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Gunnevera Retired from Racing

Salomon Del Valle’s Gunnevera (Dialed In–Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled), a winner of a trio of graded stakes and runner up in a quartet of Grade I/Group 1’s through a career that spanned four seasons, has been retired from racing. Stud plans have yet to be determined.

Victorious three starts at two, including the GII Saratoga Special S. and the GIII Delta Jackpot, the Antonio Sano trainee took the next season’s GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. before finishing third in the GI Florida Derby. Later that summer, he won Gulfstream’s Tangelo S. ahead of a runner-up effort behind West Coast (Flatter) in the GI Travers S. During his 4-year-old season, he was third in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational before collecting a win in a Gulfstream optional claimer later that summer. Runner up in the GI Woodward, he filled the same position behind Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) in the 2018 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Third in his second attempt at the Pegasus World Cup, he made what would be his final start in the 2019 G1 Dubai World Cup, finishing third behind Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet).

The 6-year-old, who has faced foot issues, throughout much of his career–including a fracture last summer–retires with six wins from 21 starts and earnings of $5,561,800.

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McKinzie Retired to Gainesway

Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville) has been retired from racing and will stand stud at Gainesway in 2021, the farm announced Wednesday evening.

“McKinzie was absolutely brilliant. He was an undefeated Grade I winner at two, as well as a multiple Grade I winner and top-rated horse at three and four years of age,” Brian Graves, General Manager of Gainesway, said. “His speed, precocity and good looks make him an absolute standout.”

Purchased by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman for $170,000 at Keeneland September, the bay was named in honor of trainer Bob Baffert’s late longtime friend Brad McKinzie, a Los Alamitos executive. Tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for his debut win at Santa Anita in 2017, he crossed the line second in that year’s GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity S., but was promoted to first via DQ.

Kicking off his sophomore season with a win in the 2018 GIII Sham S., McKinzie was second in the GII San Felipe S. that March and was subsequently shelved. Resurfacing that September, he won the GI Pennsylvania Derby and failed to fire in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but rebounded with a decisive win in the GI Malibu S. Second in both the 2019 GII San Pasqual S. and GI Santa Anita H., the colt was ultra-impressive when winning the GII Alysheba S. and was a close second in a salty renewal of the GI Met Mile last summer. A decisive victor of the GI Whitney S., the Baffert runner completed the exacta in both the GI Awesome Again S. and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

McKinzie made four starts this year with his best effort being a good-looking victory in the GII Triple Bend S. He retires with a record of 18-8-6-0 and earnings of $3,473,360.

“From day one, McKinzie has just been exceptional,” said Baffert. “He is a gorgeous physical with brilliant speed and stamina. I’ve only had one other horse in my career that has been able to accomplish what he’s done by winning a Grade I at two, three, and four. It takes an extraordinary horse to achieve that.”

Bred in Kentucky at Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie is out of MGSW and MGISP Runway Model, who was purchased by Lyon for $2.7-million at the 2006 KEENOV sale. Her most recent foal is the 3-year-old filly Map Maker (Liam’s Map). Runway Model has been retired from the breeding shed, but one of her older fillies Malibu Model (Malibu Moon) has now taken up broodmare duties at Summer Wind in her place.

“McKinzie is the best son of Street Sense, his Ragozin sheet numbers are as impressive as I have seen and to maintain that speed and soundness over multiple seasons takes an absolute superstar,” said Sean Tugel, Gainesway’s Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment. “He has everything you want in a stallion prospect.”

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Classic Heroine Fancy Blue Retired With Tendon Injury

Classic heroine Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}-Chenchikova {Ire}, by Sadler’s Wells) has been retired, according to a tweet from Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick Smith. Bred by Coolmore, the bay raced for a Coolmore partnership.

“Fancy Blue retires,” Derrick’s son Paul Smith tweeted of the 3-year-old who sustained a tendon injury in training. “Thank you to Donnacha O’Brien and all connected with her.”

A winner of a Naas maiden last September and of the Listed Staffordstown Stud S. a month later for Aidan O’Brien at two, Fancy Blue was moved to the newly opened yard of O’Brien’s son Donnacha, where she ran second in the June 13 G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas first out at three. She then earned her first Group 1 crown with a score in Chantilly’s July 5 G1 Prix de Diane, the first Group 1/Classic for her young trainer and doubled up with another victory in the G1 Qatar Nassau S. on July 30. Her final run was a third in the G1 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 12. She was due to compete in the G1 Prix de l’Opera before she was withdrawn due to contaminated feed. Her record stands at 6-4-1-1 and $693,376 in earnings.

The third black-type winner from her winning dam, Fancy Blue is a half-sister to SW and G1 Dewhurst S. third Smuggler’s Cove (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and French MSW and G3 Prix de Lutece third Casterton (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Her dam is a full-sister to world-beater and successful sire High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) and GSW & GI Secretariat S. second Black Bear Island (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), as well as a half-sister to the dam of Irish highweight Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and David Livingston (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), both MGSWs & Group 1 placed.

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Arc Hero Sottsass Retired to Coolmore Stud

2020 G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}-Starlet’s Sister {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired and will take up stallion duties at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, owner Peter Brant announced on Tuesday. A colourbearer for Brant’s White Birch Farm initially with Coolmore buying a 50% interest earlier this year, the 2019 French highweight’s fee will be announced later.

“A world champion at three and now an Arc winner at four, I have decided to retire Sottsass after what he has achieved,” said Brant. “He has retired sound and right at the top of his game–this is important to me. I am looking forward to breeding some of my best mares to him. Coolmore purchased 50% of him earlier in the year and he will stand there for 2021.”

Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux in France, the chestnut was knocked down for €340,000 at the 2017 Arqana August Yearling Sale on the bid of Michel Zerolo’s Oceanic Bloodstock for Brant. Put into training with Jean-Claude Rouget, Sottsass broke his maiden at second asking at Clairefontaine and captured the Listed Prix de Suresnes in his second run at three. In only his fifth career start, Sottsass defeated that year’s G1 French Guineas hero Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, setting a new race record last June. The chestnut added a win in the G2 Prix Niel that September, and was a very good third in the 2019 Arc.

Besides his swansong at ParisLongchamp in 2020, Sottsass also captured the G1 Prix Ganay this term and was a close second in the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron. He retires with a mark of 12-6-1-1 and $3,900,437 in earnings.

“Back in 1971, I was working on a film in Paris and was lucky enough to witness Mill Reef win his Arc,” Brant added. “I think it is the ultimate race to win and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have fulfilled a lifelong dream. Sottsass has an incredible turn of foot as he showed when readily disposing of Persian King in the Prix du Jockey Club. He smashed the race record time and knocked nearly a second off the 1m 2 1/2f track record at Chantilly previously held by dual Arc winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). We were concerned that the testing conditions on Sunday might blunt his speed but he overcame them and showed his true greatness.

“Being a half-brother to Sistercharlie who had run second for us in the Prix de Diane, Sottsass was always going to be of interest to us as a yearling and we were delighted when the individual matched up to his pedigree. Being by France’s leading sire Siyouni and out of a daughter of Galileo only added to his appeal. The rest as they say is history as Sistercharlie has gone on to win seven Grade I races in the USA for Chad Brown and Sottsass has proved himself the ultimate champion.

“Jean-Claude Rouget has done a masterful job with Sottsass and it gave me great pleasure to share in his first Arc success.”

Said Rouget, “He’s a good looking horse with a good temperament, a classy horse and goes to stud in the best way after a great win in the Arc. The decision has been made now as they want to protect him for a stallion career and I think it was best not to go to the Breeders’ Cup as the track would have been too sharp for him. He is quite a big horse with a big action. It would have been a risk.”

Added the trainer of the colt’s early career, “I go slowly with my horses. He was promising after he had a bad trip first time out. He won his second race easily. He had a bad race first time out at three and, after he won his listed race easily, he won the Prix du Jockey Club. The Arc was the target this year. It was not easy with COVID-19 to do good planning, but we do it and we did well. I am very happy for him not to run again. He was a very courageous horse.”

The third consecutive group winner and third foal out of Starlet’s Sister, Sottsass follows on the hooves of Eclipse Champion Turf Female Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), who counts a GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf laurel amongst her seven Grade I wins and played bridesmaid in the 2017 G1 Prix de Diane. Rounding out the trio of GSWs for Starlet’s Sister is My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), a GSW in both France and America, who races for Brant. Sottsass is also a half-brother to the 2020 Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale topper, a €2,500,000 filly by Dubawi (Ire) purchased by Oliver St Lawrence, as well as €400,000 Arqana August yearling Radiant Child (Ire) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) who is three and a Fastnet Rock (Aus) juvenile colt who went for €700,000 to David Redvers at the same sale in 2019.

Out of GI Del Mar Oaks third Premiere Creation (Fr) (Green Tune), Starlet’s Sister is a full-sister to G3 Prix Cleopatre heroine Leo’s Starlet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and a half-sister to SW and MG1SP Anabaa’s Creation (Ire) (Anabaa). Farther back in the pedigree are champions Noalcoholic (Fr) (Nonoalco) and Leonnatus Anteas (Stormy Atlantic).

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