Chilean Group I Winner Porfido to Old Friends

Porfido, a three-time group I winner in his native Chile, has been retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky.

The 12-year-old Porfido (Mash One—Piazza Venezia, by Roy) started 79 times in his career, winning 15 races, seven of them in Chile, including the El Ensayo-Cristal Chilean Derby (Chi-I). He came to the U.S. in 2006, where he was campaigned by the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. Despite several wins, Porfido struggled to reproduce his stakes form in North America.

Upon Frankel's death, assistant Humberto Ascanio assumed training duties of Porfido. When Ascanio experienced health problems at the end of 2011, the horse was transferred to the barn of Eoin Harty, with whom he had some success, winning back-to-back claiming races in 2012. By 2013 the stallion had been transferred to the barn of Dan McFarlane.

In the spring of this year, Gail Hirt of Beyond the Roses Equine put Porfido on a watch list as he began running in the low claimers. Hirt began working with racehorse owner John Murrell, Donna Keen of Remember Me Rescue, artist Fred Krakowiak, and Michael Blowen of Old Friends on plans to claim and retire Porfido as soon as an opportunity arose.

The chance came Nov. 1 when Porfido had his last start and was claimed for $3,000 by Justin Evans at Turf Paradise. Still competitive to the end, he was second by a neck in his final race. Porfido earned $756,876 in his career.

"We're happy to welcome Porfido to Old Friends," said Blowen, Old Friends president and founder. "Our thanks goes out to Gail, Donna, Fred, and John for their generosity and hard work to retire this horse. He arrived this morning and he's doing just great."