Veteran Populist Politics, who secured the first of an eventual five stakes wins in 2010, will end his career on a winning note after being claimed by his original connections and retired.
Populist Politics, an 8-year-old Louisiana-bred son of Don't Get Mad, was claimed for $4,000 and promptly retired by original trainer Tom Amoss for original owners Klaravich Stable and William Lawrence. Starting for Joseph Fontenot Jr. Feb. 24 at Delta Downs, Populist Politics scored by two lengths in the seven-furlong race that carried a $16,500 purse.
He retires with $653,396 in earnings behind a 10-8-8 record from 45 starts over seven seasons.
"It was initiated by Klaravich," Amoss said. "They texted me (Feb. 23) and said he was in for $4,000. They said we should take him back, and I put up half and they put up half, and now we'll retire him. He goes out a winner, which is really neat, and he's really sound."
Bred by B. Wayne Hughes, Populist Politics' top performances include a 1 3/4-length victory as a juvenile in the 2010 Louisiana Futurity at second asking, a 41/2-length win the Louisiana Showcase Mile, and a 6 1/2-length romp in the Mr. Sulu Stakes.
Besides the five wins, Populist Politics placed in 13 other stakes, including the 2011 Super Derby (gr. II). He nearly put an end to Louisiana legend Star Guitar 's nine-race winning streak, when he lost by a head to the four-time state-bred Horse of the Year in the 2012 Costa Rising Stakes.
Star Guitar went on race once more and retired to stud with 10 consecutive victories to cap his career.
"He's going to retire a happy horse," Amoss said of Populist Politics. "He goes up to a farm in Ohio and they'll retrain him and see what he wants to do, whether that's do something else, or become a (racetrack) pony. Otherwise, he'll live his life out eating grass and being a horse."
