Breeders’ Cup champions Vino Rosso & Mitole retire to Spendthrift

Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm has set fees for the remainder of its 2020 stallion roster, including Breeders’ Cup champions Vino Rosso and Mitole who have both been retired from racing on a high note after their respective monumental victories Saturday at Santa Anita.

Vino Rosso, the dominant winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), will stand for $30,000 S&N, and Mitole, the fast winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), will stand for $25,000 S&N. Likewise, Coal Front, the 5-time graded winner of more than $1.8 million, has been retired to Spendthrift and will participate in the farm’s “Share The Upside” program. An introductory fee has also been established for Omaha Beach, who remains in training and is being pointed to the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita and Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream before retiring to Spendthrift.

“We have long believed this is the strongest group of new stallions Spendthrift has seen in decades, and the Breeders’ Cup results have just reaffirmed that,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Vino Rosso and Mitole were nothing short of spectacular and turned in the two fastest Beyer Speed Figures of the Breeders’ Cup. With Vino Rosso, we’re talking about the all-time leading earner by one of the industry’s top sires, Curlin. With Mitole, just think of how rare it is to see a horse win four Grade 1 races of that magnitude in a single year. Omaha Beach still has some racing in front of him, but he’s been as in-demand as any horse we’ve ever had so we felt we needed to open his book. These are three very special horses.

“We retired Maximus Mischief a couple months ago and he has been extremely well received. We expect Coal Front to also be very popular as the newest offering through our Share The Upside program. He’s as good looking a horse as you’ll see in town. The quality and diversity of this group has us all very excited, and we think we have terrific options for every breeder in the market,” he said.

Coal Front will stand for a fee of $5,000 S&N and will be offered at $7,500 S&N through the Share The Upside program. Omaha Beach’s initial fee was been set at $40,000 S&N and is subject to change pending future race results. Spendthrift has also set a 2020 fee for Goldencents, North America’s No. 1 Second-Crop Sire who will stand for $25,000 S&N.

In 2019, Vino Rosso, Mitole and Omaha Beach have won a combined 8 Grade 1 races. Aside from the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Vino Rosso captured the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) and was taken down after finishing first in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont. Along with the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Mitole won the seven-furlong Churchill Downs S. (G1) on Kentucky Derby day, the Met Mile (G1) over arguably the best field assembled in 2019 and the seven-furlong Forego S. (G1) in stakes record time at Saratoga.

Omaha Beach was tabbed the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) after winning the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn, and he returned to capture the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) to become the first horse in 30 years to win a Grade 1 at six furlongs and 1 1/8 miles in the same year. Coal Front owns a seldomly-seen five graded wins at five different distances, including a victory in the 2019 Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan over a world-class field.

Plans will soon be announced regarding the arrival of Vino Rosso, Mitole and Coal Front at Spendthrift and their availability for inspection. For more information on any of the new stallions, or Spendthrift’s Share The Upside program, please contact Des, Mark or Brian at 859-294-0030.