#drefong

[silly-fox-in-sox]

Champion Sprinter Drefong has been retired and will stand next year in Japan at Shadai

Drefong had shooting-star career - very brilliant, but very short. Drefong won 6 of his 9 races; he lost only his debut, the race where he dropped his jockey, and his final start. In between those losses he racked up impressive wins in the G1 King’s Bishop, G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and G1 Forego.

The speedy bay is from the first crop of 3-time Eclipse award winner, Gio Ponti. Drefong’s dam is Eltimaas, an unraced daughter of Ghostzapper. Her dam is Najecam, a G2-placed allowance winner. Najecam also produced Action This Day, the 2003 Eclipse Champion 2yo. 

[rideonruffian]

Eclipse Champion Sprinter Drefong Retired

2016 Eclipse Champion Sprinter Drefong has been retired. He will stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, after having been bought by the Shadai Group. He will stand alongside fellow U.S. export Creator. 

At age three, Drefong won the Gr.I King’s Bishop Stakes before securing a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint over notable runners Mind Your Biscuits, A.P. Indian, Masochistic, and Limousine Liberal. At age four, Drefong won the Gr.I Forego Handicap. Also at age four, Drefong famously dropped jockey Mike Smith at the start of the Gr.I Bing Crosby Stakes, a race that was won by Ransom the Moon.

The son of Gio Ponti (out of Eltimaas, by Ghostzapper) retires with a record of  9: 6-0-0 with earnings of $1,538,385.

(Photo from Breeders’ Cup)

[startinggate]

Drefong

[startinggate]

Drefong wins the Forego Stakes (I)

[silly-fox-in-sox]

Drefong crushes the G1 Forego!

For the first time all year, Mind Your Biscuits failed to fire, leaving Drefong alone to waltz away with the win. 

It was nice to finally see Drefong back in action after a long layoff after his Breeders’ Cup Sprint win last fall and then his disastrous non-start in the G1 Bing Crosby.

[silly-fox-in-sox]

Ransom the Moon (right) winning the G1 Bing Crosby and a free pass to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint while a riderless Drefong (center) causes a little trouble for Roy H (left) back in second.

Talk about a dramatic finish.

[silly-fox-in-sox]

Eclipse Champion Male Sprinter: Drefong

I’m so happy to see Gio Ponti get a champion in his first crop to race, though who’d have thought his first champion would be a dirt sprinter?

[downthehomestretch]

Congratulations to Drefong and all of his connections!