Surprsinglyperfect retired after 101st career race
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The 12-year-old Surprsinglyperfect ran his 101st and final race on Tuesday at Turf Paradise, flashing his usual strong homestretch kick to finish a driving second, beaten five lengths by the odds-on Little Trouble.
While the Justin Evans trainee didn't make it into the winner's circle in the traditional manner, Turf Paradise saw fit to fête the marvelously durable gelding there with a retirement ceremony after the race. Draped in a black and red coat that acknowledged his recent honor as the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's 2025 Claiming Horse of the Year, Surprsinglyperfect began prancing around as the crowd cheered, moving his trainer to tears.
"I haven't cried like that since my kids were born," said Evans, who watched the proceedings from a monitor in El Paso. "I was literally an emotional wreck watching him in the paddock. When the crowd clapped and he started prancing on his toes, I started really crying. [Evans's 8-year-old daughter] Addison said, 'It's all right, dad, he's ours now.' I was really proud of her for thinking that way."
Surprsinglyperfect went 7-3-1 in 13 starts during his award-winning 2025 campaign, which was primarily split between successful stints in Phoenix and at Emerald Downs near Seattle. For his career, Surprsinglyperfect posted a record of 101-28-18-15 for earnings of $419,951.
Tuesday's finale was a $10,000 claiming race, a level Surprsinglyperfect thrived at in his later years. Evans gave no consideration to dropping him down to pick off a cheap victory as he bid the racetrack adieu.
"We didn't want to look like we were greedy and run him at the bottom, so we came up with that race and he just fell a little bit short. Maybe he's lost a step or two, but he still brings it. He could have run fourth, but he battled it out to be second."
Surprsinglyperfect's retirement is bittersweet, as young Addison Evans has anxiously anticipated the moment where he transitions into a cushy career as a stable pony. Her dad said that if his daughter had her way, the old warhorse would "get the spare bedroom in the house."
"He's going to live the life of being a little girl's pony," Justin Evans added. "He's going to get his belly brushed and probably gain 150 pounds eating cookies. She was ready to ride him today. She said, 'He's my horse now.' "
Alas, it's not that simple. To ensure a smooth transition into the stable-pony lifestyle, Evans has enlisted the help of Turf Paradise starter Darrin Hall's wife, Melanie Hall, who Evans said "has an excellent hand in turning those horses [Thoroughbreds] into riding or dressage horses."
Once Hall gets Surprsinglyperfect where he needs to be, Evans said, "he can be the coach. He can take on teaching the youngsters a little something."
One of Evans's most enchanting youngsters is a newcomer to his stable. After an upset victory in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on Dec. 20, the 3-year-old Express Kid was transferred into Evans's care after being purchased for $800,000 by Brad and Sharon Kleven in a one-horse digital sale conducted by Fasig-Tipton last week.
Evans plans to start Express Kid in the $500,000 Sunland Park Derby on Feb. 15. The race carries qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, rarefied air that Evans has long wanted to breathe.
"It's super exciting," said Evans. "It's something a guy's waited his whole life for, idolizing [Bob] Baffert and his Derby runs over the years. Having the opportunity to maybe compete with him at that level, it's a dream come true."
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