Undefeated Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Mastery (Candy Ride {Arg}–Steady Course, by Old Trieste), injured following a dominant performance in the GII San Felipe S., will stand at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky upon his retirement, according to a press release issued by the farm Tuesday morning. The 3-year-old colt is a perfect four-for-four in his career, with wins in the GI Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity, GIII Bob Hope S. and the San Felipe.
Following his seven-length win in the San Felipe, his first start of the season, Mastery was quickly pulled up by jockey Mike Smith and subsequent X-rays revealed a condylar fracture in his left front leg. The bay underwent successful surgery Mar. 13, according to the press release, which quoted Baffert as saying he was “back at the barn and looking good.”
“He'll stay there for at least a month,” Baffert continued. “We'll just wait. It takes like 90 days for that to heal up, and then we'll decide (if he'll race again). Right now our main concern is to make sure he's comfortable and happy.”
Said owner Everett Dobson, “It's possible for horses to come back from a condylar fracture, but he'll have to be 100% to go back into training. He's a very exciting stallion prospect; he showed brilliance on the track. If he does retire, he'd retire undefeated, and by a very hot sire with a very good pedigree, so that's the positive side. We look forward to him standing at Claiborne Farm upon retirement, whenever that may be. Given their tradition and reputation in the marketplace for making top stallions, we felt it was a great fit for Mastery.”
“Clearly, his pedigree and race record make him an exciting stallion prospect,” said Claiborne's Bernie Sams. “He's in good hands and has a bright future no matter what.”
Accorded Rising Star status for his six-furlong debut at Santa Anita Oct. 22 (video), Mastery led throughout to annex the Bob Hope in his next start Nov. 19 (video), then romped by better than seven lengths when trying two turns for the first time in the CashCall Futurity (video). Mike Smith was merely a passenger in the San Felipe, as the duo cruised home 6 3/4 lengths to the good of GII San Vicente S. hero Iliad (Ghostzaper) (video), an effort good for a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest recorded by any 3-year-old thus far in 2017.
Mastery was bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm from Steady Course, a winning daughter of MGSP Steady Cat (Storm Cat) and closely related to GSW & GISP Jump Start (A.P. Indy). Stone Farm's Arthur Hancock paid $20,000 to acquire Steady Course, not in foal at the time, at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale. Mastery was purchased for $425,000 by Cromwell Bloodstock, agent, at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, and is a half-brother to stakes winner Clear Sailing (Empire Maker).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
