Spooky Channel, Barkley’s last horse in training, is retired

Spooky Channel, the last horse in Jason Barkley’s care as a trainer, has been retired to the Old Friends farm in Central Kentucky.

The 8-year-old gelding’s last race was a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Cup on Sept. 9.

“We just weren't in love with how he came out of the race,” Barkley told Horse Racing Nation on Tuesday “Nothing major that will ever stop him from having the rest of his life ahead of him and be nice and happy. But just enough that, you don't want to be able to roll the dice and just kind of want to let him live a good life. And you can walk away and say you did right by the horse.”

Barkley, who is giving up training to pursue a career as a jockey agent and bloodstock agent, had trained Spooky Channel since he was claimed for $80,000 at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks day in 2021. From that point, he had a record of 11: 4-3-1 for Barkley and owner NBS Stable.

The trainer told HRN last month that he thought Spooky Channel was a possibility for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.

“Everybody wants to run in the Breeders Cup,” Barkley said Tuesday. “But he came first, as all of them did. So it's just kind of time to move on.”

Barkley said he is the agent for jockey Alonso Quiñonez, who is racing in Kentucky and then will be in Tampa.

Spooky Channel was Barkley’s only graded-stakes winner, with victories in the Muniz Memorial sponsored by Horse Racing Nation (G2) in March and the 2021 Sycamore (G3). Earlier graded-stakes wins came in the 2021 John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3) and the 2020 W.L. McKnight (G3).

“He was fun, and I'm glad I got to be a part of his career,” Barkley said. “And hopefully he can enjoy the rest of his time.”