Spendthrift to stand multiple G1 winner Goldencents

B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to multiple Grade 1 winner Goldencents, who will retire to the Lexington-based farm at the end of his 4-year-old campaign and stand the 2015 breeding season. Goldencents’ fee will be $12,500 stands and nurses, and he’s being offered through Spendthrift’s Share The Upside Program for a fee of $15,000 stands and nurses on a limited basis.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Goldencents to our stallion roster here at Spendthrift,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “He is the spitting image of his sire Into Mischief, and has now surpassed his sire’s record on the racetrack. We believe he has every chance to do the same thing in the breeding shed.”

Goldencents made a valiant 4-year-old debut in last Saturday’s $1.25 million Met Mile (G1) on the Belmont Stakes undercard, displaying his usual speed through fast fractions to be a close runner-up to Palace Malice in the prestigious one-mile event. The huge effort off the layoff earned the colt a 109 Beyer, and it signaled his position towards the top of the older males division in North America.

Last year, Goldencents was one of the best 3-year-olds in the country, running 10 times against top-class competition from early January through late November. He started his 3-year-old campaign with a win in the Sham S. (G3) before capturing the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on the Kentucky Derby trail. Goldencents went on to become one of the best sprinters and milers in the country last fall, earning a 109 Beyer when a narrow runner-up to older horse and eventual Eclipse Champion Sprinter Points Offthebench in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. (G1). In his next start, Goldencents turned in a brilliant performance to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, running away from the top milers in the country to post a decisive 2 ¾-length victory.

As a 2-year-old, Goldencents broke his maiden in his debut by an impressive 7 ¼ lengths, running 5 ½ furlongs in 1:02.79. He shipped across the country for his second start in the one-mile Champagne S. (G1), where he was a good runner-up to champion Shanghai Bobby. Goldencents capped off his juvenile campaign with a win in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot (G3).

To date, Goldencents has raced in 13 straight graded stakes since breaking his maiden at Del Mar at two, finishing first or second in nine of those. He’s earned $2,224,000 for trainer Doug O’Neill and owners Glenn Sorgenstein and Josh Kaplan of W.C. Racing.

“We’re thrilled that Goldencents has the next phase of his career secured as a future stallion at Spendthrift Farm, which in my mind is the preeminent stallion operation in the country,” said Sorgenstein. “We’re all excited about his performance in the Met Mile, and hopeful that it’s a sign of big things to come for the rest of 2014. Once again, our goals include the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien, and the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.”

Goldencents is from the first crop of Spendthrift’s leading young sire Into Mischief, and he represents the first graded stakes winner, first Grade 1 winner, and first millionaire produced by the promising young son of Harlan’s Holiday. Goldencents hails from the Banker’s Gold mare Golden Works.