Adorned Invader, Cavalry Cost Intention for TB Makeover

The Retired Racehorse Challenge’s Thoroughbred Makeover and Nationwide Symposium offered by Thoroughbred Charities of America is a showcase competitors for just lately retired racehorses and broodmares. West Level Thoroughbreds is among the high racing stables within the nation and is devoted to guiding its horses into second careers with the peace of mind of lifelong assist.

Two horses competing within the 2024 Thoroughbred Makeover Oct. 9-12 on the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington come immediately from West Level Thoroughbreds’ arsenal of equine athletes: grade 1 winner Adorned Invader, now owned by Mary Termer, and grade 3 winner Cavalry Cost, now below the care of Erin Knehr. Though every horse’s journey is exclusive, the dedication to ‘placing the horse first’ has been a standard theme.

Born with a ardour for horses, Mary Termer grew up enjoying together with her assortment of Breyer horses and taking ballet lessons. She started driving horses in 4H, which led to her discovery of dressage.

“I fell in love with (dressage) and by no means regarded again,” Termer stated.

Termer earned her United States Dressage Federation (USDF) bronze medal in October 2020 together with her off-the-track Thoroughbred Devon’s Dangerous Boy. At present a Veterinary Assistant with Crocker Veterinary Animal Hospital in Scottsville, Ky., Termer has labored in veterinary medication for 20 years. She owns a farm in Glasgow, Ky. together with her spouse, Stacy, which is house to her many animals together with horses, cats, canines, chickens, and donkeys. 

Termer and Adorned Invader are entered in dressage as their sole self-discipline on the Thoroughbred Makeover.

Adorned Invader, bred in Kentucky by Redmon Farm in 2017, is by Declaration of Warfare  and out of the a number of stakes-producing Arch mare Gamely Woman. West Level Thoroughbreds bought the colt for $200,000 on the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Beneath the steerage of coach Christophe Clement, Adorned Invader progressed by way of the phases of coaching with ease. His expertise was unveiled the summer time of his 2-year-old season when he broke his maiden by a cushty 3 1/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course.

Erin Birkenhauer, chief working officer for West Level Thoroughbreds, remembers the possession group calling an audible when deciding to ship Adorned Invader to Woodbine for the Summer season Stakes (G1T).

“We thought the lengthy stretch would go well with his working type,” Birkenhauer stated.

It actually did.

After a short bump at first with the rival to his inside, Adorned Invader raced mid-pack by way of the primary half. Adorned Invader started selecting rivals off one after the other on the thee-eighths pole. He closed floor within the stretch to safe the Summer season Stakes (G1T) by 1 3/4 lengths.

“That was superb,” Birkenhauer stated. “It was simply so cool for him to be a grade 1 winner so early in his profession.”

The win earned him a berth into the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, which resulted in a fourth-place end.

Adorned Invader kicked off his 3-year-old marketing campaign in 2020 with three straight stakes wins: the Cutler Bay, Pennine Ridge (G2T), and the Nationwide Museum of Racing Corridor of Fame (G2T).

His subsequent win can be seven begins later on the age of 5 in an allowance non-compulsory claiming race Oct. 23, 2022 at Woodbine.

After a runner-up effort within the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park, he returned nearly a month later to complete eleventh within the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T). Adorned Invader retired with a 6-4-1 file in 17 begins and earned $617,823.

One other pair to observe on the Thoroughbred Makeover is Erin Knehr and former West Level Thoroughbreds runner Cavalry Cost.

Knehr grew up driving hunter-jumpers and competing on the A-Circuit. The Virginia native enrolled as an Animal Science main at Virginia Tech in 1997 and continued to trip on the Intercollegiate Horse Exhibits Affiliation (IHSA) group all through school. Shifting to Kentucky to proceed her training, Knehr earned her masters diploma in Veterinary Science on the College of Kentucky in 2004.

Knehr and her husband, Chris, personal a farm in Halfway, Ky. The couple have two daughters, Rylee and Jami, who share of their ardour for horses. Beneath the banner of Catalyst Bloodstock, they use their mixed data in genetics and copy to breed just a few Thoroughbreds annually and lift them to promote as yearlings.

Knehr competed within the Thoroughbred Makeover in 2018 with stakes winner Conquest Pacemaker within the Present Hunter and Present Jumper disciplines.

“It was such a rewarding expertise that I knew I needed to do it once more,” Knehr stated.

Entered within the Present Hunter and Present Jumper disciplines on this yr’s Thoroughbred Makeover, Knehr will likely be driving grade 3 winner Cavalry Cost.

Cavalry Cost was bred in Kentucky by Glencrest Farm in 2017, and is the primary foal out of the Sweet Journey   mare Candy Talkin. West Level Thoroughbreds and Rob Masiello bought the son of Honor Code  for $375,000 on the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Choose Yearling Sale.

At 3, Cavalry Cost discovered his groove on the racetrack in his eighth begin, profitable a maiden particular weight by three lengths on Might 31, 2020 at Churchill Downs. His subsequent three wins would come at age 4 in opposition to allowance firm throughout three totally different Kentucky tracks: Churchill Downs, Kentucky Downs, and Keeneland.

In his second begin at 5 Cavalry Cost received the Truthful Grounds Stakes (G3T) because the third-longest shot on the board at 35-1 on Feb. 19, 2022 at Truthful Grounds Race Course & Slots. He would place in two extra stakes contests that season.

Returning to the New Orleans oval at 6 hoping to copy the earlier yr’s success within the New Orleans Stakes (G3T) on Feb. 18, 2023, however completed final of seven. Cavalry Cost retired with a 5-3-3 file in 23 begins and earned $495,061.

Over the previous ten months, Adorned Invader and Cavalry Cost have efficiently transitioned from the racetrack to their respective second careers. Every horse has overcome challenges, reached new heights, and proven super potential that can propel them past the Thoroughbred Makeover. Their progress is a credit score to Termer and Knehr’s endurance and dedication to the well-being of their equine companions.

“This can be a long-term horse for me. … I really like the method of preparing for the (Thoroughbred) Makeover. However on the finish of the day, if he’s not prepared for it we wouldn’t do it,” Knehr stated.

Having the assist from household throughout this course of has been invaluable to Knehr. Whether or not it’s been driving her and Cavalry Cost to education exhibits on the weekends, serving to with chores across the farm, grooming the horses, or cheering for her after clearing the final leap at a present—displaying up means the world to her.

Termer shares that appreciation for her household’s contribution to her journey with Adorned Invader.

“I couldn’t do that with out Stacy, my spouse,” stated Termer. “Anyone that is aware of horses is aware of it takes a village.”

As of Saturday, Oct. 5, there are 303 horses entered within the Thoroughbred Makeover, 13 of that are graded stakes horses. Different notable graded stakes horses competing within the occasion embody a number of graded stakes-winning millionaires Drafted and Silver Mud.

Preliminary competitors begins Oct. 9 and concludes Oct. 10. Click on right here to view the whole listing of entries. The Finale Championships is Oct. 12. For extra info, go to Retired Racehorse Challenge’s web site.