Conquest Big E Retired to Remember Me Rescue

Grade 2 winner Conquest Big E  has found a soft landing with Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas, and has been retired from racing.

The 8-year-old son of Tapit   was entered in an April 23 claiming race at Fonner Park for a $3,500 tag by trainer Wayne Hille, who owned the horse with Pat Mahony, but was instead purchased privately after news of his entry generated attention on social media. The gelding last raced June 19, 2020, for Shamrock Racing and trainer Kelly Von Hemel at Prairie Meadows, where he did not finish and walked off after falling over a fallen rival leaving the first turn. He had two works at Fonner leading into the planned April 23 start, a three-furlong bullet April 1 in :37 2/5 and a four-furlong move in :50 2/5 April 13.

Bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds out of the Carson City mare Seeinsbelieven, Conquest Big E was a $700,000 purchase by Conquest Stables from Gainesway's consignment to the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. A winner of his second start in 2015 for trainer Mark Casse, he ran eighth that year in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland. The following season he competed on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, running fourth in the Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and fifth in the Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

When Conquest Stables dispersed its stock at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Conquest Big E was consigned by Lane's End and sold for $110,000 to Tommy Roberts, who raced him six times, twice for trainer Brian Lynch and four for trainer Donna Green Hurtak. After he finished last of four in the 2017 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park, he ran sixth in the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream for Dennis Punches and Daniel Hurtak. He went on to race 12 times for Hurtak, including a victory in the 2018 Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile Stakes (G2).

In February 2019, Brian Chenvert and Eddie Kenneally claimed the gelding for $50,000 at Gulfstream. He ran twice for those connections before he was picked up for a $25,000 tag after finishing last as the favorite in a field of seven at Churchill Downs. His new connections, Shamrock Racing and Von Hemel, ran him three times before his final start. 

Conquest Big E's last win dated back to a 2018 allowance-level score at Gulfstream Park West. In nine starts from then to his career finale, he ran fifth once, sixth twice, seventh twice, eighth three times, and ninth once. His record stands at 6-2-1 from 34 starts, with earnings of $434,875.

Veronica Gizuk helped raise a flag on the gelding's Fonner entry, and reached out to Gainesway to notify the farm of his situation. Coincidentally, Gizuk did a stint working for Casse, but that was long after the horse had left his barn.

"I just came across it; a friend of mine posted about it on social media, and I was like, 'That's not right; this horse shouldn't be running for $3,500,' " Gizuk said. "I've never met the horse. I'm just happy he's safe now; that's all I wanted."

Donna Keen of Remember Me handled the logistics of Conquest Big E's private purchase, and said he is set to ship to Texas next week. Had he remained with Hille, Fonner Park would have allowed him to race, according to an April 22 statement released by the track via Twitter.

"Regarding Conquest Big E, thank you all for your interest," the track tweeted. "Thus far all rules of (Nebraska) racing have been followed. Our track veterinarian routinely performs checks on race-day mornings. Of course the horse will also be observed in the pre-race warm-up. Thank you, Chris Kotulak CEO."

Reached April 23, Kotulak said he stood by his statement.

"The welfare of the horse comes before anything as far as I'm concerned, and I appreciate watchdogs for the sport as long as they do it in a professional and reasonable manner," he said. "The rules of racing were observed here in Nebraska. The norm is a horse may run through age 12. If they run after age 12 they have to receive the approval of the racing commission, and I think the track association as well. If they won a race the year after they were age 12, they can continue to run.

"I'm happy that the end of the story is the horse is safe and will be well-cared for," he added, calling Remember Me Rescue "an upstanding aftercare facility."



Remember Me Rescue connections paid $6,500—the claiming price plus 10% of the purse of the April 23 race—to obtain the horse.

"It's taken a village," Keen said April 23. "We're just glad he's going to be safe. Everybody just came together and worked together; we've had a lot of support from a lot of people. One of my board members and Gainesway put up the money, and we had a couple trainer friends up there, thank goodness, so one of them was able to do the actual transaction. Then another trainer friend of mine, George Smith, went to go pick him up and took him to his place. A local hauler here will go get him from Nebraska, and he should arrive Wednesday night or Thursday morning."

Keen said Conquest Big E will undergo a full evaluation once he arrives at Remember Me Rescue, a 501(c)3 non-profit accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

"I'm going to keep him here for 30 days, do blood work and lameness exams, and thoroughly evaluate him," she said. "If he has any problems he can live here as a permanent resident. If not, he'll be made available for adoption. But first we're going to give him a little break, turn him out, let him eat some grass, and be a horse. Then we'll make some decisions about his future."

Remember Me Rescue made headlines last month as a safe haven for grade 1 winner The Deputy, who was found in a kill pen in North Texas. Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin and Gary Barber—the ownership team that campaigned The Deputy to racing's heights—and trainer Jenine Sahadi purchased the 24-year-old from a feedlot about an hour north of Dallas and entrusted Remember Me Rescue with his care.