Merriam-Webster defines a famous person as one who is taken into account extraordinarily proficient and has nice public attraction. They outline dominant as commanding, controlling, or prevailing over all others.
In horse racing, these definitions solely must be one phrase lengthy: Subsequent .
What’s extra dominant than profitable with measurable ease each time one steps on the observe? What earns superstardom greater than constantly reaching the end line alone whereas the group roars?
“He is completely different than another horse America has seen in a very long time,” mentioned coach Doug Cowans. “He goes again to earlier occasions of how horses ran, we have form of misplaced that in America.”
Subsequent has introduced the highlight again to dust marathon racing, a division that has seen its significance in proving champions diminish over time. Subsequent’s ease in masking the longer distances has made each begin must-see tv, and can possible pack the Saratoga Race Course grandstand for the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone Stakes Aug. 4.
“Horses can win by open lengths, however their stride deteriorates,” mentioned retired jockey and New York Racing Affiliation TV analyst Richard Migliore. “With Subsequent, his stride by no means deteriorates. If something, he will get stronger as he goes. His legs are like pistons, he seems like a machine to me.”
Subsequent attracts away from his competitors within the 2023 Greenwood Cup Stakes at Parx Racing
After all, a division cannot correctly function with just one contender, and Subsequent’s dominance is bound to start out scaring away some competitors. Within the Birdstone, he’ll face solely 4Â opponents.
Stakes races provided on dust at marathon distances are few and much between with solely a handful of graded choices and no grade 1s, nor do they typically supply giant purse cash.
Subsequent, a generational expertise, will compete for the winner’s share of a $150,000 purse Sunday in a listed stakes, the one choice inside his division of your complete month. Cowans hopes that Subsequent’s emergence and recognition will assist spark some extra participation, and subsequently extra purse consideration, to the marathons.
“I am positive there are a number of different horses on the market in America that would do that,” Cowans mentioned. “We simply have not seen them as a result of there is not the chance to run them and there is not some huge cash within the division. I feel if there was more cash and extra races on the market, you may see extra horses that present up and may do it.”
In any case, Subsequent’s marathon prowess was not identified from the start. Beginning his profession sprinting, the grey or roan gelding by no means raced past 1 1/16 miles throughout his first two years.
Subsequent’s success was reasonable to start out his profession for coach Wesley Ward and proprietor/breeder Silverton Hill, profitable the one-mile Battle Chant Stakes on the Churchill Downs turf in a four-horse discipline however failing to break via with consistency.
Subsequent wins the 2021 Battle Chant Stakes at Churchill Downs
As a 3-year-old turning 4, Subsequent was operating towards powerful competitors in one-mile allowance races at Turfway Park, catching the eye of Cowans.
“I seen (Subsequent) had come out of some powerful races at Turfway that winter, among the horses that exited gained stakes,” Cowans mentioned. “I believed that the horse had some expertise and he’d be helpful someplace.”
Cowans took out his coach’s license in 1993 to assist his grandfather, coach Jack Nelson, as an assistant in Ohio. After graduating from the College of Ohio in 1998, the decision of the observe beckoned and he started his personal steady with a number of native Ohio house owners and breeders.
“As I had sure purchasers for years and years, we unfold our fingers out and tried to get higher horses and get into Kentucky,” Cowans mentioned. “Not too long ago, Kentucky obtained the slots (historic horse racing) and that is once we actually took off in that path.”
The possibility to select up a horse of stakes high quality got here April 16, 2022, as Subsequent was provided for a $62,500 tag in a seven-furlong allowance non-obligatory claimer at Keeneland, ending ninth. Cowans was the one one to submit a declare.
“The day I claimed him, I had no intentions of constructing him a marathon horse in any respect,” Cowans recalled. “I shortly realized after claiming the horse that he had a whole lot of stamina.”
Given the horse’s prior success on grass, Cowans determined to stay with that floor and stretch the son of Not This Time  out to 1 1/8 miles for the primary time in his profession. The spot was a dangerous one, a $50,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs.
“I felt like no one would declare the horse that day as a result of he ran so dangerous the day I claimed him and I didn’t shake for him,” Cowans mentioned. “I simply rolled the cube. The horse wanted some confidence and that was the place he wanted to be.”
Subsequent returned to the winners’ circle a 2 1/2-length winner and, extra importantly, was not claimed. He would end fourth in allowance firm in his subsequent begin, however Cowans was beginning to hatch an thought.
“I spotted he had an uncommon quantity of stamina each time he breezed,” Cowans mentioned. “I stored telling all the fellows that I might wish to run him in a very lengthy race. I didn’t understand how that will work, the one factor I knew for sure was that he labored lights out on the dust.”
Cowans pitched the thought to jockey Luan Machado, who had been breezing the horse within the morning and had been working with Cowans for a few years.
“We began to tame the breezes towards that form of race,” Cowans mentioned. “Extra of a rhythm, slower, letting him gallop out good and powerful so long as he wished.”
The day to check Cowans’ intestine feeling got here Sept. 8, 2022, within the off-the-turf 1 1/2-mile Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park.
“The concept was get the horse right into a rhythm and get him in entrance, gradual every part down,” Cowans recalled. The plan failed.
Subsequent was unable to be the pacesetter and made Cowans worry that he made the improper selection as he started tugging on Machado via the early parts of the race. Nevertheless, Machado was capable of chill out the gelding and, when he gave him his cue, Subsequent took off.
Subsequent hit the wire 18 1/4Â lengths in entrance whereas setting a brand new observe document.
“You could have some intestine emotions and also you strive sure issues with horses,” Cowans mentioned. “It would not all the time work. On this scenario, it did.”
Subsequent would comply with up with a simple 6 1/4-length win within the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) on Breeders’ Cup weekend at Keeneland, incomes Cowans, Machado, and proprietor Michael Foster their first graded victories.
Doug Cowans
That was when Cowans realized he had a horse of a lifetime. Because the Cape Henlopen, Subsequent has gone 7-for-8, his lone hiccup when getting back from a six-month layoff. In these seven victories, he has gained by a mixed margin of 84 lengths, a mean win margin of 12. Subsequent is now a four-time graded stakes winner and millionaire with two observe data.
“He accentuates how stunning stamina is within the Thoroughbred,” Migliore mentioned. “I feel there’s potential for folks to start out appreciating that extra within the trend it ought to be appreciated.”
His dominance has led to a rising fanbase that features Migliore, who has been one among Subsequent’s strongest supporters on air.
“He makes me really feel just like the 10-year-old model of myself that was falling in love with racing,” Migliore mentioned. “I simply desire a image with the horse, that is how a lot he impacts me.”
Following his most up-to-date tour de pressure within the July 5 Brooklyn Stakes (G2), shortened to 1 3/8 miles this yr when moved to Aqueduct Racetrack as a result of ongoing development at Belmont Park, many are starting to wonder if Subsequent may deal with prime basic division horses, a transfer Cowans is hesitant to make.
“To try to shorten him down an excessive amount of, I consider that would be the demise of the horse,” Cowans mentioned. “I do not understand how brief that will be, a mile and 1 / 4 might be someplace across the factor that makes me iffy. You are going to change every part; the tempo of the race, the set-up, the best way he is establishing the race.”
Absolutely in help of his resolution is Foster, whose partnership with Cowans extends greater than a decade when the proprietor first obtained into the horse enterprise. The pair are extra involved with Subsequent’s longevity slightly than chasing the excessive {dollars}.
“It is actually not about cash. I sat down with Mike a number of occasions and had this dialogue. We wish to see the horse round for extra time,” Cowans mentioned. “The tougher we make him run, the least period of time he’ll be round.”
Nevertheless, Cowans realizes change may be wanted. In some unspecified time in the future, Subsequent’s utter domination of dust marathons may result in races not filling with opponents. Ought to the necessity for change happen, Cowans mentioned it’s extra possible that Subsequent would return to turf and keep at longer distances than shortening to 1 1/4Â miles on dust.
“There’s extra benefits,” Cowans mentioned of switching to turf. “You retain the marathon distance and also you all the time run that nice threat of them taking it off the turf and also you get precisely what you need.”
A change in floor may open up prospects for Subsequent to earn a grade 1 title and tackle prime stayers from across the globe. Cowans talked about that he has been contacted by Australia’s Melbourne Cup (G1), however leaving the nation is unlikely for the gelding.
For now, Workforce Subsequent is content material with their star dazzling over the dust as he prepares for the longest race of his season within the Birdstone, which he gained emphatically by 11 3/4 lengths final yr.
“There isn’t any limitations to how far he can go,” Cowans mentioned. “I used to be saying (in final yr’s Birdstone) in some unspecified time in the future he’ll faucet out right here. He by no means took a deep breath. I do not actually know the place the tip of that’s.”
Doug Cowans (proper) greets jockey Luan Machado after Subsequent’s victory within the 2023 Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Ought to Subsequent proceed his reign for a number of extra years, what sort of accolades ought to he earn? In a division with no grade 1, his probability at incomes Eclipse Award honors is slim. Likewise, would a horse with no grade 1s and no championships be voted for enshrinement inside racing’s Corridor of Fame?
When being evaluated for these honors, questions will likely be raised concerning the high quality of his competitors. What Subsequent has in his nook to this point is millionaire standing, two observe data, and the visible attraction of barely expending effort whereas decimating fields.
“I do not know what sort of recognition he ought to get, however I do consider he deserves some form of recognition the best way he is dominated his division,” Cowans mentioned. “He isn’t simply doing it, he is doing it in hand.”
“The fan response to him is accolade sufficient,” Migliore mentioned. “I might think about a marathon race will likely be named in his honor. I could not think about they would not not less than try this for him.”
Whatever the honors he receives, Subsequent will stand as a symbolic champion for connections listening to their horse and permitting them to flourish by doing issues the best way the horse desires.
“I feel he may deal with excellent horses at a mile and 1 / 4, however I even have a lot respect for his coach and the best way he talks about enjoying to a horse’s energy,” Migliore mentioned. “I feel he is obtained a very good deal with on his horse and what’s truthful and correct for his horse. I recognize and admire the entire group. I feel they actually confirmed folks the right way to do it.”
“I discovered one thing the horse actually desires to do,” Cowans mentioned. “He loves what he is doing and he thinks he is unbeatable.”
Entries: Birdstone S.
Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 04, 2024, Race 2
- STK
- 1 3/4m
- Dust
- $150,000
- 4 yo’s & up
- 1:44 PM (native)
