In April 2016, a 3-year-old son of Street Boss named The Player was at Keeneland in the early stage of a productive career that would include a victory in the track's Fayette Stakes (G2) in 2017. Now the 13-year-old gelding is one of the newest attractions at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington—a role that is a perfect fit for the personable Thoroughbred who is a natural attention seeker.
"The Horse Park has done a great job with him," said former trainer Buff Bradley, now Keeneland's associate of sales development. "They introduced him to another horse, and they get along great. It is a good opportunity for visitors to learn more about Thoroughbreds."
The Player won five races in 14 starts and earned $452,485 for Bradley and co-owner Carl Hurst. The two, along with Bradley's late father, Fred Bradley, a Kentucky Senator for nearly 20 years, bred the horse in Kentucky.
Raised on the Bradley family's Indian Ridge Farm in Frankfort, The Player was known in his early days as "Angus." The farm traditionally attaches a theme to each foal crop; that year's theme was rock bands—Angus is a nod to AC/DC co-founder and guitarist Angus Young.
The Player earned his official name for his good-natured antics, including sitting on his hind end like a dog. He remained a barn favorite at the track and developed a social media following. His Facebook page includes a video of Bradley feeding him a treat while the horse is lying down.
At Keeneland a decade ago, The Player was runner-up in his second career start, then gained his first victory the following month at Churchill Downs. He went on to win the 2018 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, and he placed in two other graded stakes.
The Player was retired to stud at Crestwood Farm in Lexington, where Bradley was a regular visitor and supplied plenty of the horse's favorite peppermint treats. Sire of 27 registered foals, The Player had limited success. His first foal, the aptly named First Player, is a 6-year-old gelding who has banked nearly $200,000 thus far.
READ MORE: The Remarkable Journey of The Player
Rather than retain The Player for breeding, Bradley and Hurst decided he would have a more enjoyable life surrounded by admirers. Earlier this year, he was gelded and channeled to the Kentucky Horse Park, where he resides in the Breeds Barn as a representative of the Thoroughbred—a breed that traces to the 17th century.
"I have always loved the Horse Park, and my dad was a big proponent of developing it when he was in the legislature," Bradley said of the 1,300-acre facility, which opened in 1978 as the world's only park dedicated to showcasing the relationship between humans and horses through education, exhibition, engagement, and competition.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky owns the Horse Park, one of many agencies within the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet.
Barn workers at the Horse Park keep Bradley updated with pictures and reports of The Player entertaining visitors of all ages.
"He thinks he is the star of the show, and he loves what he is doing there," he said. "He has quite the life. Carl Hurst and I had always talked that we wanted him to have a good life. We decided last year to geld him and figure out what would be best for him. We wanted him to be able to live in a pasture with other horses. We always thought he would be happy romping and playing with other horses."
