Meet Fly The W, better known around here as Queso.

Short for Queso Blanco.

No, we did not name the very accomplished racehorse after cheese. Okay, technically we did. Moving on.

Queso is a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding who came to Hope For Horses for perhaps the least dramatic reason possible: he got older, his racing career came to an end, and the people who cared about him wanted to make sure he landed somewhere that would find him the right next chapter.

Which is especially funny considering this horse has a résumé longer than most people's.

Queso won 22 races during his career and currently holds the Gulfstream Park track record for 1 mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta, running it in 1:37.67 on December 30, 2023.

So yes, technically there is a track-record-holding athlete standing in our barn answering to the name Queso.

And apparently retirement suits him just fine.

Queso had been with us for only a couple of weeks before our students were already taking him to horse shows.

And placing.

Because of course he was.

This horse is an absolute delight.

He has an exceptionally good brain, is well mannered, and has taken to his new career like someone forgot to tell him that Thoroughbreds are supposed to require a dramatic transitional period.

Spooky? Not particularly.

Bad attitude? Nope.

Constantly looking for an opportunity to make poor life choices? Also no.

Queso mostly seems interested in doing his job, being a gentleman, and making everyone wonder why all horses cannot simply behave this way.

He stands beautifully for the vet and farrier. He is good for grooming, bathing, tacking, and the general indignities humans insist upon performing in the name of horse ownership.

He is current on veterinary and farrier care.

Under saddle, he is straightforward and comfortable in his new life away from the racetrack. There is, however, one small disclaimer:

The man has a TROT.

Queso has quite a bit of suspension, so while he may be incredibly kind about many things, your abdominal muscles are still your own responsibility.

Knowing how to post is strongly recommended.

Possibly encouraged by your chiropractor as well.

One important piece of transparency: we did not receive his historical medical records from his racing career. Because of that, we cannot confirm whether he experienced any previous soundness issues while on the track. We can only speak to what we have observed and evaluated during his time with us, and prospective adopters should complete whatever pre-purchase veterinary evaluation they feel is appropriate.

What makes Queso particularly special is that his racing accomplishments are almost secondary to the horse standing in front of us now. He had a long, successful career, retired at 10, and still came out of racing with the temperament and willingness to immediately start helping our students learn and compete.

That says an awful lot about him.

If you're looking for a horse who has already accomplished more than most of us ever will, has nothing left to prove, and would now very much like a nice person, a good job, and presumably snacks...

Queso would like to review your application.