A popular Florida-bred, Best of the Rest ran second in the Dec. 27 Fred W. Hooper Handicap (gr. III) at Calder Race Course in his final start. He made all but two of his 32 starts in the Sunshine State, winning a total of 16 races and earning $1,407,796. Ten of his 13 stakes wins came at Calder and the remainder at Gulfstream Park. Best of the Rest (Skip Trial--Obstinacy, by Valid Appeal) will stand as Oxenberg's property for $3,500.
Millionaire Best of the Rest is scheduled to arrive Jan. 16 at Michael Sherman's Farnsworth Farms near Ocala, Fla., where he will begin his stallion career for breeder/owner Bea Oxenberg. Oxenberg and trainer Ed Plesa Jr. had toyed with the idea of running the Florida-based runner in the Jan. 24 Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita, but the idea was nixed because of the distance factor involved in the trip. Best of the Rest won last year's $1-million Classic at Gulfstream Park.