Pumpkin Rumble wins the 2019 Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine

Pumpkin Rumble wins the 2019 Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine

Michael Burns

Pumpkin Rumble Retired Due to Injury

Stakes winner accepted into LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society

Popular 9-year-old gelding Pumpkin Rumble, a four-time stakes winner who took back-to-back renewals of the Valedictory Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, has been retired due to a minor injury and has been accepted into the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, owners Al and Bill Ulwelling posted to social media.

The son of English Channel  was claimed for $30,000 from his second career start at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in March 2014. He captured 11 of 48 races and made $704,850, with nearly all of that total coming for the Ulwellings. Besides his two scores in the Valedictory Stakes at 1 3/4 miles on Tapeta, he won the Alphabet Soup Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds last summer on the grass at Parx Racing and the 2015 Mystic Lake Mile Stakes at Canterbury Park, the owners' home track.

Bred by Smart Angle, Pumpkin Rumble is the last foal out of the Storm Cat mare Clarins. Owner/trainer Hugh Robertson purchased the chestnut for $30,000 from consignor Charlton at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale, and he raced twice for Robertson and co-owner Greg Giles before being claimed by the Ulwellings.

Video: Valedictory S. (G3)

Kevin Attard trained Pumpkin Rumble for much of his last three years of competition after the gelding became Canadian-based. Following the Woodbine season that concluded in December, he raced once this year, finishing sixth in the Jan. 25 W. L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. That race was his final start.

"He did a lot for us, and we are grateful that he has a good forever home! Thank you LongRun!!!" his owners tweeted.

LongRun is a Canadian Thoroughbred farm and adoption agency that works to place retired racehorses in new homes off the track.

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