Last year's champion 2-year-old Corniche, unbeaten but for sustaining a career-ending injury to a hind joint in the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga late last month, will now retire to Coolmore America's Ashford Stud for 2023.
The $1.5-million OBS April topper selected by Marette Farrell was named champion 2-year-old male at the Eclipse Awards following an undefeated season for trainer Bob Baffert and owners Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner of Speedway Stables, LLC.
Earning 'TDN Rising Star' status off a jaw-dropping debut romp going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar, Corniche was then stepped straight up to Grade 1 company for the two-turn American Pharoah Stakes where he posted another front-end success. Drawn widest of all in post 11 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Corniche sped through fractions of :23.03 and :46.15 before keeping on strongly down the lane to score with plenty in hand.
“It's unfortunate that Corniche has been forced to retire at this point in his career but he will be revered for his remarkable juvenile season,” said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. “He's a most impressive looking individual and I can see him proving extremely popular amongst breeders.”
Bred in Kentucky by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings, Corniche is the best juvenile by this year's leading general sire Quality Road and is out of the high class racemare Wasted Tears, winner of six graded stakes including the G2 John C. Mabee Stakes and the G2 Jenny Wiley Stakes.
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