Royal F J, after 102 starts, to begin retirement

ARCADIA, Calif. - Sometime this week, there will be an empty stall in barn 89 at Santa Anita.

Royal F J, the 10-year-old gelding who has had a near-constant presence in trainer Jack Carava’s stable since 2009, will be shipped to a local farm to begin retirement.

Last Thursday, Royal F J finished seventh in a $6,250 claimer, beaten 9 1/2 lengths in his 102nd start. By the next morning, Carava decided that Royal F J would not race again.

“I think he was an old smart dude and he was saying not today,” Carava said,

Sunday morning, Carava, 51, reflected on Royal F J’s career that included nine wins and earnings of $568,150. He was second in 19 races and finished third 18 times.

“He was never a great horse, but he was always there, Carava said.

Royal F J needed extra attention. Carava said there were routines during training hours, and in advance of races, that were best followed for Royal F J to give his best performance.

“He wasn’t easy to train,” Carava said. “He was high strung, even for his age. He was fine with his routine. He wanted to train in the dark. He was more relaxed in the dark. I’d work him at 5 when the track opened. Even as an older horse, you had to take him to the paddock and school him.

“That was him.”

Bred by Overbrook Farm, Royal F J had his debut on Oct. 24, 2009, finishing second in a one-mile maiden race for 2-year-olds on turf. Royal F J won his ninth start at Del Mar the following summer, and ran third in his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby a few weeks later.

“That was his moment in the sun,” Carava said.

By the summer of 2012, Royal F J had settled into claiming races, but seldom changed stables even in claiming-happy Southern California. Carava trained Royal F J for a remarkable 92 races.

Royal F J was claimed for $25,000 by Ron Ellis in 2015 and taken back by Carava for $32,000 in his next start. A dozen races later, Royal F J was claimed for $20,000 by trainer Elmer January in March 2016. Royal F J made nine starts for January, including a ninth in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields in 2016, before Carava took him back for $8,000 last October.

Even then, Carava knew Royal F J’s racing days were nearing an end. Royal F J made 13 more starts for Carava, Howard and Janet Siegel, and Chris Curtis. The Siegels owned Royal F J for a majority of his races.

“When I claimed him back for $8,000, I thought if he ran a bad race that would be it,” Carava said

As of Sunday, Carava had yet to finalize retirement plans. There were plenty of offers to house Royal F J, he said. The popular and durable horse has many admirers.