NEWS
Champion Stardom Bound retired
Posted: Thursday, April 15, 2010 3:08 PM
STARDOM BOUND
Benoit & Associates photo
by Frank Angst
The owners of 2008 champion two-year-old filly Stardom Bound plan to retire the five-time Grade 1 winner and breed her to dual classic winner Big Brown.
Stardom Bound closed her juvenile season with three straight Grade 1 victories, capped by a 1½-length score in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park. Before that effort, the Tapit filly won the Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) and Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) by a combined 7¾ lengths.
Last year, Stardom Bound opened the season with victories in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita.
Campaigned by IEAH Stable, Paul Pompa Jr., Michael Dubb, and Gary Tolchin, Stardom Bound closed her career with a fifth-place finish in an allowance race on April 11 at Keeneland Race Course, her first career start on turf. She currently is at Bluewater Farm in Lexington.
“There are not many horses in history who have won five Grade 1s in a row, especially spanning their two- and three-year-old seasons,” said Chris Brothers on behalf of IEAH Stables.
IEAH Stables also campaigned Big Brown, who won the 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) on his way to earning champion three-year-old male honors. Big Brown stands for $55,000 at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky.
“We are very excited to see the result of the matchup between Stardom Bound and Big Brown, two great champions who carried our silks,” Brothers said. “The mating is a perfect fit, both on paper and physically.”
Stardom Bound won five of 12 starts and earned $1,861,610. IEAH Stables purchased Stardom Bound for $5.7-million at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale through agent Nick Sallusto.
Video of Stardom Bound's Grade 1 wins
2008 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), click here.
2008 Oak Leaf Stakes (G1), click here.
2008 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), click here.
2009 Las Virgenes Stakes (G1), click here.
2009 Santa Anita Oaks (G1), click here.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: John, Somerset, KY on April 17, 2010 at 01:57 AM
Sometimes, horses that begin there careers as superstars, as in the case of Stardom Bound, just aren't able to carry that form over to when they get older. Often times, with fillies especially, horses that you may have dominated as a 2yr.old or early into your 3yr.old season, as Stardom Bound did, fill out and get considerably stronger themselves. Making it much more difficult to beat them when they get older as well. There's no doubt in my mind that Stardom Bound was, and still remains a championship caliber filly. But I suspect that her 2 and 3yr.old campaign's, which was quite grueling for her, have now taken a toll on the filly. She's no longer able to win Graded Stakes, or even allowance races. So it's time to retire her. While she still sit's with 5 straight Grade 1 win's to her credit for everyone to remember. Another filly in racing right now was also put through a very grueling 3yr.old campaign. Amazing result's were expected, and achieved by her as well. But now in her 4yr.old campaign, many wonder if her grueling 3yr.old season has taken it's toll on her as well? Just like it apparently has with Stardom Bound. JMO.
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Posted by: Medlocke, Nancy, KY on April 15, 2010 at 11:34 PM
Stardom Bound has been, and is a terrific filly. But she now appears to be a filly who's very grinding late 2yr.old and early 3yr.old campaigns seem's to have taken it's toll, physically on. During her 2 and 3yr.old seasons, Stardom Bound was unbeatable. But now, it seems, for what ever reason, that Stardom Bound just no longer has the ability to outrun other fillies that she easily outran early in her career. She really hasn't made a lot of progress over her last 3 or 4 starts. When you go from winning 5 straight Grade 1 races, to longer being able to win an allowance race, something in her has gone physically wrong. Maybe she'll make an outstanding brood mare. Bred to Big Brown, the gene pool there certainly suggest the capability of winning offspring. Based on her most recent races of late, I really think that retirement seem's to be the best option at this stage for Stardom Bound. I applaud the decision. TJMO.
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Posted by: Justin, Paris, KY on April 15, 2010 at 03:35 PM
Good Match!
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