'Fun ride': Churchill's winningest runner Bango is retired

Bango, the winningest horse in Churchill Downs history, is being retired at age 8.

The horse by Congrats wrapped up his career with a seventh-place finish Thursday in an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill. It was only his second start of the year; he also was eighth in the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes on May 1.

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"He's been a fun ride, been awful good. We love him. Blessed to have him," trainer Greg Foley said. "Great owners, feel the same. It was good while it lasted."

Bango is a Tamaroak Stable homebred racing in the name of Tamaroak Partners.

He has a career record of 42: 15-4-5 and earnings of $1.6 million. He won a record 12 races at Churchill Downs, most recently scoring in an optional claimer in September of 2024. His first win at the track came as a 2-year-old on Nov. 2, 2019.

Foley said that when horses reach 7 or 8 years old, they "just kind of lose the will, the desire to play the game." But, he said, "he looks great. He trains good."

Bango's connections are "fishing around" to see if they can find a home for him as a stallion, Foley said, likely in another state. If they can't find a good spot, he said, "he's just going to get him a good place to live."

Foley has trained Bango since the start. "I'm going to miss him, that's for sure."

He has another promising colt in Troubleshooting, a 3-year-old Donamire Farm homebred by Not This Time out of the Into Mischief mare Into Trouble. In his two most recent starts, he won the Franklin-Simpson (G1) going 6 1/2 furlongs and stretched to a mile to win the Bryan Station (G3), bringing his record to 10: 4-3-0.

"Another dimension going two turns," Foley said. "He passed everything really good. He's a really nice horse."

He'll have one more start this year, in the Commonwealth (G3) at Churchill on Nov. 22 going 1 1/16 miles.

"That of course will be the last time he gets in with his own age group. I think we're going to take a look at that race and then freshen him up a little after that and kind of map out a deal for next year."

Foley also trains Troubleshooting's 2-year-old half-brother, Trouble Calling, by Dialed In. Also a Donamire Farm homebred, he was third in his September debut at Churchill Downs and then second by "less than an inch" last out in an Oct. 19 maiden special weight at Keeneland.

"Just learning what he's doing," Foley said. "Really nice horse. We've got some really high hopes on him."

Trouble Calling also will have one more start at Churchill Downs in a maiden race this month.