Gaudreau nearly gave the late Johnny Gaudreau a fitting winner’s-circle tribute Saturday at Belmont Park, closing second in the Grade 1 Champagne, a Breeders’ Cup qualifier for 2-year-olds. The colt was one of two runners in the field carrying a name tied to the former NHL All-Star.
Key takeaways
- U.S.S. Valor won the Champagne and clinched a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 30 in Lexington.
- Gaudreau finished second after being passed late for the lead.
- Johnny Hockey, the other horse honoring Gaudreau, faded after running near the front with Gaudreau entering the final turn.
- Both horses are 2-year-olds born in 2024, with their owners independently choosing to salute the former Flames and Blue Jackets forward.
- The race is an early measuring stick for horses that could develop into Kentucky Derby contenders next year.
A tribute with hockey roots
Gaudreau is owned by Vincent Conanan of Next Level Stables, who played youth hockey against Johnny Gaudreau. Conanan said the name came after his son repeatedly asked about the player, prompting him to promise that one of his horses would carry the tribute.
Conanan saw a connection between the undersized NHL star and the colt. Johnny Gaudreau, who starred for the Calgary Flames before spending two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, was never the biggest player on the ice but played with exceptional heart. Conanan felt that quality made the name right for this horse.
Bradley Thoroughbreds owner Devon Bradley entered Johnny Hockey from Columbus, the city where Gaudreau finished his NHL career. Bradley said he wanted a name with force and meaning, one that might give the horse an added spark, and believed “Johnny Hockey” matched the moment.
Two names at the front of the field
The horses were born roughly a month apart, and the decisions to honor Gaudreau came separately. On Saturday, they briefly made the Champagne feel like a hockey tribute as Gaudreau and Johnny Hockey ran first and second heading into the final bend.
Johnny Hockey could not sustain that position and dropped back through the field. Gaudreau stayed in the fight but was overtaken by U.S.S. Valor, settling for second. The winner earned the automatic place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, while Gaudreau left Belmont with a strong early result in a race that often points toward the next Kentucky Derby trail.
