Given the challenging nature of the current racing environment in the province of Ontario, many horsepeople would elect to continue to race their stock as long as they brought in a positive economic return. Even though Warrawee Koine still has massive earning potential on the track, Trot Insider has learned that the hard-knocking seven-year-old has been retired and will now switch over to broodmare duty.

Dr. Michael Wilson of Warrawee Farm has told Trot Insider that the career winner of 30 races and $743,000 in purses will be returning to the Rockwood, Ont. breeding nursery in the near future — and those that have been along for her magnificent ride can’t be more excited.

“The decision wasn’t an easy one,” Dr. Wilson explained. “I wouldn’t say she’s a Top 10 mare — she’s probably in the Top 20. She’s (age) seven and the competition is getting fiercer.”

“She’s been racing at the Open level for three years now and I didn’t want to see her drop down in class.”

Dr. Wilson and the entire Warrawee crew know a little something when it comes to special racehorses, seeing as though the farm has produced standouts the likes of Camystic, Mystician, Lucks Mistress, Warrawee Needy, Mister Herbie and many others.

Warrawee Koine etched her name into the sport’s world record books last summer when she blazed Flamboro Downs’ half-mile course in 1:51.1 (a world record for an aged pacing mare on a half-mile track). Although she may not boast the same seven-figure bank account of some of Warrawee’s alumni, Dr. Wilson rained the ultimate praise down on the daughter of Astreos.

“She’s the most exciting and pleasing racehorse I’ve ever had,” Dr. Wilson told Trot Insider, adding that the 100-time career starter is simply “a lovely horse to work with.”

Warrawee Koine’s story is a great one. After not attracting the attention Warrawee believed she deserved in the sales ring as a yearling, Dr. Wilson made sure she was bought back. After three unsuccessful breeding attempts, Warrawee Koine was given the chance to show the world what she was all about on the racetrack… and she put on quite a show.

From 100 starts, Warrawee Koine retires with a record of 30 wins, 16 second-place finishes and 13 third-place efforts. Her overall bankroll settled at $743,348 and she took her mark of 1:50 flat while racing as a five-year-old at Campbellville, Ontario’s Mohawk Racetrack.

The Warrawee collective is highly anticipating the black mare to ship back into its paddocks in the near future, after having been stabled in New Jersey as of late.

While in discussion with Trot Insider, Dr. Wilson did point out that the later mares get in foal during their lives, the less valuable their foals are. Although, the Warrawee crew have a couple of big reasons to be excited about ‘Koine.’

Dr. Wilson confirmed with Trot Insider that Warrawee Koine was bred in March, and at this point all is going well.

Warrawee Farm is crossing its fingers that the fourth time is the charm for Warrawee Koine, and, if it is, both the mare and the loving nursery will have a new Somebeachsomewhere foal on their hands.

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