Rahy’s Attorney, best known for his thrilling upset triumph in the 2008 running of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, has been retired after a highly successful career that saw him reach the winner’s circle on 14 occasions.
Owned by Ellie Boje Farms, Jim and Jean MacLellan, Mitch Peters and Dean Read, the multiple stakes winner and fan favourite ended his career on a high note.
Sent off at 5-1 in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on August 13, with Woodbine rider Emma-Jayne Wilson in the irons, the bay battled every inch of ground in the 1 1/2-mile turf feature, finishing second, just three-quarters of a length behind Winchester.
“Apart from the Woodbine Mile, that was one of the bravest, best races he’s ever run,” said trainer Ian Black. “It looked as though they were getting to him and going to pass him, but he just said, ‘No.’ That’s the type of horse he is.”
As a son of Ontario sire Crown Attorney, the seven-year-old gelding represents the hopes and dreams of thousands of modest-sized breeders.
In 2003, when Ellie Boje Farm took broodmare Rahy’s Hope to T.C. Westmeath Stud Farm of John Carey, it only cost $3,000 to breed to Crown Attorney.
There were no illusions of grandeur on the part of the Ellie Boje contingent. They hoped the pairing with the Shelburne-based stallion would produce a healthy foal who could develop into a runner.
Even at age two, Black said there wasn’t a hint of stakes quality in Rahy’s Attorney.
“Not in the earlier days. He ran in a claimer as a two-year-old,” said Black. “We’re lucky we didn’t lose him. That day, he showed a tremendous amount of speed and got caught. That was the first time he’d ever really shown that kind of speed. We went back to the drawing board.”
The gameplan resulted in 14 wins, 28 top-three finishes from 41 starts, along with $2.1-million in career earnings, as well as Canadian Champion Male Turf Horse honours in 2008.
A sure sign of his popularity at Woodbine and beyond? Rahy’s Attorney has his own Facebook page.
“What I’ll always associate him with is his complete and utter consistency and honesty,” praised Black. “He’s such a pleasure.”
Rahy’s Attorney won two races and recorded two seconds from six starts in 2011.
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