Campaigned by Tracy Farmer and trained by Nick Zito, Sun King won the GII Pennsylvania Derby, GIII Tampa Bay Derby and GIII Leonard Richards S. in 2005 and added the GII Commonwealth Breeders' Cup S. in 2006.

He hit the board in eight Grade I events, including third-place finishes in the 2004 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Champagne S. and runner-up efforts in the 2005 GI Haskell S., 2006 GI Whitney S. and GI Metropolitan H., as well as the 2007 GI Woodward S.

On the board in 18 of 28 starts, Sun King won six races and earned $2,240,008.

Sun King began his stud career at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky in 2008, and moved to Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana in 2013. He was pensioned in 2016 due to declining fertility and, in 2017, Farmer donated Sun King to Old Friends. He arrived at the farm on Feb. 25, 2017.

“Sun King was one of our best retirees,” said Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends. “A great son of Charismatic, he attracted many fans, including Nick and Kim Zito who came by often to see him. All of our retirees are missed when they die, but no one will be missed more than the King.”

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Old Friends founder Michael Blowen told America's Best Racing that all Birdstone needed was the comfort of a familiar face.

“Birdstone was really nervous; he was anxious and sweaty. He calmed down a little, but not a lot, in the first week. Then, I noticed that he wouldn't take his eyes off Sun King,” Blowen said. “It was like me and my own shadow, almost like a stalker. When he went to get hay, Birdstone would go get hay; when Sun King would get a drink of water, Birdstone got water.”

A quick phone call to Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito revealed that Birdstone and Sun King had been stalled right across from each other for a time while training with Zito. Although the two, as intact stallions, can't be turned out in the same paddock, they are within sight of each other whenever Sun King isn't in his run-in shed. Birdstone has since relaxed as long as he has eyes on his buddy.

It's not the first friendship Blowen has seen between notable horses. Stormy Liberal and Patch bonded immediately and Game On Dude and Little Mike hate to be separated even for overnights in the barn.

Read more at americasbestracing.net.

The post ‘It Was Like Me And My Own Shadow’: Birdstone Finds Comfort In Former Stablemate Sun King appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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