retirements | Horse Racing Free Tips

Grade 1 Winner Voodoo Song Retired; Stallion Plans Pending

Sheryl and Barry Schwartz announce the retirement from racing of their homebred Grade 1 winner Voodoo Song, as they enter the process for his placement as a stallion prospect.

The New York-bred son of English Channel, captured his first Grade 1 win at a mile in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga. Voodoo Song defeated four other Grade 1 winners in that race including Yoshida, Heart to Heart, Divisidero and Delta Prince.

Owner Barry Schwartz spoke of his love for speedy turf runners saying, “I love frontrunning grass horses. Everyone takes back in grass races. It's been the nature of grass racing and the world forever. I love those horses that go to the front and keep running.”

Though Voodoo Song was a speedy frontrunner, his tenacity was on full display.

“There's been a lot of great horses who have raced at Saratoga over the years, but if he can win six races in a row up here in two years, I've never heard of anything like that, except for Native Dancer (a Hall of Famer who won four races there in 1952 and was six-for-six at the Spa from 1952-54),” Schwartz said. “You breed a lot of horses, and with each crop you hope you have a good one. It's not that you're surprised to get a good one. You're thrilled that he's grown into the kind of horse you can get excited about.”

As a 3-year-old Voodoo Song defeated eventual 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, who was only defeated twice in his career, as well as, Yoshida in the G3 Saranac.

Out of the stakes-winning mare Mystic Chant, by Unbridled's Song, Voodoo Song was bred in New York by Stonewall Farm, with lifetime earnings of $954,350.

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Grade 1 Winner Honor A. P. Retired Due To Injury; To Stand At Lane’s End

Lane's End farm announced today that Honor A. P. will retire from racing and stand the 2021 season at their Versailles farm. The 3-year-old colt retires as a Grade 1 winner and the top earner of his leading second-crop sire Honor Code.

In his most recent start, Honor A. P. dealt with an unlucky trip to finish a quickening fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, posting a 99 Beyer and traveling an incredible 49 more feet than the winner Authentic. This in turn means that the colt ran the fastest race of the field when accounting for ground loss.

“Honor A. P. is a horse with an immense talent,” said trainer John Shirreffs. “He was so forward and precocious that he broke his maiden second time out by over five lengths going two turns. Honor A. P. showed brilliance as a 2-year-old from the first time I saw him train and replicated it as a 3-year-old defeating the future Kentucky Derby winner. He ran a super race in the Derby and we later found that he came out of the race with an injury, so all things considered, what he accomplished was something special.”

As a 2-year-old, Honor A. P. broke his maiden at Santa Anita by over five lengths posting a 91 Beyer, one of the highest of his generation. His first start as a 3-year-old was in graded stakes company when he finished second in the G2 San Felipe Stakes. In his next start, he won the G1 Santa Anita Derby posting a 102 Beyer, becoming the only horse to defeat subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Authentic while also defeating G2 Pat Day Mile Stakes winner Rushie. The G1 Santa Anita Derby has long produced breed-shaping sires with past winners including A.P. Indy, Sunday Silence, Affirmed, Pioneerof the Nile and more. In his next start, the Shared Belief Stakes, he posted another 102 Beyer making him one of four 3-year-old colts in 2020 to post multiple triple-digit Beyers beyond a mile.

“Honor A. P. was a 'wow' horse from the beginning. He was the highest priced yearling in Honor Code's first crop. He was a standout 2-year-old at April Mayberry's, and the most recognizable horse in training at Santa Anita,” said Bill Farish. “His stunning good looks paired with his obvious talent make him just the type of prospect we are looking for at Lane's End.”

Honor A. P. is out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Hollywood Story, who earned $1,171,105 in her career and he is a half-sibling to three black-type winners. Hollywood Story is by Wild Rush, making Honor A. P.'s pedigree free of Mr. Prospector on his dam's side to five generations. His sire Honor Code is one of just four second-crop sires including Liam's Map and Constitution to produce a Grade 1 winner in 2020. To date, Honor A. P. is Honor Code's highest priced yearling commanding a final bid of $850,000 from David Ingordo for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“Like any owner in this game, Susan and I have long dreamt about having a leading Derby contender,” said Lee Searing. “Honor A. P. has given us the journey of a lifetime and we are excited to stay involved in his next career as a stallion where we know he'll be in great hands at Lane's End.”

Honor A. P. will be available for inspection at Lane's End farm in the coming weeks and a stud fee will be determined.

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Graded Stakes Winner Synchrony Retired; Stud Plans Pending

Pin Oak Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Synchrony, has been retired from racing.

According to Pin Oak general manager Clifford Barry, Synchrony exited his last race with a minor injury. Barry stated that the unfortunate timing would require time away from the races, missing all significant fixtures, so the decision was made to retire the homebred son of three-time leading sire Tapit.

Carrying the colors of Pin Oak owner Josephine Abercrombie, Synchrony has been an ultra-consistent campaigner. Over a six-year career, he won nine races and placed 11 times in 29 starts, and amassed earnings of $956,652.

His six graded stakes victories include a game rally in Woodbine's one-mile Grade 2 King Edward Stakes, back-to-back wins in the 1 1/8-mile G3 Fair Grounds Handicap, and a 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile G3 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park. In addition, he won or placed in 14 graded stakes at seven different race tracks, including Del Mar, Arlington Park, Churchill Downs, and Oaklawn.

As a 2-year-old, Synchrony signaled his talent early, with dominant wins at Churchill and Keeneland, posting impressive speed figures for a juvenile.

By Tapit, Synchrony is out of Pin Oak homebred Brownie Points. A daughter of Forest Wildcat, Brownie Points was a graded stakes winner of eight black type stakes, earning over $950,000. Her best performances included a victory in the G3 Ouija Board Distaff Handicap and a runner-up finish in the G1 Apple Blossom Handicap to Horse of the Year Zenyatta.

In addition to Synchrony, she is the dam of graded stakes winner Chocolate Kisses as well as stakes winner Point System.

Synchrony will be arriving at the farm later this week and stud plans have not been finalized.

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Grade 3 Winner Legends Of War To Enter Stud In England

Legends of War, a Grade 3-winning son of Scat Daddy, has been retired from racing, and he will enter stud for LM Stallions at March Hare Farm in England for the 2021 breeding season, Racing Post reports.

The 4-year-old from the final crop of Triple Crown-producing sire Scat Daddy will stand for an advertised fee of 6,000 British Pounds (US$7,978). Luke Gedge-Gibson of LM Stallions told the Racing Post that Legends of War would be the first son of Scat Daddy to stand in the U.K.

Legends of War won four of 16 starts during his on-track career for earnings of $491,240. He began his racing career in Europe, winning on debut as a juvenile by four lengths. He was soon moved up to group stakes competition, and he finished the season as a Group 2-placed runner for trainer John Gosden, having finished second in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes.

The colt was moved to the U.S. at three and placed in the barn of trainer Doug O'Neill. He quickly picked up placings in the listed William Walker Stakes and black type Desert Code stakes, but he earned his biggest career victory in the fall, when he won the G3 Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs. That effort led to a start in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park, where he finished a wide-running 12th.

Legends of War raced twice this year as a 4-year-old, ending his career in Saudi Arabia with a start on the Saudi Cup undercard.

Bred in Kentucky by DP Racing, Legends of War is out of the unplaced Rahy mare Madera Dancer.

He brought $200,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Turf Showcase, then he was pinhooked for 900,000 guineas (US$1,350,405) at the following year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale.