew she would be off the track. Just perfect!

A happy, snack-fueled horse

I am beyond proud of how she is handling everything, especially since we just walk every ride. She doesn’t seem to be bored or get excited, she truly seems happy to be out riding. We have started to walk through a dressage test, so we have something to work on while we walk, which is great for both of us to work on. Play really impresses me daily, she wants to listen and do what I am asking of her, so I can’t wait to see where we are in a few months!

She has also started to love eating Twizzlers in addition to her favorite Pop Tarts. I am loving this time we have riding together and am blessed to have my perfect Play in my life!

To read previous updates on Play, please click here.

Wasabi Ventures Stables purchased Shecanflatoutplay at the October 2019 OBS Yearling Auction. She then went to Zoe Valvo at the Middleburg Training Track to begin her training as racehorse. In late spring 2020, she was sent to trainer, Jesse Cruz, who was stabled at Pimlico. There she began her on-track training.

She debuted at Charles Town in January 2021, breaking her maiden there in a maiden special weight in March. Play raced under WVS silks eight times, earning two wins. She also won the hearts of our club with her playful antics and her special relationship with Grace Smith, Jesse Cruz’s assistant and girlfriend.

Grace’s introduction to Shecanflatoutplay

I have known Shecanflatoutplay since I met Jesse, about 2 years ago. I would go over to see him and the horses at feed time when we first started dating. She was clearly very beautiful, but I had my eyes set on sweet Shamrock Kid. As most of Wasabi Ventures Stables and the club know, I loved him very much and losing him truly devastated me. (Shamrock Kid broke down during training on March 17, 2021.) I told Jesse standing in the barn, “Never let me get attached to another racehorse like that again because I won’t be able to handle it.”

However, when Jesse could no longer stand seeing Shamrock’s empty stall (as it was the first stall), he hesitantly asked if we should move Shecanflatoutplay in there. I, even more hesitantly, agreed. From the moment we moved her into that stall it was like she knew I needed her. She has been there for me every day since. Whenever I needed a snuggle or a shoulder to scratch, she would stand there for me, for however long I needed.

A very special bond

I truly don’t know if she understands how much I love her, but I have loved every second of watching her train in the morning, every breeze, every race. More than anything, I can’t wait to ride her off the track. I feel so blessed that TK, Michele, and, of course, the WVS club retired her with me where she will be forever loved and spoiled (more than she already was!) I can’t wait for this next chapter with Play; I am beyond excited. It will be a long road with rehabbing her tendon injury. No matter what, I just can’t wait to have her in my life forever and discover what she wants to do in her life off the racetrack!

A new partnership

With Play’s retirement from racing, Grace will be sharing regular updates on Play with The Horse Fund. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to see her latest adventures, which are sure to include PopTarts. In addition to following Shecanflatoutplay’s transition, The Horse Fund will sponsor Grace and Play, as they plan to compete in the 2023 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover.

Crazy Bernice was a member of Wasabi Ventures Stables barns in the spring of 2018. WVS claimed her at the end of March, and in her very next race she was claimed away at the end of May. Her stay may have been short, but with a name such as hers, she was quite memorable.

Near the end of 2019 I created a spreadsheet that contained every single horse WVS had owned and noted the status of each: actively racing, broodmare, retired, and unknown. Dear Bernice fell into the unknown category. Her final race in April 2019 was listed as a DNF, did not finish. I feared that she might have had fatal breakdown and that she would forever be an unknown.

Cue this year’s Retired Racehorse Project’s Mega Makeover and the alert eyes of a club member. In our Former WVS Horses Slack channel that club member posted that Bernice was competing. Using that information and social media, I reached out to Jazz Napravnik.

I explained my role and asked for any possible updates she could share. I was pleased to receive the following update from Jazz:

She’s brilliant!!! Crazy Bernice had a pretty bad suspensory injury, but she rehabbed well and now she is my dressage horse. She was a bit nervous here at the TB Makeover, but she has exciting things on the horizon. She loves to do her musical freestyles.

It is wonderful to see Bernice participating in a new event. What makes it even more wonderful is to see how loved she is in her new home. We wish Bernice and Jazz all the best!

To learn about another WVS horse, Sevilla Sangria, who now has a monthly column, click here.

Peyton had an easy month, including mainly trail riding and a few fitness rides. We are continuing our dressage lessons. The plan was to go to a dressage show this week, however, the horse show entries were full. We plan to enter a dressage show in August and compete at the St. Augustine horse trials, which is similar to the one we competed in earlier this year.

Please visit MAHR Team Peyton Place RRP 2020 Facebook page to follow Peyton’s training until the new 2021 Mega Makeover.

To read Peyton’s previous update, please click here.