Millionaire Muad’dib retired
Won back-to-back Sam Huff Breeders’ Classics
The Biz
June 22, 2026
Muad’dib, one of the most accomplished West Virginia-breds of recent years, has been retired after a career that included 18 victories, more than $1.1 million in earnings, and a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.
Owned by David Raim and trained throughout his career by Jeff Runco, the gray gelding made his final start June 13 in the Confucius Say Stakes. He retires with a record of 18 wins, seven seconds, and six thirds from 42 starts and earnings of $1,128,785.
One of those runner-up finishes came in the 2022 edition of the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic, a race in which he also finished fourth the following year.
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Raim revealed the retirement on the Midlantic Racing Today Charles Town podcast June 19.
“I mean, obviously completely unexpected,” Raim said of the horse’s career. “The second in the Grade 2 was just unbelievable. To be out there with trainers and owners from all over the country with the top horses, and having him hold on for a second, it was great.”
A son of Fiber Sonde out of the Indian Charlie mare Holy Pow Wow, Muad’dib was bred in West Virginia by John McKee. His full siblings include the stakes winners Late Night Pow Wow, Overnight Pow Wow, and Duncan Idaho, the last of whom is also owned by Raim.
Muad’dib won his first 10 career starts before finishing second in the 2022 Charles Town Classic, a race that remains among the highlights of his career.
The gelding also won the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic in both 2021 and 2022 and became the leading older horse on the Charles Town circuit. His final victory came in an allowance race on Jan. 9 of this year.
“The horse has just been a wonderful ride, obviously,” Raim said. “My best horse yet, and a great personality. There was a period of time in there where he just didn’t lose and where he was winning all of his races by really big margins. It was a great ride. It was anything I think that any owner could ask for.”
As successful as Muad’dib was on the racetrack, connections are now focused on finding the right situation for his retirement.
Raim said that Runco and his wife, Susan, believe the gelding’s personality makes him a candidate for a second career rather than a traditional retirement in a pasture.
“Jeff and Susan both feel that his personality is such that he needs to be active,” Raim said. “Jeff and Susan feel that he would not be happy just grazing around in a field all day. We really need to find a more active second career for him, that he will be happier doing that.”
For now, Muad’dib has returned home from the track and will be given time off while his connections consider the next step.
“What that will be, whether it’s equestrian or whatnot, who knows,” Raim said. “He’ll get some time off, and then I think Jeff and Susan will go about thinking about what’s the next step for him. He was such a great racehorse, he really deserves some time and some thought going into deciding where he should go next.”
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