A decade after putting forth a gutsy second-place finish in the 2016 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack, Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) alumnus Trojan Nation has found his forever home on a sprawling 2,500-acre ranch outside Cheyenne, Wyo., at the Center for Racehorse Retraining.
Trojan Nation, or "Troy" as he is known around the ranch, has found his third career as an ambassador for Thoroughbred aftercare—and a subject in podiatry studies—after a racing career that saw him earn more than $250,000, and a short stud career at the organization's sister farm, Golden Creek Equine in the Equality State.
"He has a giant personality," said Kate Anderson, founder and executive director of the Center for Racehorse Retraining. "One of his favorite things is he loves to stick his tongue out and let you pull on it and pet it. He loves bananas. When he was still a stallion, we would give him dog toys that he would play with for hours. He's always had this playful, goofy personality, but as soon as you get on him, he's like a kid's horse. He's a lot to handle on the ground, but once you get on him, he's not."
With no expectations placed on the now-gelded 13-year-old son of Street Cry, Trojan Nation has been under saddle a handful of times since being pensioned from stud in 2024, but spends most of his time turned out in a pasture among a large herd of fellow Thoroughbreds.
"He's just kind of hanging out right now, and we periodically ride him," Anderson said. "We retired him from stud two years ago and gelded him, and he's enjoying being a horse. We decided not to continue any breeding, so now we focus on rehab, sanctuary, and research."
The Center for Racehorse Retraining is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. While their name and initial goals included the retraining of Thoroughbreds for second careers, the ranch has shifted its focus to rehabilitation, sanctuary, and ongoing research in cooperation with local veterinarians on the positive effects of turnout on podiatry and overall wellness.
"Our goal is to publish a study and continue our research, with the goal of documenting the changes we have seen and applying that to actual treatment protocols," said Anderson, who started with dressage early in life before transitioning to the world of Thoroughbred racing and breeding. "As far as I know, we are the only place in the world doing this with Thoroughbreds and documenting it."
Trojan Nation is just one of more than 70 equine residents—most of them Thoroughbreds—that live in what the organization calls semi-feral turnout, meaning they live on a sprawling parcel of rugged land, while also having their routine husbandry needs met with daily checks and supplemental food.
Horses in rehab start in smaller pastures before moving to the prairie pasture, where the herd often naturally splits into smaller social groups. The center describes their style of sanctuary as "horses living as naturally as possible, with the safety net of daily care behind it."
"We fell into research by accident," Anderson explained. "We started the nonprofit back in 2016 and our original mission was to adopt horses out. As it happens, you get horses that aren't adoptable, so we started putting them out on the ranch and over the years, we noticed their soundness was improving more than the horses that were receiving treatments. It eventually became our frontline treatment for rehab—any issues, and we would immediately turn them out."
With this type of sanctuary, the center has become interested in how this lifestyle helps correct podiatry concerns in Thoroughbreds, as they wear down their feet and move across the terrain like their wild counterparts. Trojan Nation and his pasture mates are at the center of these studies.
"We're starting to develop more collaborations with doctors and researchers," Anderson said. "We are seeing massive changes in horses that historically did not improve, and the horses are improving with little-to-no intervention."
Trojan Nation was a fan favorite during his racing days, drawing interest as a rare maiden in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. He earned his place in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May thanks to his gritty try in the Wood Memorial, where he missed a stylish graduation by a head behind Outwork.
Trained by Patrick Gallagher for owners Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert, Trojan Nation debuted with a sixth in October 2015 at Santa Anita Park. He then landed third and fourth in a quartet of maiden attempts as a juvenile and sophomore in California before shipping east to Aqueduct to try his luck on the Kentucky Derby trail in the Wood Memorial.
Sent to post at odds of 81-1, Trojan Nation emerged from post 3 of eight under Aaron Gryder, and trailed in last as Matt King Coal and Outwork slugged it out through splits of :22.91, :46.93, and 1:12.31 over the muddy and sealed track. Gryder got to work atop Trojan Nation entering the final turn, and the colt responded, making up ground along the inside to set his sights on Outwork at the top of the lane.
The rail was open as Outwork put away Matt King Coal, but the latter made it tight and brushed with the advancing Trojan Nation. Despite the bumping, Trojan Nation made one final surge and came up just a head shy of Outwork as he completed the course in 1:52.92.
Video: Wood Memorial S. (G1)
Trojan Nation was then on his way to the Kentucky Derby, and he gained a following and national media attention in the weeks leading up to the Run for the Roses. On the first Saturday in May, Trojan Nation drew the dreaded rail post and trailed in last of 20 early before putting in a mild run to finish 16th.
The popular colt went on to contest the Belmont Stakes in New York, landing 10th of 13 before returning to the maiden ranks to graduate on the turf that July at Del Mar. He raced three more times before retiring from racing and finding his way to Anderson in Wyoming to stand his first season in 2018.
"We had known his owners over the years, a happenstance connection," Anderson explained. "We had rehomed some of his (Aaron Sones) other racehorses, so that's how we ended up with Troy."
At stud, Trojan Nation's top progeny is Paddys Four Roses, a two-time winner at Sweetwater Downs in 2024. His lone progeny to race this year, Warring Thunder, graduated by 7 lengths in September at Belterra Park.
While he had a modest stud career, Trojan Nation's success as an ambassador for retirement is indisputable. The addition of his name on the ranch roster still piques the interest of local racing fans, and helps bring visitors and donations to the organization.
"A lot of the other horses wouldn't have a lot of options except sanctuary retirement, and the higher profile horses do a lot for aftercare organizations to bring attention their way," Anderson explained. "It's so great to have him. He has brought so much interest to what we are doing, especially when he was breeding. When people visit us, he's always one that people want to see. It's so cool to have a horse who ran in the Derby, and he's such a nice horse. He's got a lot of presence."
Anderson added that many of the Thoroughbreds on the ranch hail from the California racing circuit, and had connections that ensured their safe and proper retirement. Their responsibility, as well as industry donations to the TAA and its accredited organizations, are key to the success of aftercare programs.
The racing community in New York State contributes more than $1 million annually to various aftercare programs and initiatives, including the TAA.
"It speaks really well to what I think the industry as a whole is trying to do with aftercare," Anderson said. "I think it's trying to do aftercare right, and a lot of owners and trainers are doing a really good job. The industry is doing a good job for the most part, and are trying to do right by the horses."
A Kentucky-bred that raced in California, Kentucky, and New York, Trojan Nation traversed a unique path to a stud career in Wyoming that ultimately led to a happy and meaningful retirement, one that Anderson said she is grateful to be a part of.
"He's such a safe horse," she said of the gelding's manners. "He was as a stallion, too, and we can ride him once a year or more frequently, and he doesn't care. He's the same every time. He's this chunky, roly-poly kind of guy now. He's eccentric, but that's OK. This is where he's at, and he's never going to leave."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
