Leading three-year-old Bodemeister, a runaway winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas
Derby and a close second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, will stand stud at
WinStar Farm at the conclusion of his racing career. A partnership was formed
between WinStar and the colt’s owners, Ahmed Zayat and Michel & Tiffany Moreno,
who will continue to race the colt.
“Bodemeister is brilliant by design,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar Farm
President/CEO & Racing Manager. “The raw speed he shows, combined with his
freakish numbers, makes him the best stallion prospect on the market. I can’t
remember the last time a three-year-old colt ran three straight triple-digit
Beyers around two turns before the Kentucky Derby like he did. And he’s by
leading sire Empire Maker, out of a million-dollar Storm Cat mare. He is truly
brilliant by design.
“Bodemeister will be in an advantageous situation when he retires to stud.
Mr. Zayat and Mr. Moreno have built quality broodmare bands and are very active
in the marketplace. I think breeders will love the fact they start off with
three potential bidders on his babies. We are excited about the possibilities
and the relationship,” Walden added.
Bodemeister quickly jumped onto the Derby trail in February with an
eye-catching 9 1/4-length maiden win in California. In just his fourth start, he
scored his biggest win to date in the $1 million Arkansas Derby, romping by a
near-record 9 1/2 lengths and earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. The breakout
victory made Bodemeister the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, where he would go
on to set historic fractions — including a :45.39 half mile and a 1:09.80 six
furlongs — before coming up just short at the wire of the 1 1/4-mile classic.
“Bodemeister is a brilliant horse, and this industry needs more sires that
can carry their speed a mile-and-a-quarter,” his trainer Bob Baffert said.
Last Sunday at Santa Anita, Bodemeister recorded his first breeze since
getting nipped at the wire by I’ll Have Another in a thrilling renewal of the
Preakness. He’s pointing for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational, with
a year-end goal of running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. An
earner of $1,304,800 to date, Bodemeister is by classic winner Empire Maker out
of the graded stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent.
“I love Empire Maker, who was an awesome racehorse and has proven to be a
great sire,” Zayat said. “I’ve been lucky to own three Grade 1 winners by Empire
Maker, and Bodemeister is the most special because of the enjoyment he has given
to me and my family. We are loving racing him, and I really believe Bodemeister
is just getting started.
“I’m excited about our partnership with Kenny Troutt, who is a great
sportsman, and I have full confidence in the leadership of Elliott Walden and
the WinStar team. I look forward to racing little Bodemeisters one day down the
road.”
Michel Moreno, who also owns Southern Equine Stables, said: “Bodemeister’s
run through the Triple Crown was a thrill for my family, and there are big plans
for his racing days ahead. We bought into him largely because of his great
potential as a stallion, and we will support him throughout his stud career.”
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