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Multiple Grade 1 Winner Dark NME Retires
Owner Tykhe Racing announce that AQHA Champion Dark NME will be retiring to broodmare for the 2025 season.

© Dustin Orona Photography
Multiple Grade 1 Winner Dark NME Retires

by Greg Thompson, StallioneSearch.com

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–NOVEMBER 14, 2024–Owners Tykhe Racing have announced the retirement of Dark NME, the 2023 AQHA Two-Year-Old Champion Filly and multiple Grade 1 winning millionaire, following a fourth-place finish in last weekend's $795,000 Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1).

 

The daughter of Hes Relentless, Dark NME is out of the champion-producing Spit Curl Jess mare, Quions. The $65,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate retires with earnings of $1,701,355 from fourteen starts and nine total victories.

As a two-year-old, Dark NME made massive headlines with her scintillating performances. She won the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity(RG1) in May. Then, in July, she took the $1,000,000 Rainbow Futurity(G1) victory after qualifying with the fastest time, shattering World Champion Empressum’s 400-yard track in 19.028 seconds.  

In mid-August of her two-year-old campaign, Dark NME garnered the top spot as the fastest qualifier from both days of futurity trials to the 2023 All American Futurity(G1) with the fastest overall time of 21.101. In the finals, however, the filly had a rough start in the $3 million race and ultimately finished in third place, behind the classic winner, Cowboy Guns Z.

Dark NME would again qualify as the fastest qualifier in a major Grade 1 futurity in the fall of 2023, posting the fastest time in the trials for the Texas Classic Futurity(G1). With Francisco Calderon aboard, Dark NME pulled away from the eventual All American Derby (G1) champion, Especially Goodcandy, to come home victorious in the $1 Million finals.

The filly's connections attended the AQHA Racing Champion Awards ceremony in Oklahoma City, where she received the honor of 2023 Two-Year-Old Champion Filly for her efforts.

This year, Dark NME ran third in the Rainbow Derby(G1), as well as qualifying and finishing fourth in the Los Alamitos Super Derby(G1).

Owner Willie Garcia is hopeful about the future as a broodmare for the filly that captivated the racing world with her significant margin of victory in Grade 1 events.

"We are excited for what the future holds for her as a broodmare," said Garcia. "I would like to thank the entire team for two years of what has truly been a blessing to experience. Since it has been known that she is retiring, I have been fielding so many calls and messages from the top stallion owners in the business. We will take our time to consider our options, and we certainly look forward to seeing her pass along this God-given talent to her offspring, anticipating the day when she produces future legends of the sport.

"She's given us a great ride throughout her career."

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