Saying Goodbye to Champion Trinniberg: 'He Is the Joy and Gold of the Barn'
Trinniberg, shown after a tune-up for 2013 Dubai Golden Shaheen
Reigning champion sprinter Trinniberg has called Calder Casino & Race Course his home since he began his racing career as a 2-year-old. This weekend, the recently retired 4-year-old will travel to his new home of Rockridge Stud in upstate New York where he will begin a new career as stud.
“We are going to miss him very much,” said assistant trainer Mohamed Jehaludi. “He is the joy and gold of the barn. He brought us a lot, he gave us a very good experience, taking him to Dubai, taking us all over the country; We enjoy every day with him. He is a terrific horse to be around.”
Jehaludi, who has worked with Trinniberg throughout his racing career, will van Trinniberg to Rockridge this weekend where he will soon be shown. He said the trip will take approximately 26 hours with stops about every four hours so Trinniberg can feel most comfortable.
Trinniberg, who last raced for his owners on November 2 in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships under the ownership of Sherry Racing, Inc. for trainer Bisnath Parboo, has had many successes in his career since first breaking his maiden at Calder back on July 8, 2011, which came in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race where he cleared ahead to win by 5 ¾ lengths.
“At the time he was training we felt that Calder was a better track to train on,” said Jehaludi. “It is the safest for 2-year-olds that we know about, and from past experience I feel that if you win at Calder you can win at any track anywhere, so it was an easy decision that we made to stay here and train.”
Throughout his career while Trinniberg traveled throughout the country and overseas, he still returned home to Calder every so often.
“He was happier training on this track,” said assistant trainer Oscar Sotelo.
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Jehaludi added, “He is always happy, always makes fun of himself, and he is nice and quiet in his stall. Trinni is Trinni.”
Highlights of Trinniberg’s 2-year-old season included back-to-back second place finishes in graded stakes races, first in the Grade I Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and then in the Grade II Nashua Stakes at Belmont Park.
A stellar 3-year-old season with numerous highlights filled 2012 for Trinniberg. In March 2012 he scored his first stakes victory in his 3-year-old season debut in the Grade III Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park by 6 lengths. He then headed to Aqueduct Race Track to score the Grade III Bay Shore Stakes by 3 lengths in April. From there, Trinniberg headed straight into the Grade I Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. After the Derby, Trinniberg took the Grade II Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park in June before returning to Calder for a second-place finish by just a neck in the Grade III Carry Back Stakes on July 7, 2012. Later in the year, Trinniberg won the Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing before heading to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, where he scored the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint on his way to being named Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter for 2012.
Trinniberg traveled overseas for his first race as a 4-year-old to participate in the Grade I Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse. He ran at Calder two races later, this time in the Grade II Smile Sprint Handicap on July 6, 2013. He finished second, 1 ¾ lengths behind. Two races after that, Trinniberg returned to the Breeders’ Cup in the attempt to defend his title in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint and made what would be the final start of his career.
“He had nothing else to prove,” said Jehaludi. “He proved everything that needed to be proved already. He won the Eclipse Award, he won the Breeders’ Cup, and Grade I races, so the owner’s best interest was to retire him at this time.”
The decision to retire Trinniberg came after he returned to the East Coast from the Breeders' Cup.
“He is a really, really nice horse,” said Jehaludi. “He is retiring sound with no problem.”
As Trinniberg prepares to cover mares, shares of the horse will be available for purchase. This coming Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013, is the expected start date for Trinniberg to first begin covering mares.
