Onetime Kentucky Derby hopeful Mastery retired to Claiborne Farm
Mastery, who was 4-for-4 in his racing career before being sidelined after a victory in this year’s Grade II San Felipe Stakes, was retired from racing to Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., on Monday.
The onetime Kentucky Derby hopeful will begin stud duty there in 2018, the farm announced in a news release on Tuesday.
The 3-year-old son of Candy Ride’s victories also included last year’s Grade I Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity and Grade III Bob Hope Stakes.
In the San Felipe, Mastery won impressively by nearly 7 lengths and solidified his position as a top contender for this year’s Triple Crown. But the win proved bittersweet, however, when Mastery pulled up following the race. Subsequent X-rays revealed a condylar fracture in his front left leg.
On March 13, Mastery underwent successful surgery, which trainer Bob Baffert said “went very well.”
“He was just starting to mature,” Baffert said. “I’m still sick about him getting hurt. It’s safe to say he was on the same path as American Pharoah, the way he was dominating his races.”
Mastery was bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm. He was purchased from the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Cromwell Bloodstock for $425,000. He was undefeated in four starts with earnings of $511,200.
By Candy Ride (ARG) and out of the winning Old Trieste mare Steady Course, Mastery is a half-brother to stakes winner Clear Sailing. His dam is a half-sister to Jump Start, winner of the Grade I Champagne Stakes and now the perennial leading sire of the Mid-Atlantic region, the farm’s news release said. His third dam is a full-sister to the great sire Miswaki.
Claiborne Farm’s stallion roster also includes top international sire War Front, Eclipse champions Blame and Runhappy, Kentucky Derby winner Orb, Flatter, First Samurai, Data Link, Lea, Algorithms, Ironicus and Trappe Shot.
This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Onetime Kentucky Derby hopeful Mastery retired to Claiborne Farm."