Horse named for late NHL star Gaudreau finishes second at Belmont Park

Gaudreau, one of two horses named for late NHL All-Star Johnny Gaudreau that ran the Grade 1 Champagne Breeders Cup qualifier on Saturday at Belmont Park, finished just off the pace, placing second in the race.

The race, known for being somewhat of an early peak at Kentucky Derby contenders for the following year, was for 2-year-old horses, born in 2024. U.S.S. Valor won it, automatically gaining a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 30 in Lexington.

Gaudreau is owned by Vincent Conanan of Next Level Stables, who grew up playing youth hockey against Gaudreau. According to an Associated Press story, Conanan promised to name one of his horses for Gaudreau after his son kept inquiring about the former Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets forward.

“I was like, ‘You know what, I’ll name this one after Johnny,'" Conanan told the Associated Press. "Because Johnny as a kid, he wasn’t the biggest player, but he had the biggest heart. So, I was, like, 'This horse, I think he’s going to be the one.'"

In the same race on Saturday, Devon Bradley entered his horse, Johnny Hockey, from Bradley Thoroughbreds out of Columbus, Ohio, where Gaudreau spent two seasons.

“We needed a strong name. We needed a name that has some meaning, something to kind of give your horse just an extra oomph,” Bradley told the Associated Press. “We just felt like it fit, and I guess the rest is history.”

The two horses were born just about a month apart when both men decided to honor one of the best American hockey players of all time. They were running 1-2 into the final turn before Johnny Hockey faded out of the pack and Gaudreau was overtaken for first place.