Chesapeake City, MD — Courtly Choice’s ownership group has decided that he will race at age four.

“He was a fun horse to race and we are looking forward to racing him in 2019,” said Joe Thomson, Courtly Choice’s co-owner. “There are several stakes that we will be aiming for in the upcoming season.”

Courtly Choice won 10 times in 2018 as a 3-year-old and earned $910,603. Mike Lizzi photo.

Courtly Choice’s trainer, Blake MacIntosh, had mixed feelings about standing him at stud. He discussed Courtly Choice’s future with each of the owners and they decided racing would be the better option.

“We decided to take the initiative to support Jeff Gural with the increase in Meadowlands purses,” said MacIntosh.

The group believes that the work Gural has done to save the Meadowlands deserves their full support.

“We are also deciding to race him at four because we are unsupportive of the New York semen transport rule,” said Thomson.

Thomson believes that mares shouldn’t have to be shipped in state to be bred. Several of the mares being booked to Courtly Choice were from outside the state of New York.

The ownership group collectively apologizes to breeders who have already booked their mares.

For more information, please contact Winbak Farm of New York at 845.778.5421.