Edited Press ReleaseChestertown (Tapit) was named the recipient of the Down Broadway Award as New York's Retired Racehorse of the Year on New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day Friday afternoon at Saratoga. The award is named in honor of the first horse to retire through the popular TAKE THE LEAD program back in 2013.The theme of Aftercare Day was 'A Salute To Racetrack Ponies' and Chestertown has been learning the ropes of his new career, even if that wasn't the original hope when the regally bred son of Tapit was born at the nearby farm of popular breeders Chester and Mary Broman. Produced by their standout racemare Artemis Agrotera, Chestertown was presented for sale as a 2-year-old by Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock and brought a then-record $2 million for a New York-bred at auction.“I think he was supremely talented, and very, very smart,” Thomas reflected. “He was a very high-energy horse. Aftercare is near and dear to me–we still have Freud here at the farm–and it takes a lot of people willing to do the work and a lot of money to support that.”Chestertown made the 2020 Albany Stakes at Saratoga one of his five career victories for West Point Thoroughbreds and Robert Masiello, but NYRA's head outrider Miguel Gutierrez was ready to step in when it became clear that the gray's racing days were over.“When I'm looking for a horse to be an outrider's pony, it's important that he be a Thoroughbred, an ex-racehorse,” Gutierrez said. “I need to know a horse can be fast for at least a quarter-mile. That's my priority.”Chestertown has made steady progress for the experienced horseman and his team.“His temperament has improved a lot,” Gutierrez added. “He's been ponying good and doesn't kick, that's very important.”Tom Bellhouse, an executive vice president with West Point Thoroughbreds, is a longtime supporter of the industry's aftercare efforts.“With Chestertown working here, our partners get a chance to see him every morning,” Bellhouse said. “We are all united to make sure retired racehorses have happy and healthy lives beyond the racetrack.”The post Chestertown Named Down Broadway Retired Racehorse of the Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.