Cowboy Swagger voted America's Most Wanted Thoroughbred

Grindstone was from the first crop of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, who launched a classic sireline responsible, among other standouts, for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Grindstone neatly fit into that mold, winning the 1996 Kentucky Derby and siring 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone – who, in turn, sired 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird in his first crop.

But along with that route success, Grindstone can sire a pretty fast horse, too – one who can run a pattern in 17.7 seconds, to be exact. His son Cowboy Swagger, with noted professional Fallon Taylor aboard, won the barrel racing discipline at the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park, and was subsequently voted America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred, the competition’s overall championship, on Saturday night.

The Thoroughbred Makeover offered competition in 10 disciplines – barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunters, freestyle, polo, ranch work, show hunters, or show jumping. The top five horses in each discipline, following preliminary competition on Wednesday and Thursday, moved on to a final round of competition on Saturday to determine 10 divisional champions. A popular vote then determined the America’s Most Wanted title.

Cowboy Swagger is a 5-year-old gelding by Grindstone – who currently stands at Oakhurst Thoroughbreds in Oregon – and is out of the stakes-winning Baquero mare One Fast Cowgirl. The Oregon-bred gelding won 3 of 16 career starts, and was on the board in 12 of those, while mainly racing in claiming company at Portland Meadows. He won back-to-back races in December 2018 at that track, but finished fifth in his lone start of 2019, in January for trainer Sam Dronan and owners Carol Dronen and Larry Arnsbery. He was then acquired by Taylor – the 2014 Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Champion and 2018 American Quarter Horse Association World Champion – based on the advice of a friend who knew the horse on the track.

“I think the coolest thing about these Thoroughbreds is their demeanor,” Taylor said. “This is a special, unique horse. I’m just sitting here with no bridle on, people all around, all these cameras pointed at him, and he’s completely unaffected. The Thoroughbreds want to please. And these guys are made to run – they’re made for [barrel racing]. It’s our job to be kind, be patient and help these horses learn the pattern and learn their new job.”

The other discipline winners whom Cowboy Swagger and Taylor outpolled for the title included Sanimo and former jockey Rosie Napravnik, who won the eventing competition. Napravnik, who retired from the racetrack following the 2014 Breeders’ Cup, has turned her professional focus to training off-the-track Thoroughbreds, running her own training and sales business, Rosie Napravnik’s Off-Track Sporthorses, out of Kentucky and also partnering with New Vocations on a Louisiana facility. Sanimo is a 4-year-old Smart Strike gelding who went winless in four starts on the track. However, he and Napravnik found the winner’s circle at the Makeover, winning both the preliminary eventing competition and the final round on Saturday.

“He had by far his best dressage,” Napravnik reported after the preliminary rounds. “His show jumping was very good, and by the time we got to cross-country, I was just so excited to ride! Cross-country is his best phase.”

The other discipline champions were Belfast Cowboy and Toni Harmon (competitive trail); Fifth Ace and Alison O’Dwyer (dressage); Grade 1-winning steeplechaser Diplomat and Sara Katz (field hunters); Grande Warrior and Amy Bowers (freestyle); Great Reward and Buck Schott (polo); Silence Is Awesome and Amber Jacobson (ranch work); Furaha and Susan Deal (show hunters); and Tenpin Sugar and Katherine Deichmann (show jumpers).