Classic Empire retired to stud

The roller-coaster career of champion Classic Empire has come to an end, with Coolmore’s Ashford Stud announcing Wednesday that the colt has officially been retired and will enter stud in 2018.

Coolmore announced days following Classic Empire’s runner-up effort in the Preakness – which turned out to be his final career start – that it had inked a deal to stand John Oxley’s Pioneerof the Nile colt upon retirement.

Classic Empire concludes his career with 5 wins in 9 starts for earnings of $2,520,220. He was unanimously named 2016’s Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old male after a campaign highlighted by wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity.

But in his 3-year-old debut, Classic Empire finished third in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes as the heavy favorite and came out of the race with a foot abscess. He displayed discomfort in his back, and at least twice refused to train at Palm Meadows training center. Trainer Mark Casse sent the colt to the quieter Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla., where he was trained as a young horse. After breezing several times there, the colt won the Arkansas Derby, making him the morningline favorite for the Kentucky Derby. He finished a creditable fourth with a troubled trip in the full field.

Classic Empire dueled Derby winner Always Dreaming into submission in the Preakness, was clear by three lengths in the stretch, but was caught by Cloud Computing at the wire for a head loss. Off that effort, Classic Empire was expected to be favored in the Belmont Stakes, but was withdrawn from consideration the week of the race with a hoof abscess. After refusing to breeze at Saratoga in August – and again exhibiting back discomfort – he was sent back to Winding Oaks, with an eye on making the Pennsylvania Derby in late September. He never breezed there.

“Unfortunately, we just ran out of time to get him to the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Casse said. “I could never get him completely over his foot abscess, and it wasn’t possible to train him the way I needed in order to bring him back at the highest level, which is where he deserved to be. He’s an extremely talented horse that can do anything and he overcame a lot of adversity to achieve what he did. I still believe he was the most talented horse of his generation.”

Classic Empire is the sixth of the last eight Eclipse champion juveniles to stand at Ashford upon retirement, following Lookin At Lucky (2009), Uncle Mo (2010), Hansen (2011, now in Korea), Shanghai Bobby (2013), and American Pharoah (2014). American Pharoah, who went on to win the Triple Crown, also is by Pioneerof the Nile.

Classic Empire is a halfbrother to stakes winners Anytime Magic and Uptown Twirl. It is the family of champion Revidere, Grade 1 winner and prominent sire Harlan’s Holiday, Hollywood Gold Cup winner Princessnesian, Santa Anita Derby winner Boldnesian, Grade 1-winning turf router Twilight Eclipse, Chilean champion Veedor, and Brazilian Group 1 winner Potri Gold.

“His brilliance on the track is reinforced with a pedigree full of black type that traces back to Harlan’s Holiday,” Ashford director of sales Charlie O’Connor said in a press release. “We couldn’t be more excited to be standing him.”