Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., is saddened to report that Joey P has succumbed to complications from a respiratory illness. He was 23.
"Joey P was a wonderful example of the star-power of 'regional' racehorses," said John Nicholson, President and CEO of Old Friends. "Joey P built his racing resume as the hero of New Jersey's Monmouth Park. His specialty at the track was running fast and he excelled at it, earning a following of devoted fans who adored him. Joey P's specialty at Old Friends was making friends who all fell in love with him. He is going to be missed, especially by his paddock-mate, Tuneintobow. We are so grateful to Lori Lane of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement for giving us the honor of caring for Joey P in his retirement."
Bred and owned by John Petrini, Joey P, who was by Close Up—Luckey Lipco, by Luckey Jin Beau, was foaled on March 22, 2002, in New Jersey.
Originally trained by Frank Costa for Petrini, Joey P began his racing career as a 2-year-old with a five-race win streak over a two-year period. In 2004, he had two starts at Monmouth Park and won a maiden special weight race and an allowance race.
In 2005, he started his 3-year-old campaign at Meadowlands and continued his win streak with victories in two allowance races and the Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) for his first graded-stakes win. That year, he also won the Friendly Lover Handicap (Black Type) and the Rutgers Stakes (Black Type).
Other major wins during his eight-year racing career included the John J. Reilly Handicap (Black Type) for new trainer Benjamin Perkins, Jr., who would train him for the rest of his career, and the Longfellow Stakes (Black Type) in 2006; the Decathlon Stakes (Black Type), the Colts Neck Handicap (Black Type), his second consecutive Friendly Lover Handicap (Black Type), and the Elio Stakes (Listed) in 2007; and his second John J. Reilly Handicap (Black Type), and the Charles Town Dash Invitational Handicap (Listed) in 2008.
Then, in 2009, he won his third John J. Reilly Handicap (Black Type). Following that race, he underwent emergency surgery for a twisted intestine and returned later that year for two races, with no top 3 finishes.
He returned to the track and raced again in 2010 and 2011 and won a couple allowance optional claiming races, and had a couple-second place finishes, but didn't return to his winning form after his 2009 surgery.
Following a fifth in the Colts Neck Handicap (Black Type) on Aug. 21, 2011, as a 9-year old, he was retired. He finished his career with 18 wins, 10 seconds, one third, and $1,081,167 in earnings in 48 starts.
In 2018, he was sent to Old Friends courtesy of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, who supported him monthly throughout his entire retirement at Old Friends. He arrived at the farm on May 20.
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