Channel Maker, male turf champion of 2020, retired from racing

Channel Maker, the male turf champion of 2020, a four-time Grade 1 winner and earner of more than $3.9 million, has been retired from racing, his connections said Saturday.

The announcement came one day after the 9-year-old gelding finished 11th of 12 in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland.

“It’s time,” part-owner Adam Wachtel said.

Wachtel and Gary Barber bought majority interest from Joey Gee Thoroughbreds before the horse ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2016. Channel Maker would go on to become the first horse to run six times in the Breeders’ Cup, having run in the Turf on five occasions including 2020 when he finished third behind European shippers Tarnawa and Magical. That performance, combined with Grade 1 victories in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Sword Dancer, helped earn Channel Maker an Eclipse Award as champion male turf horse.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Channel Maker, a son of English Channel, began his career in the barn of Danny Vella at Woodbine. At 2, he won the Vandal Stakes at Woodbine in his second career start.

Following an eighth-place finish in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream in March 2017, Channel Maker was transferred to trainer Bill Mott, who ran Channel Maker 51 times over seven years. Channel Maker won nine more stakes during that time, including two runnings of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (2018, 2020) the Grade 1 Man o’ War (2019) and the Grade 1 Sword Dancer (2020).

This year, at 9, he won the Grade 2 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga. He also dead-heated for the win in the 2018 Bowling Green.

“I’ve never had a horse that’s run at the highest level against the toughest competition from 2 through 9,” Wachtel said. “I love what Bill had to say about him after the Bowling Green; he said he’s the happiest horse in the barn.”

Prior to the 2019 Breeders’ Cup, Dean Reeves and Randy Hill bought into Channel Maker.

“This was quite an extraordinary run we had as partners,” Wachtel said, recalling a conversation he had with both Reeves and Hill. “We had such a great experience together, we’re going to try and find another horse to partner on.”

Channel Maker, a gelding, ended his career with a record of 10-6-5 from 56 starts and career earnings of $3,915,983.

Wachtel said it is hoped that Channel Maker will take up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in Lexington.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.