Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Harold Queen's star earned more than $875,000 . . .
HALLANDALE BEACH - Multiple stakes-winning 9-year-old gelding Noble Drama, who thrilled fans for six seasons with his dramatic late-running style, has been retired from racing.
Gulfstream Park-based owner-trainer David Fawkes made the decision after Noble Drama, bred in Florida by Harold Queen, breezed three furlongs in :37.05 seconds on Sept. 22. It was the first timed work for the son of Gone Astray since May 10, which came six days before what would be his final start.
“Mr. Queen gave him to me a little over a year ago and I won one race with him. He ran huge. Then he just kind of got quiet on me and wasn’t performing the way he should,” Fawkes said. “So, we kicked him out for a little while and brought him back. Those older horses, they never have hard bone problems, and he just got a little thick in his legs. He’s 9 years old, and I just wasn’t going to do that to him. I just thought it was time. He’s been great to all of us.”
Helping in the decision-making process was a win that Noble Drama had during his 2-year-old season, the 2018 FTBOA Silver Charm Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, which included a certain long-range condition.
“About four months ago, Sherry Queen, one of Harold’s daughters, reminded me that he won a ‘Win and You’re In’ for Old Friends, so I called them on [Sept. 23] and they were thrilled. They said, ‘This is great. We’re so happy to have him,’” Fawkes said. “It’s a great deal.
“He’s still here. He may be here for two months. They said they’d call me when they’ve got an opening,” he said. “We’re glad to have him around. We’ll unwind him here and I might put the tack on him and shedrow him just to let him do something.”
Noble Drama earned nine of his 10 career wins at Gulfstream, including stakes victories in the 2018 and 2020 Wildcat Heir, 2020 Sunshine Classic and Benny the Bull, and 2021 My Name’s Jimmy and City of Dania handicaps. His last win came in a one-mile optional claiming allowance on Nov. 12 at Gulfstream, where he ran last for four furlongs and trailed by as many as 10 ¾ lengths before making his familiar late run to get up by a half-length.
“He won a bunch of races here. He was a little one-dimensional, but he still made a lot of money. And he made the races exciting. He was great to watch run,” Fawkes said. “I really wanted to make him a millionaire, and he was so close. He was a lot of fun, and he was so easy. He never had a thing wrong. He had ice cold legs every single day of his career, so when you get any sign of anything it’s just time to stop.”
Noble Drama retires with 10 wins, 12 seconds, six thirds and $876,562 in earnings from 48 lifetime starts. In addition to his victories he placed in 11 other stakes and faced graded competition four times, his best finish being a fourth in the one-mile, Gr. III Fred Hooper last winter Gulfstream.
“He’s so kind. People go in and put hats on him, and he likes to sit there and eat carrots all day long. He’s a very friendly horse,” Fawkes said. “If I didn’t already have Posse, my pony, who I have now and has been good to us for 20 years, Noble would be here. He had that [Old Friends] certificate, so we decided to take advantage of it. He deserves it. He’s been great, great fun.”