March 29, 2024

Point Given pensioned, to reside at Kentucky Horse Park

Point Given will be the latest Hall of Fame member to reside in the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park (photo courtesy of kentuckytourism,com)

Point Given, the 2001 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame member, has been pensioned from stud duty and will begin residing at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions with public viewings beginning in April 2018.

“We are so pleased to welcome this handsome and impressive chestnut stallion to the Hall of Champions, and we thank his connections for entrusting him to our care,” said Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director Laura Prewitt. “We believe he will serve as an excellent ambassador to his breed and the sport of racing for the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the park each year.”

Owned by the late Prince Ahmed bin Salman, who raced under the banner of The Thoroughbred Corporation, Point Given was trained by Bob Baffert and ridden primarily by Gary Stevens. At two, he captured the Hollywood Futurity (G1) and Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3), and suffered an agonizingly close loss to Macho Uno in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). He also placed in the Champagne (G1).

Voted champion three-year-old as well as Horse of the Year in 2001, Point Given lost only once, as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1), in seven starts that season. After facile victories in the San Felipe (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1), Point Given started as the 9-5 favorite at Churchill Downs, but finished a mysterious fifth to Monarchos, who posted only the second sub-2:00 Derby in history.

Point Given rebounded to win the Preakness (G1) by more than two lengths and the Belmont S. (G1) by more than 12 lengths. He concluded his injury-shortened career with wins in the Haskell Invitational (G1) and Travers (G1).

With earnings of $3,968,500 and a record of 13-9-3-0, Point Given initially stood at Three Chimneys Farm until he was relocated to Calumet Farm in 2013. His leading offspring include Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, Canadian champion Points of Grace, and U.S. Grade 1 winners Go Between, Coil (who also won the Haskell), and Point Ashley. As a broodmare sire, Point Given is responsible for two other Canadian champions, Victory to Victory and Hillaby.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, Point Given is by fellow three-year-old champion and dual classic winner Thunder Gulch and out of Broodmare of the Year Turko’s Turn, by Turkoman.

The Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions has previously housed Hall of Fame luminaries Forego, John Henry, Alysheba, and Cigar.