Midway Road

Midway Road
Sire	Jade Hunter
Grandsire	Mr. Prospector
Dam	Fleet Road
Damsire	Magesterial
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	2000
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	William S. Farish
Owner	William S. Farish
Trainer	Neil J. Howard
Record	17: 7-2-2
Earnings	$695,060
Major wins
Fayette Stakes (2004) Ben Ali Stakes (2004) Tenacious Handicap (2004) American Classic Race placing: Preakness Stakes 2nd (2003)
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
Last updated on September 12, 2009

Midway Road (foaled April 11, 2000) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A descendant of Mr. Prospector, he was sired by Jade Hunter by breeder Will Farish. Midway Road was a multiple graded stakes winner but will be remembered most for his two grade one runner-up finishes in important stake races during his career. Most notably Midway Road had a solid second place performance in the 2003 Preakness Stakes.

Three year-old season

Trained by Neil Howard, Midway Road won four of six races that he ran in early in his career. He broke his maiden at Arlington Park in Chicago, Illinois at age two. As a sophomore he won two allowance races at Keeneland before his connections decided to take a big step up in class by running in an American Classic. Midway Road was entered into the 2003 Preakness Stakes to take on an all-star field of stakes winners but was listed as the longest shot in the field on the morning line at 20-1 along with New York Hero and Kissin Saint.

Midway Road broke in good order and settled in sixth of ten runners going into the first turn of the Preakness. He was squeezed in tight and then piloted by jockey Robby Albarado along the inside path early. Just after the five-eighths pole Midway Road made his move to engage the top three. With only one furlong to go Midway Road took a bold move and skimmed the rail just to the inside of Louisiana Derby winner Peace Rules and hooked up with him in a head-to-head battle. In the mean time Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide pulled away from the rest of the field like they were stopped. Funny Cide finished 9-3/4 lengths in front of the rest of the field (the second largest margin in 128 years at that time). Midway Road ended the race finishing second to dual classic winner Funny Cide and earned a check of $200,000 for the place spot. He ended up defeating Peace Rules by 3/4 of a length but also beat Scrimshaw, Senor Swinger, local favorite Cherokee's Boy, Foufa's Warrior, New York Hero, Kissin Kris and Ten Cents a Shine. His trainer Neil Howard said, "He had a good trip but he may have been in a little too tight. He was forced to take the inside path about mid-race."

Later that summer Midway Road also placed in the 2003 grade two Ohio Derby at Thistledown Racecourse outside Cleveland, Ohio to Wild and Wicked.

Four year-old season

In his four year-old season Midway Road set a track record at Keeneland Race Course when he covered 1-1/8 miles in 1:46.78 in winning the grade three Ben Ali Stakes in 2004 by a record 11¼ lengths. That day he defeated respected stakes winners Evening Attire and Sir Cherokee. Later that year he finished second to Southern Image in the grade one Pimlico Special Handicap in his subsequent start. There he finished a head of the reast of a quality field that included Bowman's Band, Evening Attire, Dynever and Ole Faunty.

Midway Road then scored consecutive stakes wins in the grade three Fayette Stakes at Keeneland Race Course and Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Retirement

Midway Road had not raced since fracturing a cannon bone in a January workout in 2005. After eight months of rehabilitation Midway Road was not progressing to the satisfaction of his trainer and was retired and stood at owner-breeder William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. His first season breeding was in early spring of 2006 for a stud fee of $7,500. He was transferred to Lane's End Farm Farm Texas in Hempstead, Texas for a stud fee of $4,000. His first foals were yearlings of 2008 and will be racing as three year-olds in 2010.

References

• Pedigee Online, Thoroughbred Database website;[1]