NEWS
Grade 3 winner American Lion retired
Posted: Friday, September 03, 2010 4:37 PM
Multiple Grade 3 winner American Lion has been retired from racing by owner and co-breeder WinStar Farm.
Stud plans have not been determined for the bay Tiznow colt, who won the Illinois Derby (G3) in April at Hawthorne Race Course prior to an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
“American Lion had a setback after the Derby that has prevented him from getting back to his best form and fulfilling his great potential, so we felt it was best to allow him to move on to his second career, ” WinStar Farm Racing Manager Elliott Walden said.
American Lion won two of three starts as a juvenile. After breaking his maiden by 6 ¾ lengths at Keeneland Race Course, he captured the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) in November at Hollywood Park in his 2009 finale. He opened his three-year-old season with a third-place finish in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park and finished fourth in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) prior to his 2 ¾-length victory on dirt in the Illinois Derby.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar and Dr. William Lockridge, American Lion posted three wins, one second, and one third from seven career starts and $413,600 in earnings. He is out of the winning Storm Cat mare Storm Tide, whose dam is Grade 1 winner City Band.
“American Lion is a magnificent specimen with remarkable speed for such a big horse,” trainer Eoin Harty said. “His considerable talent was always apparent, and his potential was never fully realized. He could have easily been a Travers [Stakes (G1)] horse had he not been sidelined. His promise as a sire is equally exciting and will hopefully be fulfilled.”
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Posted by: W, Harrodsburg, KY on September 04, 2010 at 01:21 PM
Yet another "shoulda, woulda, coulda" being whisked off to the breeding shed over a minor injury so as not to cheapen his stud value. If this industry would focus on performance instead of how much money they can make breeding mares racing would be a lot healthier.
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