2024 – Thoroughbred Male Horse
A horse of a lifetime. That is what co-owner Adam Wachtel called his remarkable Ontario-bred, Channel Maker, upon his retirement from racing in 2023. Through eight seasons of racing the tall, chestnut gelding, he became one of the most popular turf handicap horses in the United States after beginning his racing career at Woodbine. Channel Maker, bred by Ivan Dalos, holds the record for the most appearances at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and retired as the third-richest Canadian bred horse of all-time with earnings of over $3.9 million.
The son of American turf champion, English Channel, and out of the mare In Return, Channel Maker was born on February 11, 2014 at Norse Ridge Farm in King City, ON. He was bought back by Dalos for $57,000 at the September 2015 Keeneland yearling sale after not reaching his reserve. He was later purchased privately by Joe Guerrieri of Joey Gee Thoroughbreds and sent to two-time Sovereign Award-winning trainer, Dan Vella, who is also being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Channel Maker won his maiden second time out in the Vandal Stakes on yielding grass at Woodbine. Following a troubled, third-place finish in the important Summer Stakes (Grade 2), Channel Maker drew the interest of American owners Gary Barber and Wachtel, who each purchased a share in the gelding from Guerrieri and would later transfer the gelding to U.S. Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott.
Channel Maker embarked on an American career but returned to his homeland in the summer of his 3-year-old season to finish fourth in the Queen’s Plate to Holy Helena. It was on the grass, however, that Channel Maker preferred to be and he promptly came back and won the 1 1/2 mile Breeders’ Stakes, the third jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown, by a hard fought nose. Later in 2017, Channel Maker was a close second in the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar. He was subsequently voted Canada’s Champion Three-Year-Old Male. Guerrieri would sell his share in Channel Maker the following year and Reeves Racing and R.A. Hill Stable would join the partnership.
Channel Maker was easy to spot in his races as he had an unusually high head carriage and he relished racing right on the pace. He used that style to win his first Grade 1 as a 4-year-old in the Turf Classic at Belmont Park. He would win Grade 1s in 2019 and 2020 and in the latter season, finished the year with a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (Grade 1), earning the Eclipse Award for Champion Turf Male.
Incredibly, at the age of nine, Channel Maker took his second Bowling Green Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park. Channel Maker was retired and donated to Old Friends, a retirement farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he will live out his days greeting racing fans from all over the world.