Millionaire New Jersey-bred mainstay Joey P. dies at age 23

Graded-stakes winning millionaire Joey P. has died after complications from a respiratory illness. He was 23, and a retiree at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky.

“Joey P. was a wonderful example of the star-power of regional racehorses,” said John Nicholson, president and CEO of Old Friends. “Joey P. built his racing resume as the hero of New Jersey’s Monmouth Park. His specialty at the track was running fast and he excelled at it, earning a following of devoted fans who adored him. Joey P.’s specialty at Old Friends was making friends who all fell in love with him. He is going to be missed, especially by his paddock-mate, Tuneintobow. We are so grateful to Lori Lane of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement for giving us the honor of caring for Joey P. in his retirement.”

Bred and owned by John Petrini, Joey P., who was by Close Up out of the Lucky Jin Beau mare Luckey Lipco, was foaled on March 22, 2002 in New Jersey.

Originally trained by Frank Costa for Petrini, Joey P. began his racing career as a 2-year old with a five-race win streak over a two-year period. In 2004, he had two starts at Monmouth and won a maiden special weight race and an allowance race.

In 2005, he started his 3-year old campaign at Meadowlands and continued his win streak with victories in two allowance races and the Jersey Shore Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G3) for his first graded-stakes win. That year he also won the Friendly Lover Handicap and the Rutgers Stakes.

Other major wins during his eight-year racing career included the John J. Reilly Handicap for new trainer Benjamin Perkins, Jr., who would train him for the rest of his career, and the Longfellow Stakes in 2006. In 2007 he won the Decathlon Stakes, the Colts Neck Handicap, his second consecutive Friendly Lover Handicap and the Elio Stakes. He won his second John J. Reilly Handicap and the Charles Town Dash Invitational Handicap in 2008.

Then, in 2009, he won his third John J. Reilly Handicap. Following that race he underwent emergency surgery for a twisted intestine, and returned later that year for two races, with no top 3 finishes.

He returned to the track and raced again in 2010 and 2011 and won a couple allowance optional claiming races, and had a couple-second place finishes, but didn’t return to his winning form after his 2009 surgery.

Following a fifth in the Colts Neck Handicap on Aug. 21, 2011 as a 9-year old, he was retired. He finished his career with a 48: 18-10-1 record and $1,081,167 in earnings.

In 2018, he was sent to Old Friends courtesy of Second Call Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, who supported him monthly throughout his entire retirement at Old Friends. He arrived at the farm on May 20.