GEORGETOWN, KY. – April 26, 2024 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. is pleased to announce that Channel Maker, one of the farm’s newest retirees, has been inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.

The induction was announced by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred and Standardbred election committees in a press release on Wed., April 24, 2024.

The induction of Channel Maker into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is a bright spot on the farm this week following the disappointment in learning that Game on Dude was not selected by the Thoroughbred Racing Museum and Hall of Fame after being nominated for the third year in a row.

Bred by Tall Oaks Farm, Channel Maker, who is by English Channel–In Return, by Horse Chestnut (Saf), was foaled in Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 11, 2014.

Originally trained by Daniel Vella, who was also inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this year, Channel Maker began his racing career as a 2-year old in 2016 and broke his maiden in his second start with a win in the Vandal Stakes (Black Type) at Woodbine.

Channel Maker, who was later trained in his career by Bill Mott, raced eight years from 2016 to 2023. His biggest wins included the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1) in 2018 and 2020, the Man o’ War Stakes (G1) in 2019, the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1) in 2020, the Elkhorn Stakes (G2) and the Grand Couturier Stakes (Black Type) in 2022, and the Bowling Green Stakes (G2) in 2023 as a 9-year old.

Following an 11th-place finish in the Sycamore Stakes (G3) at Keeneland on Oct. 13, 2023, the then 9-year old chestnut was retired. He closed out his career with a record of 10 wins, six seconds, five thirds, and $3,915,985 in earnings in 56 starts. According to the Canadian Hall of Fame press release, his earnings makes Channel Maker the third-richest Canadian-bred racehorse of all time.

Channel Maker also won some year-end awards including the 2017 Sovereign Award as Canada’s Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and the 2020 Eclipse Award as Champion Turf Male.

In addition, Channel Maker set a record for the most Breeders’ Cup starts by any single horse with six starts. His best finish was a 3rd in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2020.

Following his racing career, Adam Wachtel of Wachtel Stable initiated the idea of retiring Channel Maker to Old Friends, and the horse’s ownership group, which also consists of Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, agreed. Channel Maker arrived on the farm for his retirement on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.