Grade I winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow–Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie) will stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan beginning in 2023. The GI Pennsylvania Derby hero and half-brother to Eclipse Champion Sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) will stand for ¥2,000,000.
Eisuke Tokutake of Shadai Stallion Station said, “Hot Rod Charlie has only one [Grade I] win, but he is running steadily, and his pedigree background is a stallion that is definitely a Japan stallion [in the making] with a champion sprinter as his half-brother, [Mitole].”
Purchased for $17,000 as a short yearling out of the Fasig-Tipton February Sale, he developed into a $110,000 prospect when reoffered at Fasig-Tipton in October of 2019. The Edward A. Cox, Jr.-bred dark bay won a maiden special weight in his fourth start at two for Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC & William Strauss and trainer Doug O'Neill and was later was a close second to Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile of 2020.
At three, Hot Rod Charlie was campaigned with the Triple Crown in mind, and was third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. prior to taking the GII Louisiana Derby by two lengths. Gainesway Farm bought in before he crossed the wire in third in the GI Kentucky Derby, although he was subsequently elevated to second as Medina Spirit (Protonico) was disqualified for a medication positive and Mandaloun (Into Mischief) was named the winner. The colt was only 1 1/4 lengths behind old rival Essential Quality when runner-up in the GI Belmont S., and he was a nose the best in the GI Haskell S., but was disqualified to seventh after drifting down the stretch. Recording a career-high victory at Parx in September, he rounded out the season with a fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, followed by a nose second in Santa Anita's GII San Antonio S.
Sent to Meydan in February of 2022, the then-4-year-old dashed to a 5 1/4-length win in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 prior to running second in the G1 Dubai World Cup a month later. Runner-up in his North American reappearance in the GIII Salvator Mile last June, he finished third behind Eclipse finalist Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Whitney S., narrowly besting Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in the GII Lukas Classic in October. He concluded 2022 with a sixth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic held at Keeneland Nov. 5.
“What to say? Thank you Hot Rod Charlie for the amazing memories, the great and often unpredictable ride and for inspiring us to give our ALL every time,” tweeted O'Neill. “Wishing him the best in his new career. We'll miss him around here.”
In a press release, O'Neill continued: “Hot Rod Charlie was a phenomenal racehorse. He competed against the best of his generation and proved his class time and again. As a half-brother to champion sprinter Mitole, the sky's the limit. We look forward to following his stud career.”
He retires with a mark of 19-5-5-4 and $5,676,720 in earnings. The fifth foal, runner and winner for his placed dam, Hot Rod Charlie hails from the same family as GII Davona Dale S. heroine Live Lively (Medaglia d'Oro).
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