June 1, 2023

Jonesboro
(March 15, 2002 – May 25, 2023)
Sefapiano – Mom’s Command (Top Command)

When Jonesboro arrived at Old Friends on September 11^th, 2022 we all fell in love with his beauty. All except for Michael, who didn’t need to fall in love because he’d had long been a fan of Jonesboro, and before that, Jonesboro’s dam, the great Mom’s Command, whose wins in the Coaching Club Stakes, Alabama Stakes, Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes and other Grade 1s earned her induction into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Jonesboro’s bold blaze also reminded some of our oldest-timer hands and supporters of another son of Sefapiano, a much-missed founding resident named Easy Ellis. Jonesboro, a stallion, turned out to be as nice as he was handsome. We looked forward to spending years with him. As fate would have it, we barely got the chance to begin to get to know him.

Jonesboro inherited a very respectable share of his mom’s talent, his most notable wins being in the 2009 Prairie Meadows Handicap (G2) and the G3 2007 Essex H and 2008 Razorback H at Oaklawn Park, and the 2009 Texas Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park. He raced through age eight for earnings totalling $1,550,685.

After a moderate stud career he was pensioned last year. His coming to Old Friends was another legacy from his great mom. She was bred and raced by Peter Fuller, whose daughter Abigail Fuller was her jockey. When her best son was retired from stud, Abigail contacted Michael, who was delighted to welcome Jonesboro. For a far too short eight months he won the admiration of all who saw him and the affection of all who began to get to know him. We deeply regret that he didn’t get to enjoy a long retirement and wish we could have shared more time with him.

Beth
photos by Laura

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