Verrazano retired to Ashford Stud

Multiple Grade 1 winner Verrazano has been retired due to lameness and will begin his stallion career at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., in 2015.

“Verrazano was found to be lame after [finishing ninth in the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes last month] and although it is not a significant injury, time would not permit us to have him ready for the Breeders’ Cup, so the decision has been made to retire him,” said Aidan O'Brien, who trained the 4-year-old More Than Ready colt for the Coolmore team. “It’s very disappointing as he ran two lovely races on his first two starts for us and we had been looking forward to a great season with him.”

Verrazano concludes his career with six wins from 13 starts, with seven graded/group stakes wins or placings, for earnings of $1,878,013.

Verrazano won 6 of 10 starts while based in the U.S. with Todd Pletcher, including the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes and Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. He romped by 9 3/4 lengths in the latter and received a career-best 116 Beyer Speed Figure. Verrazano also won the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes – the local prep for the Haskell – by 9 1/4 lengths, and rolled in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.

Plans originally called for Verrazano to retire to Ashford following that 3-year-old season. But Coolmore, which had purchased an interest in the colt early in 2013, bought out majority owners Let's Go Stable and transferred him to O'Brien in Europe. Verrazano made three starts in Group 1 company overseas this year, finishing third in the JLT Lockinge Stakes and second in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot before the Eclipse.

Verrazano is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner El Padrino. His second dam is Grade 1 winner Chic Shirine, a full sister to champion Queena; it is the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Serra Lake and Somali Lemonade.