Spendthrift Acquires Breeding Rights to Wicked Strong

Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to 2014 GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial S. hero Wicked Strong (Hard Spun–Moyne Abbey, by Charismatic), who is set to contest the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Oct. 30. The 4-year-old will be retired at the end of this season to stand for $10,000 at Spendthrift for 2016 as part of the farm’s “Share the Upside” program, which requires breeders to breed a mare in 2016 and 2017 and have two live foals on a stands-and-nurses basis to earn a lifetime breeding right to Wicked Strong from 2018 through the end of his stud career. Commitments to Wicked Strong are being honored prior to the Breeders’ Cup, but his stud fees are subject to change pending race results through the rest of the year.

“Wicked Strong is a Grade I winner by one of Danzig’s best sons at stud, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better physical from the Danzig line,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “He’s an exceptional-looking horse and full of class and quality. We believe he’ll be extremely popular with breeders, especially through our ‘Share The Upside’ program, and we’re excited about his chances in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens on behalf of Centennial Farms, Wicked Strong came running late to take the Wood Memorial and followed that with respectable fourth-place finishes in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S., in which he dead-heated with dual Classic winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit. The bay followed that with a victory in Saratoga’s GII Jim Dandy S. and was a very close second in the GI Travers S. after being caught late by stablemate V.E. Day (English Channel). Most recently second to Tonalist (Tapit) in Belmont’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Oct. 3, he heads into the Breeders’ Cup with a record of 18-3-4-3 and earnings of $1,934,460.