2004 Retirements
Azeri Retired In 2001, under the care of Laura de Seroux, Azeri won two of two starts, and then in 2002 she received Horse of the Year honors with seven stakes wins, including the Breeders' Cup Distaff. She also won the Champion Older Mare title. In 2003, Azeri looked to be unstopable again. Azeri won four more stakes races before losing the Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita, where she was forced into "retirement" by a tendon injury. Despite her one loss, she was once again named Champion Older Mare. Just half a year later, Azeri was back on track, winning the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park under the care of D. Wayne Lukas. She would go on to win the Go for Wand Stakes and the Spinster Stakes this year. |
 Azeri © Emily Hufford 2004 |
After a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic behind Ghostzapper and Roses in May, Azeri has been retired. She was under consideration for both the Fall City Handicap and Bayakoa Handicap in the fall, as well as a few races in the spring, but her dominance on the racetrack is over. She is in the running, along with rival Sightseek, for yet another Eclipse Award this year.
Azeri, who is owned by Michael Paulson, will be bred to either Storm Cat or A.P. Indy in the spring. She retired with over $4 million in earnings.
Read the Footnotes
Retired By Amanda Saunders Read The Footnotes, one of the leading contenders for this past Kentucky Derby, has been retired to stand at stud according to his trainer Rick Violette. Decisions have not yet been finalized as to where he will stand or a possible fee, but re-occurring problems with an arthritic knee lead the decision to retire the son of Smoke Glacken. Early this year, Read The Footnotes stamped himself as one of the best of his crop by beating the highly talented Second Of June in the Grade 2 Fountain Of Youth Stakes after a gritty battle to the wire and then followed that up with a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby and a seventh place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. As a two-year-old, the son of the Al Nasr mare Baydon Belle won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes and the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes, solidifying his status as a top Derby contender early on. He will retire with five wins in eight starts with a total of $450,660 in earnings. |
 Read the Footnotes © Rae Parodi 2004 |
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Birdstone Retired Birdstone, who won the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and Travers Stakes (gr. I) this year, has been retired due to an ankle chip discovered after a seventh place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The three-year-old son of Grindstone was trained by Nick Zito and owned by Marylou Whitney. Although he will stand in Kentucky, it is undecided as to which farm will stand Birdstone. After the retirements of Smarty Jones, Lion Heart, The Cliff's Edge, Friends Lake, Tapit, and now Birdstone, six of this year's eighteen Derby starters have already been whisked away to stud. Luckily for racing fans, many horses who did not get a chance to run in the Derby, such as Rock Hard Ten, Silver Wagon, Eurosilver, and Second of June are all back in training, preparing for a 2005 campaign. Birdstone, who also won the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) as a two-year-old, retires with five wins in nine starts, and $1,575,600 in earnings.
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Pleasantly Perfect
Retired Pleasantly Perfect has run his last race. The six-year-old son of Pleasant Colony was injured during his third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic last Saturday at Lone Star Park. After earning over $7.7 million on the racetrack by winning 9 of his 18 career starts, he will retire to Lane's End Farm and stand for $40,000 in 2005. Pleasantly Perfect won the Breeders' Cup Classic last year, the Dubai World Cup in March, and the Pacific Classic in August. He also has two victories in the Goodwood at Santa Anita to his credit. Pleasantly Perfect was trained throughout his career by Richard Mandella, who had hoped to run him in the Japan Cup at the end of November. |
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Teton Forest Retried,
to Spendthrift Teton Forest made eight starts, winning the Jerome Stakes by 6 lengths this fall. He made $222,000 and his fee has not been announced. Teton Forest was trained by Bob Baffert. |
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Tapit Retired "Tapit has been as sound as any horse can be, his performance in the Wood was spectacular," trainer Michael Dickinson said according to the Blood-Horse. Gainesway also stands Broad Brush, Cozzene, K One King, Luhuk, Mt. Livermore, Officer, Orientate, Sir Cat, Smoke Glacken, Subordination, Sunday Break, and Ten Most Wanted. |
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Perfect Soul Retired
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Buy the Sport Retired
Last year, Buy the Sport contested the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, and returned this year in a turf allowance at Belmont Park where she finished off the board. A four-year-old daughter of Devil's Bag, Buy the Sport earned $356,705 for owner Peter Minikes. |
Irish Warrior
Retired Out of the Grade 3-placed Alleged mare Spiritofpocahontas, Irish Warrior won seven out of twenty six starts with seven places and four shows and earnings equalling $761,654. |
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The
Cliff's Edge Retired The Cliff's Edge is a son of Gulch out of the Danzig mare Zigember. He won five of thirteen races in his career and made $1,265,268. As a two-year-old, the Nick Zito-trainee won the Iriqouis Stakes and the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. In the Kentucky Derby this year, The Cliff's Edge lost two shoes and still finished third. He was withdrawn from the Preakness Stakes due to injury. |
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Seattle
Fitz Retired Out of the Seattle Slew mare Hug A Slew, Seattle Fitz also won the Aqueduct Handicap and the William Donald Schaefer Handicap this year. No decision has been made as to where he will stand at stud. |
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Sarava,
Peace Rules Retired Sarava ran during his three-year-old season for Ken McPeek and won the Sir Barton Stakes in addition to his victory at Belmont, which spoiled the Triple Crown bid of War Emblem. He was then transferred to the barn of Bob Baffert and nearly lost his life when he ran in his comeback race fourteen months later and twisted his colon, requiring surgery. Another comeback later, Sarava was pointing for Saturday's Jockey Club Gold Cup following a fifth-place finish in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap. He was retired due to a suspensory injury. Peace Rules was trained by Bobby Frankel and was also pointing for a start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and perhaps a possible run in this year's Breeders' Cup. The very talented colt often ran in the shadow of Frankel's other |
| stars, including last year's Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker. During his racing career, Peace Rules won the Haskell Invitational (gr. I), the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), the Suburban Handicap (gr. I), and the Louisiana Derby. He finished third in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and second in the Travers Stakes. In all, the son of Jules had nine wins from nineteen starts. The decision was made to retire Peace Rules when a filling was found Monday morning. Stud plans are still being made. Peace Rules' last race was a sixth-place finish in this year's Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. |
 Peace Rules © 2003 Amanda Saunders |
 Adoration © 2004 Emily Hufford |
Adoration Injured,
Retired Adoration, winner of the 2003 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), was retired after injuring her right front ankle during a workout Wednesday morning. The five-year-old daughter of Honor Grades out of the unraced Key To The Mint mare Sewing Lady will be sent to Peacefield Farm in Temecula, California for a rest before being bred in 2005. Breeding plans have not yet been made. |
During her racing career, the Kentucky-bred Adoration won at least one Grade 1 stakes race per year, winning the G1 Hollywood Oaks as a three-year-old, the Grade One Breeders' Cup Distaff as a four-year-old, and the Grade One Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap as a five-year-old. Other graded stakes wins include the Grade Three Senorita Stakes, the Grade Two Fleur De Lis Handicap, and the Grade Three Arlington Matron Handicap. She retires with eight wins in twenty starts with three seconds and one third with a total of $2,051,160 in earnings.
 Strong Hope © 2004 Joe Salzillo |
Strong Hope Retired
Strong Hope, thought to be a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, has been retired. The four-year-old colt will enter stud in 2005 at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. A son of Grand Slam, Strong Hope earned $767,460 in an eleven race career, which included victories in the Dwyer Stakes and the Jim Dandy Stakes last year. Strong Hope was trained by Todd Pletcher and last ran in the Forego Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, where he wrenched an ankle. It was not looking as though he would make the Breeders' Cup, so the decision was made to retire him. Strong Hope was owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk, who purchased him for $1.7 million as a yearling in 2001. |
 Friends Lake © 2004 Emily Hufford |
Friends Lake Retired The handsome chestnut son by A.P. Indy out of the tough and classy Antespend, who died when Friends Lake was a yearling, has been retired to stud after a brief campaign of seven races, with his best performance coming when he upset the Grade 1 Florida Derby. His only other stakes victory came in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes, restricted to New York breds. The colt will stand at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Kentucky for a fee of $15,000. |
 Lion Heart © Emily Hufford 2004 |
Lion Heart Retired Lion Heart, who finished last in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga yesterday, has been retired. It was discovered that the son of Tale of the Cat broke a bone in his right foreleg during his run yesterday and while surgery is not required, the injury can take six months to heal. It is unknown where Lion Heart will stand at stud in 2005 because there had been no prior plans for his retirement. Lion Heart finished his career with five wins and three seconds in ten starts and earnings of over $1.3 million. To read more about Lion Heart, click here. |
 Lone Star Sky at Churchill Downs © 2003 Amelia Baldree |
Lone Star Sky
Retired Lone Star Sky has been officially retired from
racing due to problems with his feet. Trained by Tom Amoss and owned
by Walter "Buddy" New, the son of Conquistador Cielo won
the 2002 Grade III Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs, tying
Amoss for Leading Trainer of the Spring 2002 Meet at Churchill Downs,
and won the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs later
in the year. He was named champion two-year-old Florida-bred colt
for 2002. Lone Star Sky retires with career earnings of $504,995 and a career record of 3 wins, 4 places and 1 show in 14 lifetime starts. A decision regarding stud plans has not yet been made. |
Smarty Jones ©
Alysse Jacobs 2004
Game Over: Farewell, Smarty Jones
by Emily Hufford
Smarty Jones, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes this year en route to capturing the hearts and minds of thousands of fans across America and the world, was retired on August 2nd. The three-year-old son of Elusive Quality will be shipped to Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky in the coming weeks to take up residence in the stall that housed Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
Smarty Jones was disagnosed with chronic bruising in all four legs. Although with three months of rest he could heal and run again, his owners have decided to retire him instead, as he has a $39 million price tag to his name. Fans are disappointed all over America, as Roy and Pat Chapman, as well as trainer John Servis, had mentioned that Smarty Jones would probably run as a four-year-old.
As a small consolation, Three Chimneys has stated several times that they will be open to accomadate the many fans who will want to see Smarty Jones during his stud career.
Grey Memo Retired,
Again The popular California-bred Grey Memo has been retired again after a failed attempt to return him to racing. The seven-year-old son of Memo will stand at stud in 2005, although it is likely that he will not stand in California as a few Eastern farms are interested in him. At the top of his game, Grey Memo was a ferocious late running sprinter who captured the 2002 Godolphin Mile and San Diego Handicap. He was retired earlier in 2004, but brought back to racing in the spring. After finishing dismally in a turf allowance race, Grey Memo was officially retired for good. Grey Memo was trained throughout his career by Mel Stute. He retires with eight wins in fifty-four starts and over $1.7 million in earnings. |
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Joey Franco Retired The California-bred 2003 Horse of the Year, Joey Franco, was retired and stud negotiations are in progress. The son of Avenue of Flags earned $635,091 in a career that saw eight wins in seventeen starts. Owner Jerry Frankel would like to stand the horse in California. Last year, Joey Franco won the Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Invitational Handicap (gr. I), the Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. II), the Tiznow Stakes, and the Ack Ack Handicap. He was named California-bred Horse of the Year, Champion Older Horse, and Champion Sprinter. And injury in the Goodwood Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita, where he was fourth to eventual Breeders' Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect, would be the final start of his career. Joey Franco was injured and although he was very close to returning for trainer Darrell Vienna, the decision was made to retire him. Joey Franco is out of the Native Prospector mare Susan Powter. He has a two-year-old half sister by Event of the Year named Zoey Franco. |
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 Momentum
at Hollywood Park © Emily Hufford
2004 |
Momentum Retired Six-year-old Momentum, a son of Nureyev, has been retired due to reinjuring a tendon. He ran on May 31st at Hollywood Park, his first start in almost two years, and finished last. Momentum was a stakes winner in England before coming over to America, where he won the Native Diver Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park. He was trained in the US by Craig Dollase. Momentum retires with four wins in seventeen starts and $664,817. No decision has been made on where he will stand at stud. |
| Medaglia d'Oro Retired By Emily Hufford $5,754,720 earner Medaglia d'Oro has been retired and will stand the 2005 season at Hill 'n' Dale farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He was purchased from Edmund Gann by Never Tell Farm for an undisclosed sum. A stud fee is not yet determined. Extremely consistent, Medaglia d'Oro won eight of seventeen starts, with his biggest wins coming in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) and Whitney Handicap (gr. I). He retires after a gut-wrenching loss to Pleasantly Perfect in the Dubai World Cup last March. Medaglia d'Oro is a son of El Prado out of the Bailjumper mare Cappucino Bay. He was trained throughout his career by Bobby Frankel. |
 Medaglia d'Oro Before the Breeders' Cup Classic © Dave Shields 2003 |
 Redattore in 2002 © Emily Hufford |
Redattore Retired The popular Brazilian-bred Redattore has been retired after an ankle injury was detected. The nine-year-old horse concludes his career with fifteen wins in thirty-two starts, with nearly $2 million in earnings. Redattore started his career in South America, where he won group 1 Grande Premio Presidente da Republica-Taca Caixa Economica Federal, then was sent to North America to train under Richard Mandella. He won two Grade 1 races in the United States, including the Eddie Read Handicap (gr. I) at Del Mar. Redattore will enter stud in 2005. A farm has not yet been determined. Also retiring from the Mandella barn is Group 2 winner Spring Star. |
 Ten Most Wanted at Santa Anita © 2003 Dave Shields |
Ten Most Wanted Retired 2003 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner and $1.7 million earner Ten Most Wanted has been retired. Trainer Wally Dollase cited a ligament problem in one of the colt's legs. Stud plans are not yet known. As a three year old last year, Ten Most Wanted won the Super Derby (gr. II) after the Travers, which came after second place finishes in the Swaps Stakes and Belmont Stakes (gr. I), where he defeated Funny Cide. Earlier in the year, Ten Most Wanted won the Illinois Derby, which made him the "wise guys'" horse for the Kentucky Derby that year. Ten Most Wanted is a son of Deputy Commander and won five of thirteen races. |
 Congaree at Churchill Downs © Emily Hufford |
Congaree Retired After a storied career that spanned twenty five races, including twenty two consecutive graded stakes, the brilliant Congaree has been retired. Bred by Stonerside Stable, Congaree made a splash on the racing world when he broke his maiden by seven lengths in 1:34 1/5 for the mile. He followed up that devastating victory with an eight length allowance win, then a win in the Wood Memorial as his last prep for the Kentucky Derby of 2001. Congaree ran one of the best races of the day, finishing third after contesting a very hot pace in only the fifth start of his career. Since that race, Congaree's list of victories has read like a list of all major races in America. He has captured the Cigar Mile (gr. I) twice (the only horse to ever win it more than once), the Carter Handicap (gr. I, 7 furlongs), the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I, 1 1/4 miles), Swaps Stakes (gr. I, 1 1/8 miles), and the San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II). He was also second by a head in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) and fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). Now a six-year-old, Congaree is one of those rare, special horses who will never win an Eclipse Award for his talents. Congaree finished his career with twelve wins and $3,267,490. The son of Arazi was trained throughout his career by Bob Baffert. |
