Gulfstream: Ex-Race Mare Back to Front Becomes Winner 14 Years Later

By David Joseph —-

Ex-Race Mare Back to Front Becomes Winner 14 Years Later

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Fourteen years after her racing career ended without a victory, rescued mare Back to Front officially became a winner.

Competing in her first show since DNA testing reunited her with previous owner Michelle Macatee earlier this year, and ridden by Macatee’s 8-year-old granddaughter Rylie Beauchamp, Back to Front won first place in the Lead Line Walk class during the Skip Ahead Dressage Schooling Show Oct. 18 in Marlton, N.J.

As part of the Halloween-themed show, Rylie dressed as a princess while 17-year-old Back to Front – lovingly called ‘Bebe’ by Macatee and her granddaughter – was fitted with a unicorn’s horn and rainbow stirrups.

“She learned how to salute the judge 10 minutes before her class,” Macatee said of her granddaughter. “The judge told her she needed to make her walk a little faster next time. After [the show], she showed Bebe her ribbon and gave her a big kiss.”

Back to Front was relocated from the Florida Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care facility in Indiantown, Fla. to Westhampton Farm in Bergen County, New Jersey June 8, after Macatee discovered her on the Florida TRAC website. Macatee had previously adopted Back to Front but life circumstances forced her to give her up in 2011.

To read more about Back to Front’s story, visit: https://www.gulfstreampark.com/racing/news-details/2020/06/16/back-to-front-back-at-home-with-owner-after-long-journey

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The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horseracing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST LIVE and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horseracing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horseracing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST LIVE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horseracing on and off the track. For more information please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com.