Former racehorses a presence at Kentucky three-day event

A number of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses are set to contest North America’s most prestigious three-day event, the Land Rover Kentucky CCI five-star, beginning Thursday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Kentucky five-star is returning in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the pandemic ongoing, this year’s event is closed to spectators under United States Equestrian Federation rules.

As of Monday, 10 Thoroughbreds were set to compete at the event, consisting of dressage, cross country, and stadium jumping phases. Seven of those made at least one start, and four were winners. The most successful on the track was Steady Eddie, who won 7 of 36 starts while racing as Big Jet in his native New Zealand. Steady Eddie began his eventing career with Olympian Boyd Martin before longtime assistant Michael Pendleton took over the ride. This will be Pendleton’s top-level debut.

The other winners on the track were AP Prime, an Aptitude gelding who won twice from 31 starts, with Leah Lang-Gluscic; More Inspiration, who took 4 of 28 starts, with Holly Jacks-Smither of Canada; and Palm Crescent, a maiden-winning Quiet American gelding under Meghan O’Donoghue.

French-bred former steeplechaser Tight Lines, with longtime partner Will Coleman, was the highest-placed Thoroughbred at Kentucky’s most recent renewal, finishing 13th in 2019. The other Thoroughbreds set to compete this year are the unraced Business Ben with Allison Springer; unraced Ceceila, under Daniela Moguel of Mexico; the unraced Jak My Style with veteran international competitor Buck Davidson, recently named to the board of directors of the Retired Racehorse Project; and Johnny Royale, who raced under the name Chivas Royale in New Zealand, with fellow countryman Joe Meyer.