Juba

Fan favorite Juba has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Taylor Mountain Farm in Charles Town, West Virginia for the 2017 season.

The popular son of leading sire Tapit retires with three wins and earnings in excess of $175,000. After an injury derailed his sophomore season, Juba’s good looks, captivating personality, and a fan-created, Centennial-endorsed twitter account surprisingly launched him in to the public eye. He returned to the races with aplomb at four, demonstrating bristling speed and considerable grit. Juba put in his best performance at five – a tour de force victory in a stacked 7 furlong, third level allowance at Belmont Park, winning by better than six lengths.

Taylor Mountain Farm is a well known family farm operated by generations of Mid-Atlantic horsemen. Patriarch James W. Casey, who founded the farm with his late wife, Eleanor, is widely known as the trainer of Russell Road, one of the most successful West Virginia-breds of all time. Juba joins graded stakes winners Denis of Cork, Luftikus, and Windsor Castle on the Taylor Mountain Farm roster. All three, along with their late Charitable Man, rank among the top eleven leading general sires in West Virigina. Juba is the first son of Tapit to enter stud in the Mountain State.

Taylor Mountain Farm will announce a stud fee at a later date. Visitors are available by appointment only or via pre-announced area tours.

What a performance! Performances, really, as ultra-popular Juba delivered in a big way on the track and online. It was the latter that came first. The bidding on “Jubacasso”‘s Moneigh closed at a whopping $1,283.88. The price tag ranks Juba among the Top 5 most expensive artists in ReRun‘s history. His company in the upper echelon includes some of racing’s finest – American Pharoah and Zenyatta. The proceeds for Juba’s art, which he made with After the Finish Line, will be split between the two charities. ReRun’s portion has already directly funded the rescue of two mares from a kill pen.

Just four days later, Juba was at the center of a very different kind of eye-popping result. On Thursday afternoon, Juba found himself facing a tough field off the January layoff. Dismissed at 7-1, by far the longest odds he’s been since his career debut, Juba put forth the biggest performance of his career. The handsome gray received a textbook ride from Hall of Famer John Velazquez and turned it in to a powerhouse effort, drawing off to a 6 1/4 length victory. The Beyer speed figure of 100 marked a new lifetime top and is a mere six points off 2016’s highest number going up to a mile.

Miss the race or just want to relive it? Catch the replay!

The result of Juba’s foray in to the arts is now available on eBay! The ever-popular horse was invited to create a Moneigh®, the result of which is currently being auctioned off. Dawn Mellen of After the Finish Line visited Juba at Jimmy Jerkens’ Belmont Park barn. Using non-toxic, washable paint in Centennial Farms colors and a gray reminiscent of his own coat color, Juba used his lips and muzzle to create a unique design, which he then “signed” with a hoof-print. The resulting work of art was matted, along with a lock of his mane, by ReRun, Inc.

Bidding opened at $25.00 for the painting, but it quickly skyrocketed in price. The first bid came in at an even $100, and it has only continued to rise. Proceeds from the sale of Moneighs® goes to thoroughbred aftercare. Please visit After the Finish Line® and ReRun, Inc. to learn more about each organization, including how to donate. Bidding remains open on Juba’s artwork until 6:45pm EDT on Sunday, May 1.